2 syllables: blind, ness. Stress on blind.
BLEYEND-nuhs
/ˈblaɪndnəs/
blindness is pronounced BLEYEND-nuhs (/ˈblaɪndnəs/). It has two syllables (blind-ness), with the stress on "blind". Blindness is the state of lacking sight or the condition of being unable to see. In everyday use, it can refer to literal visual impairment or metaphorical lack of awareness. The term combines the adjective blind with the suffix -ness to form a noun denoting a condition or state, often used in clinical, social, or literary contexts.
Blindness is the state of lacking sight or the condition of being unable to see. In everyday use, it can refer to literal visual impairment or metaphorical lack of awareness. The term combines the adjective blind with the suffix -ness to form a noun denoting a condition or state, often used in clinical, social, or literary contexts.
"Her blindness makes navigating the city challenging without a guide dog."
"The charity focuses on helping people with blindness access education and technology."
"A surprising blindness to the obvious signals led to several mistakes in the project."
Pronounce it as /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/ in US and UK; US often merges the /d/ and /n/ lightly, yielding a perceived /ˈblayndnəs/. Stress is on the first syllable: BLAIND-ness. Start with /blaɪ/ (like “bligh”), then /nd/ (tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge), and finish with /nəs/ (schwa before final /s). Picture curling the tip of your tongue to touch the alveolar ridge for /nd/ and keep the /n/ light before the final /əs/. For precise practice, say “BLAYND-nuss” with a crisp /s/. Audio reference: listen to /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/ in dictionaries or pronunciation tools.
Two frequent errors: (1) Slurring /nd/ into a single /n/ sound, producing /ˈblaɪnnəs/. (2) Dropping the final /s/ or mispronouncing /nəs/ as /nɪs/ or /nəs/. Correction: clearly articulate the /nd/ cluster by briefly stopping the tongue at the alveolar ridge to release /d/ before /n/. Maintain a short schwa in /nəs/ and end with a crisp /s/. Practice with the two-stage sequence: /blaɪnd/ + /nəs/ and then blend in continuous speech.
In US and UK, primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/. US tends to link the /d/ with the following /n/ slightly, so it may sound like /ˈblaɪndnəs/. UK often preserves a crisper /d/ release, giving /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/. Australian English typically follows US rhotic-ish patterns but retains the same stress; vowels can be slightly broader, with /aɪ/ diphthong sounding a touch more centralized. Across accents, the final /s/ is unvoiced. IPA references: US /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/, UK /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/, AU /ˈblaɪnd.nəs/.
The difficulty lies in the /ɪ/ to /n/ transition after /d/ and the clustering /nd/ within a single syllable when spoken quickly, as well as maintaining the schwa-in-constrained /nəs/ sequence without adding extra vowels. The /aɪ/ diphthong demands precise mouth opening and tongue height; the /n/ and /d/ need clean release to avoid a blend that sounds like /blaɪn.nəs/ or /blaɪndəs/. Keeping crisp alveolar contact and final sibilant without voice bleed helps clarity.
There are no silent letters in blindness. Every letter participates in the phonemic sequence: b-l-aɪ-n-d-n-ə-s. The critical feature is the consonant cluster /nd/ and the final /s/. The /n/ from the suffix helps form the /nəs/ ending; some speakers may reduce the /ə/ to a near-schwa or even a light syllabic loss in rapid speech, but the letters themselves are audible in careful speech.
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Blindness comes from the Old English word blind meaning lacking vision, which itself derives from the Proto-Germanic *blintaz* or *blinþaz*, related to words for closed eyes or darkness. The suffix -ness to form abstract nouns dates from Old English and Old Norse influences, creating nouns that express a state or quality. The modern sense of visual impairment solidified in Middle English and early Modern English as perceptions of sight became clinically and socially categorized. Over time, the term widened to cover metaphorical forms of ignorance or lack of awareness, as in “moral blindness.” The first known uses appear in religious and medical texts dating to the medieval period, with evolving usage in literature, psychology, and disability discussions. By the 19th and 20th centuries, blindness became both a medical diagnosis and a social identity, informing policy, advocacy, and accessible design language. In contemporary English, blindness commonly collocates with terms like “visual impairment,” “blind people,” “blindness awareness,” and “blindness prevention,” reflecting shifts toward person-first language and inclusive practice.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "blindness" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "blindness"
-ess sounds
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