3 syllables: be, hav, iour. Stress on hav.
bih-AY-vyur
/bɪˈheɪvjɚ/
behaviour is pronounced bih-AY-vyur (/bɪˈheɪvjɚ/). It has three syllables (be-hav-iour), with the stress on "hav". Behaviour refers to the way in which a person or other organism acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus. It encompasses observable actions, reactions, and conduct, often shaped by cognition, emotion, and social context. In British usage, the spelling retains the -our ending, while American usage adopts -or. The term is used across psychology, sociology, and everyday life to describe patterns of action.
Behaviour refers to the way in which a person or other organism acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus. It encompasses observable actions, reactions, and conduct, often shaped by cognition, emotion, and social context. In British usage, the spelling retains the -our ending, while American usage adopts -or. The term is used across psychology, sociology, and everyday life to describe patterns of action.
"Her behaviour at the meeting surprised everyone and prompted a reconsideration of the plan."
"The scientist studied the animal's behaviour to understand its mating rituals."
"Rowan exhibited reckless behaviour after hearing the disappointing news."
In IPA for UK/General British: /bɪˈheɪvjə/. The US/CA variant is /bɪˈheɪvjər/ with the final rhotic schwa-sound. Emphasize the second syllable: beh-AY-viour. Start with a light /b/ release, then /ɪ/ as in kit, then /ˈheɪ/ with a clear long A, followed by /v/ and a reduced final vowel /ə/ (UK) or /ər/ (US). Mouth positions: lips neutral to slight rounded for /ɪ/ and /iː/, tongue high-front for /æ/-like quality in /heɪ/, then teeth together for /v/.
Common errors: (1) stressing the wrong syllable—place primary stress on the second syllable; (2) treating /ɡ/ or /d/ sounds incorrectly—there is no hard consonant after the /v/; make sure the sequence is /vjə/ rather than /v jə/; (3) mispronouncing the final /ə/ as a full /əː/ or /ɪ/ in British or American English. Correct by practicing the sequence /bɪˈheɪvjə/ (UK) or /bɪˈheɪvjər/ (US) with a relaxed, quick release of the final schwa.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced at the end; final /ər/ or /əɹ/ in most dialects. UK: non-rhotic tendencies, final /ə/ is a schwa; /r/ is often silent except before a vowel. AU: non-rhotic similar to UK, with some vowel narrowing in /eɪ/ and /ə/. The core is /bɪˈheɪvjə/ (UK/AU) vs /bɪˈheɪvjər/ (US). Also, vowel quality in /eɪ/ can be slightly longer in some US dialects and the/ə/ at end is reduced in rapid speech.
Key challenges: the triphthong-ish sequence /eɪv/ glides into a reduced suffix /ə/ or /ər/, requiring precise tongue position and air flow. The consonant cluster /v/ followed by a weak vowel can trap the jaw in a tense state if you over-open. Also, the final syllable requires a relaxed, centralized vowel; tension here creates an artificial American /ɚ/ or British /ə/. Focus on smooth transitions between /eɪ/ and /vj/ and the light, quick schwa.
The main unique trait is the /vj/ sequence after the /eɪ/ diphthong: you move the tongue from mid-high front to a near-close position for /v/ then quickly into a mid-central schwa. The transition is subtle and easy to blur under hurried speech. Practice includes isolating /eɪ/ then adding /vjə/ with a quick, almost syllable-jump motion, ensuring you do not insert an extra syllable.
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Behaviour originates from Middle English behaviour, formed from the Old French comportement and the Latin root comportare, meaning to carry oneself or to bear. The term combines the prefix be- (as in ‘around’ or ‘about’) with the French -haïr-, ultimately linked to the concept of bearing or carrying oneself in a given state, though the precise historical path is complex. In the 18th and 19th centuries, behavioural sciences adopted the term to describe observable actions in humans and animals. The modern spelling with -our is preserved in British English, reflecting etymological conventions from French and Latin, while American English standardised -or. First known uses appear in scholarly writings on psychology and ethics, where “behaviour” described how agents act under various stimuli, social norms, and internal states. Over time, the term broadened to cover a wide range of action patterns, from simple reflexes to complex strategic behaviours. The distinction between “behavior” (US) and “behaviour” (UK) remains a common marker of regional spelling rather than a difference in meaning.
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Words that rhyme with "behaviour"
-our sounds
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