Hearsay

Hearsay is a noun referring to information or rumors that a person has heard but not directly observed or verified. It is commonly discussed in legal contexts but appears in everyday conversation to denote secondhand information. The word stresses the first syllable and is pronounced with a clear contrast between the /h/ onset and the /s/ sounds in the middle, often leading to a softer final vowel. Overall, it denotes information circulated secondhand rather than firsthand testimony.