How to pronounce spurious
Say it like SPYUUR-ee-us. Spurious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SPYUUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce spurious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPYUUR
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spurious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPYUURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of spurious
American and British speakers say spurious in essentially the same way: /ˈspjʊriəs/ in the US and /ˈspjʊəriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPYOOR-ree-us.
What does spurious mean?
- False, not authentic, not genuine.“His argument was spurious and had no validity.”
- Extraneous, stray; not relevant or wanted.“I tried to concentrate on the matter in hand, but spurious thoughts kept intruding.”
Where does spurious come from?
Borrowed from Late Latin spurius (“illegitimate, bastardly”), possibly related to sperno or from Etruscan.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with spurious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spurious.
Questions about saying spurious
How do you pronounce spurious?
Say SPYUUR-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /ˈspjʊriəs/. In British English it is /ˈspjʊəriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spurious?
Spurious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SPYUUR). Broken into parts: SPYUUR · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say spurious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈspjʊriəs/ and the British form is /ˈspjʊəriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.