How to pronounce “obsequious”
Say “obsequious” in 4 beats
obsequious
/əbˈsikwiəs/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /əbsiːkwɪəs/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- əbəb
- sisistress
- kwikwi
- əsəs
- IPA (American)
- /əbˈsikwiəs/
- IPA (British)
- /əbsiːkwɪəs/
- Respelling
- uhb-SEE-kwee-uhs
- Syllables
- 4 — əb-SI-kwi-əs
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: əb-SI-kwi-əs. “si” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Legend — spelling and sound part company here
American and British are not the same here
/əbˈsikwiəs/
/əbsiːkwɪəs/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “obsequious” means
- adjective
attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
- adjective
attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
“obsequious shop assistants”
Say it in a sentence
“The waiter was so obsequious that the meal felt uncomfortable.”“obsequious”, answered
How do you pronounce “obsequious”?
“obsequious” is pronounced /əbˈsikwiəs/ (uhb-SEE-kwee-uhs) in American English and /əbsiːkwɪəs/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “si”. Build it as əb-SI-kwi-əs, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “obsequious” have?
4: əb · si · kwi · əs. The beat lands on the second, “si”.
Is “obsequious” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /əbˈsikwiəs/ (uhb-SEE-kwee-uhs); British English says /əbsiːkwɪəs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “obsequious” mean?
As an adjective: attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery For example: “The waiter was so obsequious that the meal felt uncomfortable.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “obsequious”?
Stress the second syllable: əb-SI-kwi-əs. “si” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “obsequious” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.