2 syllables: Ang, ry. Stress on Ang.
ANG-gree
/ˈæŋɡɹi/
Angry is pronounced ANG-gree (/ˈæŋɡɹi/). It has two syllables (Ang-ry), with the stress on "Ang". Angry is an adjective describing a strong feeling of annoyance, resentment, or hostility. It often signals a temporary emotional state that can influence tone of voice, facial expression, and behavior. In everyday use, it ranges from mild irritation to intense rage, and can be intensified by prosody or context.
adjectiveAngry is an adjective describing a strong feeling of annoyance, resentment, or hostility. It often signals a temporary emotional state that can influence tone of voice, facial expression, and behavior. In everyday use, it ranges from mild irritation to intense rage, and can be intensified by prosody or context.
How to Pronounce Angry
"She sounded angry after the unfair verdict."
"The crowd grew angry as the speaker refused to answer questions."
"He slammed the door, a sign of his suddenly angry mood."
Angry is pronounced /ˈæŋ.ɡri/ in US, UK, and AU accents. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: 'AN.' Start with the short 'a' as in 'cat,' then the nasal 'ng' cluster /ŋɡ/ combined, and finish with a clear /ri/ as in 'reed' without adding extra syllables. Mouth position: open jaw for /æ/, tongue high and back for /ŋ/ with velar closure, then /ɡ/ with a brief stop, and final /ri/ with a relaxed, slightly curled tongue tip. For listening, watch the vowel length and the abruptness of the /ɡ/ release.
Common mistakes include saying /æŋɡri/ with a reduced or devoiced /ɡ/ or slurring the /æ/ into /ə/, and treating /ŋɡ/ as separate or hard to blend. To correct: keep the /æ/ crisp and short, ensure the /ŋ/ and /ɡ/ fuse into a single nasal-velar stop sequence without a break, and release the final /ri/ quickly as /ri/ with a light 'r' if your accent uses rhoticity. Practice by saying 'AN' quickly, then 'gri' in one smooth motion to maintain the syllable boundary.
In US and AU, /ˈæŋ.ɡri/ is fairly consistent with rhotic /r/ typically pronounced in post-vocalic position; Australians often have a less rhotic or a more casual /ɹ/ and a slightly shorter /æ/. UK tends to be non-rhotic in many dialects, but 'Angry' commonly retains /r/ in many modern varieties, yielding /ˈæŋ.ɡri/ with a clear postvocalic /r/ in rhotic accents and a softer /ɹ/ in non-rhotic ones. The vowel quality for /æ/ can be fronter and tenser in US. In all cases, the /ŋ/ + /ɡ/ cluster should be tightly connected.
The difficulty centers on the /æ/ vowel stability, the /ŋ/ + /ɡ/ cluster timing, and the quick release into /ri/. Many speakers insert an extra vowel between /ŋ/ and /ɡ/, turning it into /ŋɡə/ or /ŋɡi/. Others blur the /æ/ or reduce the /ri/ to a schwa. The key is maintaining a tight nasal-velar sequence without aspiration before the /ɡ/ and producing a crisp, unstressed /ri/ at the end. IPA cues and mouth positioning help you master the precise sequence.
In non-rhotic accents (many UK dialects), the /r/ in 'Angry' is often not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. In careful speech or perceptions of American English influence, you may hear a linking or postvocalic /r/; otherwise, you might hear /ˈæŋ.ɡə/ or a reduced /ˈæŋ.ɡri/ with a tiny, barely audible ending. If you want to keep the standard, practice the fully rhotic ending /ri/ for clear, international intelligibility.
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US: rhotic pronunciation with crisp /r/ in the coda; /æ/ is front and tense, and /ɡ/ is a hard stop. UK: often non-rhotic; the /r/ may be weaker or deleted in many dialects, leading to /ˈæŋ.ɡə/; the /æ/ can be slightly more open. AU: often non-rhotic but with a clearer /r/ among younger speakers; /æ/ can be a bit more centralized; link vowels and a lighter /ɡ/ release. IPA notes: US/UK/AU share /ˈæŋ.ɡri/ in many contexts, but rhoticity affects the final /r/.
Angry derives from the Old English anger(a) or angor, related to the Proto-Germanic *anguraz and the Proto-West Germanic *angri, all rooted in the concept of causing distress or pain. The word adopted a more specific sense of intense displeasure or hostility by the Early Modern English period. The form anger (the noun) entered Middle English with meanings tied to distress and trouble, while the adjective sense emerged later, often paired with words like 'look' or 'voice' to describe overt emotion. Over centuries, the semantic field broadened to include both personal emotional states and the manner in which someone speaks or acts when agitated. First known use as an adjective in the sense of
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Angry" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Angry" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Angry"
-gry sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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