3 syllables: Au, da, cious. Stress on da.
ah-DAY-shuhs
/ɑˈdeɪʃəs/
Audacious is pronounced ah-DAY-shuhs (/ɑˈdeɪʃəs/). It has three syllables (Au-da-cious), with the stress on "da". Audacious means showing a willingness to take bold risks or act with confidence and daring, sometimes to the point of surprise or irreverence. It describes behavior, plans, or claims that push boundaries and challenge conventions, often with a fearless, defiant tone. In usage, it can carry positive or negative connotations depending on context and degree of risk-taking.
adjectiveAudacious means showing a willingness to take bold risks or act with confidence and daring, sometimes to the point of surprise or irreverence. It describes behavior, plans, or claims that push boundaries and challenge conventions, often with a fearless, defiant tone. In usage, it can carry positive or negative connotations depending on context and degree of risk-taking.
- You’ll often hear people say AUD-a-shus or aw-DA-shus; avoid wrong stress shift. - The middle vowel tends to be a relaxed schwa; if you put a strong 'uh' in the middle, it sounds unnatural. - The ending /-ʃəs/ should be concise; avoid adding an /ɪ/ or making the ending a full /əs/ with a long vowel. - Slow down the initial /ɔː/ and land the middle quickly, then clip the final /ʃəs/.
How to Pronounce Audacious
"Her audacious plan to climb the mountain in winter impressed the guides."
"The entrepreneur proposed an audacious strategy that disrupted the industry."
"He made an audacious move by publicly challenging the status quo."
Pronunciation: /ˈɔː.də.ʃəs/ (US: /ˈɔː.də.ʃəs/; UK: /ˈɔː.dɪˌeɪ.ʃəs/). Primary stress on the first syllable. The middle syllable uses a schwa /ə/ in most speakers; the final is /ʃəs/ as in 'shus.' Tip: begin with an open back vowel in the first syllable, then a relaxed, quick middle, and end with a crisp /ʃəs/. Audio reference: listen to native speakers on Pronounce or Forvo for authentic intonation patterns.
Common mistakes include: (1) misplacing stress on the second syllable (as in /ˈɑː.dəˈʃəs/); (2) pronouncing the middle as a full vowel rather than a schwa (eg /ˈɔː.dɪˈeɪ.ʃəs/); (3) blending the ending into a hard /s/ or /z/ instead of the clipped /əs/. Correction: keep the primary stress on the first syllable, use a quick /ə/ in the middle, and ensure the final is /-ʃəs/ with a soft, short /ə/ before /s/.
In US English, expect /ˈɔː.də.ʃəs/ with a broad /ɔː/ and clear /ʃəs/. UK pronunciation often shows a slightly tighter first vowel and may insert a light /ɪ/ or /eɪ/ in the second syllable, producing /ˈɔː.dɪˌeɪ.ʃəs/. Australian tends to have a flatter /ɔː/ and a crisper /ˈɔː.dɪˈeɪ.ʃəs/ with less rhotic vowel quality. Across all, the final syllable remains /-ʃəs/.
The difficulty stems from three aspects: (1) the initial open back vowel /ɔː/ in many dialects, which can be misheard as /ɒ/ or /ɑ/; (2) the multi-syllabic rhythm with a stressed first syllable and a reduced middle; (3) the final /-ʃəs/ cluster that requires a quick, clipped onset for /ʃ/ followed by a short /əs/. Practice the /ɔː/–/ə/–/ʃəs/ sequence slowly, then integrate regular rhythm.
Unique aspect: the middle vowel often reduces to a schwa, creating a three-syllable rhythm that can sneak into two-syllable perception if rushed. The second syllable often contains a subtle secondary quality before the final /-ʃəs/. Also, English speakers may momentarily insert a tiny /ɪ/ or /eɪ/ before /ʃ/ depending on tempo. Focus on the clean /ˈɔː.də.ʃəs/ and avoid a strong /eɪ/ unless your accent emphasizes it.
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US: maintain a clear rhotic first vowel with a slightly longer /ɔː/; UK: the middle syllable often leans into /ɪ/ or /eɪ/ before /ʃəs/ making /ˈɔː.dɪˌeɪ.ʃəs/; AU: flatter vowel in first and middle; keep final /ʃəs/ tight. IPA references: US /ˈɔː.də.ʃəs/, UK /ˈɔː.dɪˌeɪ.ʃəs/, AU /ˈɔː.dɪˌeɪ.ʃəs/.
Audacious comes from the Latin audax, meaning bold, dauntless, or daring, derived from the stem aud- meaning 'to dare' or 'to hear.' The form audax was used in Classical Latin to describe someone who dares or is fearless. This root evolved into the Late Latin audax and Old French audacieux, attaching the -ous suffix to form an English adjective meaning 'bold' or 'daring.' In English, audacious appeared in the 17th century, retaining its sense of boldness but sometimes connoting a reckless, presumptuous, or impudent quality. The word’s semantic arc stretches from neutral boldness to a more provocative, even irreverent boldness in modern usage. The evolution tracks through borrowing during Middle English innovations in expressing character traits tied to daring actions, eventually aligning with contemporary contexts of audacity in business, art, and rhetoric. First known use in English citations appears in the 1600s, with evolving connotations as social norms shifted around risk-taking and assertive behavior. Today, audacious often implies a deliberate challenge to norms, sometimes celebrated as visionary, other times criticized as reckless.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Audacious" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Audacious"
-ous sounds
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