3 syllables: Co, vet, ous. Stress on Co.
KUHV-it-uhs
/ˈkʌvɪtəs/
Covetous is pronounced KUHV-it-uhs (/ˈkʌvɪtəs/). It has three syllables (Co-vet-ous), with the stress on "Co". Covetous is an adjective describing a strong, often vengeful desire to possess something, typically something belonging to or valued by someone else. It implies envy combined with greed, and is used to characterize an attitude or behavior rather than a temporary wish. The term often carries a negative or judgmental connotation in literature and everyday speech.
adjectiveCovetous is an adjective describing a strong, often vengeful desire to possess something, typically something belonging to or valued by someone else. It implies envy combined with greed, and is used to characterize an attitude or behavior rather than a temporary wish. The term often carries a negative or judgmental connotation in literature and everyday speech.
- You may default to a lax first syllable /ˈkɔvɪ/; instead, project a rounded, longer /ɔː/ sound to match the standard. - Do not turn the /t/ into a /d/ sound; keep a crisp alveolar stop before the final unstressed /əs/. - Avoid rushing the final /əs/; give it a soft, quick schwa before the /s/ to keep the rhythm.
How to Pronounce Covetous
"Her covetous glance at the new neighbor’s car gave away her envy."
"The king’s covetous nature led him to seize lands from his rivals."
"She spoke with covetous longing of the author’s success, wishing it were hers."
Say COV-ih-tuhs, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US / ˈkɔːvɪtəs /, UK / ˈkɒvɪtəs /, AU / ˈkɒvɪtəs /. Begin with a back, rounded /ɔː/ vowel in the first syllable, then a short /v/ followed by a relaxed /ɪ/ in the second, and end with a schwa /ə/ or /ə/ in unstressed final syllable. Ensure the /t/ is a clear, crisp stop rather than a flap.
Two frequent errors: mixing up the vowel in the first syllable (saying /kɒvɪtəs/ with an American /ɑ/ or /æ/) instead of the correct /ɔː/ or /ɔ/; and softening the /t/ into a /d/ in some accents. Correct by holding a compact, rounded /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ for the first syllable, and delivering a crisp /t/ before the final /əs/. Practice with minimal pairs like covetous vs covetous? (tiny pause). Also avoid adding a secondary stress on the third syllable.
US tends toward / ˈkɔːvɪtəs / with a longer first vowel and rhotic linking not affecting syllable stress. UK uses / ˈkɒvɪtəs / with a shorter /ɒ/ and non-rhoticity, but in careful speech you may still hear subtle /ɔː/ depending on region. Australian tends to / ˈkɒvɪtəs / with a clipped /ɒ/ and a light, quick /t/ before the final /əs/. Across accents, the primary stress remains on the first syllable; the vowel quality shifts slightly due to rhoticity and vowel reduction patterns.
Key challenges are the mid-back vowel in the first syllable and the quick, light /t/ before the final unstressed syllable. US and UK vowels differ in backness and length, which can subtly move your tongue position. The final -ous suffix carries a schwa in fast speech, so you must preserve the crisp onset of -t- without letting the final syllable blur. Practice with slowed articulation and listening to native speech.
Focus on a rounded, slightly open mouth for the /ɔː/ in the first syllable, with the tongue high-mid at the back. The /v/ is labiodental and requires light contact of the bottom lip to upper teeth. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable is lax and short; keep it quick and relaxed. The final /əs/ uses a schwa with a nearly closed mouth, ending with a soft, quick /s/. This combination reduces the risk of misplacing /t/ and softening the end.
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- US: Rhotic influence is limited here; keep /r/ out of the first syllable. Focus on a clear /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ in the first vowel. - UK: Short /ɒ/ or /ɒ/ with potential non-rhoticity; stress remains on first syllable. - AU: Similar to UK, with slightly more relaxed vowel length; keep /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ as in your regional accent. All: fix the /t/ as an unreleased or lightly released alveolar stop; the final /əs/ tends toward a quick schwa.
Covetous derives from the verb covet, which comes from Middle English coveten, borrowed from Old French covetier and Latin cupere, meaning to desire or long for. The path traces from Latin cupere through Old French covetier into English by the 13th century with the sense of strong desire to possess what belongs to another. The suffix -ous, from Old French -os, forms adjectives indicating possession or full of a quality. Over time, covetous retained a moral undertone, frequently appearing in sermons and literature to condemn greed or envy. The word’s usage expanded from moral condemnation to describe individuals exhibiting a particular avaricious attitude rather than passive wishing, cementing its negative evaluative sense in modern English. First known uses surface in Middle English texts, with the alignment to theological and social critiques of possessive desire strengthening through Early Modern English as authors explored sin, virtue, and social status. The evolution reflects a shift from simple desire to an evaluative descriptor of character and motivation, reinforced by phrases like “covetous man” or “covetous eyes.” Today, covetous remains a precise, somewhat elevated term used in literary, legal, and formal discourse to mark excessive or disapproved acquisitiveness.
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Words that rhyme with "Covetous"
-ing sounds
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