3 syllables: Du, bi, ous. Stress on Du.
DOO-bee-uhs
/ˈdubiəs/
Dubious is pronounced DOO-bee-uhs (/ˈdubiəs/). It has three syllables (Du-bi-ous), with the stress on "Du". Dubious is an adjective describing something that is doubtful or suspect, not clearly true or reliable. It conveys hesitation about trust or authenticity, often implying potential deception or risk. In everyday use, it marks uncertainty or skepticism about a claim, source, or outcome, sometimes with a moral undertone.
adjectiveDubious is an adjective describing something that is doubtful or suspect, not clearly true or reliable. It conveys hesitation about trust or authenticity, often implying potential deception or risk. In everyday use, it marks uncertainty or skepticism about a claim, source, or outcome, sometimes with a moral undertone.
"Her explanation seemed dubious, and I doubted her motives from the start."
"The market’s growth report looked dubious given the inconsistent data."
"He gave a dubious answer that raised more questions than it answered."
Pronounced /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/ in UK and US English, with primary stress on the first syllable. In careful speech, say /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/, making the /juː/ a single smooth sound as in 'you' and the final /əs/ as a quick, unstressed /əs/. For many speakers, /ˈduː.bi.əs/ (rhyming with ‘two-bee-us’) is an alternative US variant. Practice by starting with /djuː/ or /duː/ then connect to /bi/ and end with /əs/; keep the tongue high for /juː/ and roll the /b/ clearly.
Common errors include reducing the first syllable to a schwa (/dəˈbiːəs/), which weakens the clear /juː/ or /uː/ sound; misplacing stress, saying /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/ with a too-soft first vowel; and eliding the middle /bi/ into /bɪ/ or running it together with /əs/. Correct by ensuring the first syllable carries strong stress, keeping the /juː/ or /uː/ as a distinct, rounded diphthong, and finishing with a crisp /ɪəs/ or /əs/ depending on accent.
In US, /ˈduː.bi.əs/ or /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/ with rhot icity depending on speaker; the /juː/ can be a strong /uː/ or a blended /ju/. In UK, /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/ with a clear /dʒ/ sequence sometimes realized as /djuː/; final /əs/ tends toward a schwa+ s. Australian English tends toward /ˈdjuː.bi.əs/ with a slightly flatter vowel in /uː/ and less pronounced final /əs/. Overall, the key differences are vowel quality in /uː/ or /juː/ and the degree of rhoticity affecting the vowel before the final /r/ none present here.
Difficulties stem from the two-part vowel cluster /juː/ (or /uː/) after the initial /d/, which can blend in various ways (dyoo vs duo), and the final /əs/ which may reduce to /əs/ or /s/ depending on pace and accent. The combination of a strong first syllable and a schwa-like end makes user-friendly pronunciation challenging for non-native speakers, who often misplace stress or flatten the diphthong. Focus on maintaining a clear /juː/ followed by a crisp /ɪəs/ or /əs/ sound.
Unique to 'Dubious' is the phonotactic cluster where the first syllable hosts a strong, rounded front vowel quality (/djuː/ or /duː/) that leads into a tightly connected /bi/ sequence. The integrity of this transition—avoiding a lax /dju/ or a too-short /bi/—is critical for naturalness. Also, the ideal final /əs/ can be slightly ventilated as /z/ in fast speech, which some learners may over-sibilate. Mastery requires consistent stress, precise lip rounding for /juː/, and a clean /bi/ onset.
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Dubious comes from the Latin dubios, meaning doubtful, from dubiosus ‘doubting, doubtful,’ which is derived from the verb dubitare ‘to doubt, hesitate.’ The Latin term entered English via Middle French dubieux and Old French douteux, evolving in the sense toward “worthy of doubt” or “doubtful” in the late medieval period. By the 15th century, English usage had solidified the meaning related to suspicion and uncertainty about truth or authenticity. Over time, the word broadened to describe not only intellectual doubt but also a cautious, perhaps suspicious attitude toward claims, motives, or outcomes. The phonetic realignment in English maintained the initial /d/ onset and the final /-ious/ pronounced as /iəs/ (in many dialects) or /iəs/ with a short i sound, keeping the emphasis on the first syllable. Today, dubious remains a precise term in both formal and informal registers, frequently used in journalism, science, and everyday critique to signal skepticism or questionable reliability.
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Words that rhyme with "Dubious"
-me) sounds
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