3 syllables: ca, ri, ous. Stress on ca.
KAR-ee-uhs
/ˈkæɹiəs/
carious is pronounced KAR-ee-uhs (/ˈkæɹiəs/). It has three syllables (ca-ri-ous), with the stress on "ca". Carious means affected by caries (tooth decay) or, more broadly, decayed or decaying. It is used in medical and dental contexts to describe teeth with lesions, cavities, or damage caused by decay. The term can also metaphorically describe something morally or aesthetically decayed in a figurative sense.
Carious means affected by caries (tooth decay) or, more broadly, decayed or decaying. It is used in medical and dental contexts to describe teeth with lesions, cavities, or damage caused by decay. The term can also metaphorically describe something morally or aesthetically decayed in a figurative sense.
"The patient was diagnosed with carious lesions requiring immediate treatment."
"Her smile revealed several carious teeth that needed fillings."
"The report documented carious processes in the molars."
Pronounce as CAIR-ee-us, with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈkær.i.əs/. Break it into three syllables: /ˈkær/ (like ‘car’ with a short a), /i/ (as in ‘see’ but shorter), /əs/ (a light 'uhs' sound). Place the tongue high in the front of the mouth for /æ/; keep the /r/ unobtrusive or lightly approximant depending on your accent. In connected speech, avoid inserting extra vowels: say /ˈkær.i.əs/ rather than /ˈkær.i.yəs/.”,
Two frequent errors: (1) Slurring the second syllable by turning /i/ into a schwa; keep a clear /i/ as in ‘see’ for /i/. (2) Overemphasizing the final -ous, making it /-əs/ with a heavy /s/ or adding extra vowels; aim for a light /əs/ with a short, unstressed final. Practicing with slow, deliberate enunciation helps you maintain the three-syllable structure and the proper vowel qualities.
US/UK/AU share /ˈkær.i.əs/ but there are subtle shifts: US tends to rhoticize /r/ more prominently in the first syllable; UK may have a slightly shorter /æ/ and a crisper /ɹ/ or less rhoticity depending on region; AU tends toward a broader front vowel in /æ/ and a more centralized /ə/ in the final syllable. The final /s/ is often a soft sibilant in all, but some speakers may voice it slightly more due to adjacent vowels. Overall, the rhythm remains three syllables with primary stress on the first syllable.
Because it combines a tense front vowel /æ/ in the first syllable with a short, reduced final /əs/ that can blur in rapid speech; the middle /i/ must be distinct yet short, and many speakers merge /i/ with /iː/ or reduce it to a schwa if not careful. Additionally, the word’s three consecutive vowels can tempt misarticulation or an intrusive vowel if not careful. Practicing with length checks helps keep it crisp.
Yes. The middle /i/ often carries a lighter, shorter quality than in ‘curious’ because the following /əs/ reduces the preceding vowel's prominence. It’s not a long /iː/; instead, aim for a brief, crisp /i/ between /æ/ and /əs/. Also, ensure the /r/ is not elided in non-rhotic accents; in rhotic accents you’ll hear a more pronounced /ɹ/ in the first syllable.
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Carious derives from the Latin word cariosus, meaning decayed or rotted, from caro, car- meaning flesh, which over time evolved to describe decay in teeth rather than flesh. The root cara- emerges in medieval Latin and was adopted into English through medical Latin as dentistry emerged as a formal field. The suffix -ous denotes a characteristic or condition and is common in English adjectives. The earliest attestations appear in Latin medical texts describing lesions and decay, with English adoption in the 15th–16th centuries as dental science progressed. Over the centuries, carious retained its technical dental sense (tooth decay) and began to appear in broader figurative uses to describe anything degraded; today it remains primarily clinical, though you’ll occasionally encounter metaphorical usage in literature. The word’s pathway reflects a precise medical term that broadened to general descriptors for decay or deterioration in various contexts, but its strongest association remains dental pathology.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "carious" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "carious" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "carious"
-ous sounds
-te) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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