3 syllables: Ad, he, sive. Stress on he.
ad-HEE-siv
/æˈdhisɪv/
Adhesive is pronounced ad-HEE-siv (/æˈdhisɪv/). It has three syllables (Ad-he-sive), with the stress on "he". Adhesive is a substance used for sticking objects or materials together. As a noun, it refers to glues and pastes; as an adjective within compounds, it describes properties that enable adhesion. It denotes a sticky, bonding agent that forms a secure join under pressure or with curing. The term encompasses commercial glues, tapes, and adhesives in industrial contexts.
nounAdhesive is a substance used for sticking objects or materials together. As a noun, it refers to glues and pastes; as an adjective within compounds, it describes properties that enable adhesion. It denotes a sticky, bonding agent that forms a secure join under pressure or with curing. The term encompasses commercial glues, tapes, and adhesives in industrial contexts.
"The adhesive on the label was too strong for easy removal."
"They used an epoxy adhesive to bond the metal parts."
"Her craft project required a clear adhesive that dries quickly."
Pronounce as /əˈdhiː.sɪv/ in US and AU, with the primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa /ə/, then a voiced alveolar stop /d/; the /h/ is pronounced after the /d/ as a light aspirated /h/. The long /iː/ in the second syllable is held, followed by a short /s/ and ending with /v/. In UK, you may hear /ədˈhiː.sɪv/ with slightly less pronounced schwa quality. Audio resources: Pronounce or Forvo give native pronunciations; try listening for the progression ad-HEE-sive. IPA: US/AU /əˈdhiː.sɪv/, UK /ədˈhiː.sɪv/.
Common errors: (1) pronouncing second syllable as /ɪ/ or /ɪv/ making it ad-HIS-iv instead of /ˈdhiː.sɪv/. (2) dropping the /d/ after the initial vowel, giving /əˈhiː.sɪv/ or /əˈʃiː.sɪv/. (3) misplacing stress, saying ad-HEE-siv. Correction: keep stress on the second syllable, ensure the /d/ blends with a crisp /d/ and /h/ sequence, and elongate the /iː/ to match the native rhythm. Practice with minimal pairs like “adhesive” vs “adhesiveness” to feel the syllable boundary. IPA cues: /əˈdhiː.sɪv/; keep a light aspirated onset for /h/ after /d/, not a silent /h/.”},{
In US and AU, you’ll typically hear /əˈdhiː.sɪv/ with a clear /d/ and /h/ cluster, and a long /iː/ in the second syllable. In the UK, /ədˈhiː.sɪv/ may have a slightly shorter initial schwa and a crisper /t/ release if speakers articulate more tightly, but most speakers keep the /d/ + /h/ cluster. Rhoticity is preserved in US and AU—rhotic accents pronounce the /r/ only when present; adhesive itself has no /r/. Vowel qualities: US often has a more pronounced /iː/; UK may exhibit a shorter /iː/ and slightly rounded /ə/. IPA references: US/AU /əˈdhiː.sɪv/, UK /ədˈhiː.sɪv/.
The difficulty comes from the stressed second syllable with a long /iː/ vowel in a consonant cluster (/d/ + /h/) that follows a preceding schwa. The /d/ is not followed by a simple vowel; a light /h/ attaches to the /d/ making /dhiː/ a tricky sequence for non-native speakers. Additionally, maintaining the expected syllable-timed rhythm and accurate vowel length in rapid speech is challenging. IPA cues: /əˈdhiː.sɪv/; focus on the /d/ + /h/ blend and the long /iː/.
Adhesive has no silent letters in standard pronunciation. Each letter in the stressed syllable contributes sound: /d/ and /h/ create a /dhi/ sequence, the /iː/ provides length, then /s/ and /v/ complete the final syllable. Some rapid speech can reduce the /h/ slightly, but it remains audible in careful speech. Stress pattern remains trochaic-to-stress on the second syllable: ad-HÉ-si-ve, with the primary stress on 'HEE'.
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Adhesive comes from Latin adhaesivus, formed from ad- ‘toward, toward’ + haesus, past participle of haerere ‘to stick, cling.’ The root haer- meaning ‘to stick’ appears in words like adhere, adhesive, and cohere. The English adoption traces to Middle French adésif and Latin adhaesivus, entering English as an early 19th-century term related to substances capable of causing adhesion. The word evolved to specify a class of sticky substances used to join surfaces, with technical distinctions developed in chemistry and materials science. Initially, “adhesive” referred broadly to anything that clung; scientific refinement led to definitions that emphasize bonding under pressure, curing, or chemical reactions (e.g., epoxy, latex glues). The sense broadened in industrial and consumer contexts, encompassing tapes, pastes, and bonding agents used in construction, manufacturing, and everyday repairs. First known use in English dates to the 19th century, aligning with the growth of modern glue and adhesive industries that required precise terminology for various formulations and performance characteristics.
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Words that rhyme with "Adhesive"
-ive sounds
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