DEYE-nuh-sawrz
/ˈdaɪnəˌsɔɹz/
dinosaurs is pronounced DEYE-nuh-sawrz (/ˈdaɪnəˌsɔɹz/). Dinosaurs refers to a diverse group of ancient reptiles that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, from the Triassic through the Cretaceous periods. The term is also used more broadly to describe anything extremely outdated or obsolete. In pronunciation, it’s a three-syllable word with a final -s that forms a plural in the common sense of the term.
Dinosaurs refers to a diverse group of ancient reptiles that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, from the Triassic through the Cretaceous periods. The term is also used more broadly to describe anything extremely outdated or obsolete. In pronunciation, it’s a three-syllable word with a final -s that forms a plural in the common sense of the term.
"Scientists uncovered fossils of strange, towering dinosaurs in the desert."
"Children clap along as they learn about dinosaurs in the museum exhibit."
"The term dinosaurs is often used metaphorically to mean outdated ideas."
Pronounce it as di-NO-saurz with three syllables: /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːrz/ in US. Start with /ˈdaɪ/ as in die, then /nə/ as in
Common errors: flattening the second syllable to /daɪˈnæsɔːrz/ (wrong /næ/ instead of /nə/), and misplacing stress, saying di-NO-sawrz with incorrect final /z/ voicing. Correct by keeping central schwa /nə/ and ensuring /ˈsɔːrz/ ends with /z/ rather than /s/.
In US: /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːrz/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɔː/. UK: /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːz/ similar but non-rhotic tendency in some speakers; AU: /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːz/ with Australian vowel quality and linking consonants. The main difference is rhoticity and vowel length; US tends to release the final /r/ if followed by a vowel sound in connected speech, UK/AU often no post-vocalic /r/.
Three-syllable word with an unstressed second syllable and a voiced final cluster /-zɔːrz/. The tricky parts are the central schwa /ə/ in /nə/ and the final /rz/ combination. Also, the /ɔː/ vowel needs to be held long enough before /r/ or /z/ depending on dialect. Practice with slow enunciated syllables before speed, focusing on the transition between /nə/ and /sɔːr/.
A unique aspect is the two-phase nucleus: a weak middle syllable /nə/ that some speakers reduce in quick speech, followed by a strong secondary stress on /sɔː/ and a voiced end /-rz/. This creates a characteristic three-beat rhythm: di-NO-saurz; keeping the middle vowel clear helps preservation of the word’s identity even in rapid conversation.
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- US: rhoticity is clear; ensure /r/ is pronounced in coda before a vowel or in connected speech: di-nə-ˈsɔːr z. - UK: often non-rhotic; /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel, so final /z/ remains but /r/ less pronounced. Vowel quality slightly shorter; maintain /ɔː/ as a long vowel. - AU: similar to US but with more centralized vowels and quicker consonant closures; keep /ˈdaɪ.nəˌsɔːz/ with relaxed jaw, slight uplift in the second syllable. Reference IPA: US /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːrz/, UK /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːz/, AU /ˌdaɪ.nəˈsɔːz/.
The word dinosaur comes from the Greek dia-, meaning ‘through’ or ‘distinct’, and -sauros, meaning ‘lizard’ or ‘reptile’. Coined in 1842 by Sir Richard Owen, who distinguished this group from other ancient reptiles, the term reflects a 19th-century effort to classify newly discovered fossil remains. The root -sauros appears in many paleontological terms (e.g., sauropod, crocodile-sauros). Over time, the meaning shifted from a precise scientific category to a general cultural reference for anything archaic or outmoded, while in science it remains a formal taxonomic grouping within Archosauria. The first known use in scholarly writing appeared shortly after Owen’s coined term, as paleontologists sought a clear label for these distinctive fossil reptiles. As our understanding of phylogeny advanced, the label was refined but the word retained its iconic status in education and popular culture, evolving to describe a vast range of species across multiple clades, including theropods, sauropodomorphs, and ornithischians.
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Words that rhyme with "dinosaurs"
-ers sounds
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