How to pronounce righteous
Say it like RY-chus. Righteous has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce righteous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RY
- chus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Righteous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- chusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of righteous
American and British speakers say righteous in essentially the same way: /ˈraɪtʃəs/ in the US and /ˈraɪtʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: RY-chus.
What does righteous mean?
- characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice“the...prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
- morally justified“righteous indignation”
Where does righteous come from?
From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, manner”).
Questions about saying righteous
How do you pronounce righteous?
Say RY-chus. The American pronunciation is /ˈraɪtʃəs/. In British English it is /ˈraɪtʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in righteous?
Righteous has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RY). Broken into parts: RY · chus.
Do Americans and Brits say righteous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈraɪtʃəs/ and the British form is /ˈraɪtʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.