2 syllables: Con, scious. Stress on Con.
KAHN-shuhs
/ˈkɑnʃəs/
Conscious is pronounced KAHN-shuhs (/ˈkɑnʃəs/). It has two syllables (Con-scious), with the stress on "Con". Conscious is a state of awareness or perception, often tied to being awake and responsive to surroundings or to one’s own thoughts. It can describe deliberate, intentional action, or a condition in which one is mindful rather than unconscious. The term also appears in philosophical and psychological contexts to denote experiential awareness as opposed to mere sensation. In everyday use, it signals attention and deliberate consideration.
nounConscious is a state of awareness or perception, often tied to being awake and responsive to surroundings or to one’s own thoughts. It can describe deliberate, intentional action, or a condition in which one is mindful rather than unconscious. The term also appears in philosophical and psychological contexts to denote experiential awareness as opposed to mere sensation. In everyday use, it signals attention and deliberate consideration.
"She became conscious of a strange noise and looked around."
"Athletes are trained to stay conscious of their breathing during competition."
"The patient regained consciousness after the fainting spell."
Pronounce it as /ˈkɒn.ʃəs/ in UK English and /ˈkɑːn.ʃəs/ in US English. The first syllable has a stressed, stressed-open vowel, followed by the /n/ and /ʃ/ consonant blend, ending with a light /əs/. Your lips should form a tight, rounded or spread posture for /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on accent, with the tongue contacting the alveolar ridge for the /n/ and the postalveolar region for /ʃ/. Aim for a clean /ən-ʃəs/ reducing to a soft, quick second syllable. Audio resources: Pronounce or Forvo can illustrate real voice samples.
Common mistakes include reducing the /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ to a schwa, which makes the word sound less stressed, and misplacing or softening the /ʃ/ such that it blends with /n/. Another pitfall is pronunciation of the final /əs/ as /ɪs/ or with a heavy schwa; keep a light, unstressed /əs/ to preserve the flow. Ensure you maintain the /n/ immediately before /ʃ/ without inserting extra vowel sounds, and keep the main stress on the first syllable.
In US English, the first vowel often skews toward /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ with a strong /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in the first syllable; UK speakers lean toward /ɒ/ with non-rhoticity but still clear /ˈkɒn.ʃəs/. Australian rhoticity is present, with a similar pattern to UK but often a slightly closer /ɒ/ and faster reduction in the second syllable. The /r/ is generally not pronounced in conscious in UK/AU, while US sometimes shows a softened diphthong in /ɒ/ depending on region.
The difficulty lies in the two consonant clusters: the /n/ before /ʃ/ and the final /ʃəs/ sequence; the /ʃ/ is a voiceless postalveolar fricative that often gets blended or softened in casual speech. Additionally, the vowel quality in the first syllable (/ɒ/ vs /ɑː/) is highly accent-dependent and short or long, which can trip speakers when moving between dialects. Keeping the nucleus tense yet brief helps clarity.
A unique angle is the nasal-forward alignment challenges: after the alveolar /n/ and before the /ʃ/, the tongue must glide smoothly to the postalveolar sound without creating a pause. Don’t insert an extra vowel between /n/ and /ʃ/, which often happens in eager speech. Focus on maintaining a brisk, but controlled transition from /n/ to /ʃ/ with a light, unstressed final /əs/.
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Conscious derives from Latin conscius, meaning ‘having joint knowledge,’ which is formed from com- ‘together’ + scire ‘to know.’ The word evolved in Old French as conscius and entered English in the Middle English period with sense related to knowing with or sharing knowledge. Over time, conscious broadened from “having knowledge” to denote awareness and perception, especially in relation to mental states. The modern usage crystallized around the 15th century, distinguishing awareness (conscious mind, consciousness) from mere sensation or unconscious states. The term also took on philosophical weight in discussions of mind, self, and intentionality, where consciousness refers to subjective experience. In contemporary usage, conscious often pairs with action (being conscious of consequences) and with health and wellness (conscious living, mindfulness). First known written uses appear in late medieval manuscripts, with later standardization in early modern English dictionaries and philosophical treatises shaping its current nuances.
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Words that rhyme with "Conscious"
-uch sounds
-tch sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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