3 syllables: Be, hav, ior. Stress on hav.
bih-AY-vyur
/bɪˈheɪvjɚ/
Behavior is pronounced bih-AY-vyur (/bɪˈheɪvjɚ/). It has three syllables (Be-hav-ior), with the stress on "hav". Behavior refers to the observable actions or reactions of a person or thing in response to their environment or to a particular situation. It encompasses patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that can be studied to understand or predict future activity. In everyday use, it often denotes conduct, demeanor, or habitual responses.
nounBehavior refers to the observable actions or reactions of a person or thing in response to their environment or to a particular situation. It encompasses patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that can be studied to understand or predict future activity. In everyday use, it often denotes conduct, demeanor, or habitual responses.
How to Pronounce Behavior
"Her behavior at the meeting surprised everyone."
"Researchers analyze animal behavior to infer instincts and learning."
"Poor behavior can undermine a team's morale and productivity."
You pronounce it as /bɪˈheɪvjər/ in US English, with the main stress on the second syllable. Break it into be-HA-vior: the first syllable is a quick /bɪ/ or /bə/ in many speakers, the second is a clear /ˈheɪv/ (like ‘heave’ without the final e), and the final is an unstressed /jər/ or /jɚ/. Keep your lips relaxed for the second vowel and avoid turning it into a long /iː/.
Common mistakes include pronouncing it as be-HEE-vee-or with an incorrect vowel in the second syllable, saying /bɪˈhɑːvjɔːr/ (overly open) or replacing the /v/ with /w/ in the final cluster. Another frequent issue is reducing the second syllable too much, making it /bə-ˈɪv-yor/ instead of /ˈheɪv/. To correct: emphasize the /eɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable, keep the /v/ clear before the final /jər/, and avoid squeezing the final syllable.
In US English, you’ll hear /bɪˈheɪvjɚ/ with rhotic /ɚ/ ending. In UK English, /bɪˈheɪvjə/ tends to have a non-rhotic ending, often sounding like /ˈbeɪvjə/ with a sharper /ə/ at the end. Australian speakers typically use /bɪˈheɪvjə/ or /bɪˈheɪvjɔː/ with a more centralized or clipped final vowel and less rhoticity. The second syllable /heɪ/ remains primary stress in all accents; the final /r/ is silent in non-rhotic varieties.
The challenge lies in the combination of the stressed diphthong /eɪ/ in the second syllable and the consonant cluster /vj/ leading into a schwa or rhotic ending. Native speakers often reduce the final syllable, making it sound like /-vjə/ or /-vɚ/, which can misalign with learners’ expectations of a fully sounded end. Another pitfall is distinguishing /b/ from /v/ in fast speech, and preserving the subtle palatal approximant /j/ between the /v/ and the vowel.
A distinctive feature is the /j/ glide between the /v/ and the final vowel, creating the /vj/ sequence that leads into the '-or' ending. This vowel-consonant pairing is less common in many languages and can be tricky for learners whose L1 lacks a palatal approximant between a voiced fricative and a vowel. Focusing on the tactile sequence: lips for /v/ (top teeth on lower lip), then raise the mid-palatal /j/ gently before the final schwa or /ə/ can help you land the word crisply.
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Behavior comes from the Middle English behavioren, from Old French behaviorer, from vivre ‘to live’ + -bear. The term originally meant to bear up or carry oneself, reflecting outward conduct. In the 19th century it shifted in psychology and social science to refer to observable actions of organisms as an entity separable from thought or feeling. By the early 20th century, behavior became a central term in behavioral sciences, used to describe actions in relation to stimuli, reinforcement, and learning. The word’s core notion has broadened beyond human conduct to describe the actions of animals, organizations, and systems. The spelling and pronunciation stabilized in English across dialects, with stress typically on the second syllable: be-HA-vior in US/UK spelling variants, though some transcriptions show behav-ior in rapid speech. First known printed use appears in the 14th–15th centuries in legal and moral discussions, evolving through scientific discourse into common usage. Historically, “behavior” has also been used in philosophy and psychology to distinguish external actions from internal mental states, a distinction that underpins many theories of learning and behavior modification.
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Words that rhyme with "Behavior"
-vor sounds
-bor sounds
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