2 syllables: Ex, cuse Me. Stress on cuse Me.
ik-SKYOOZ-mee
/ɪkˈskjuːz miː/
Excuse Me is pronounced ik-SKYOOZ-mee (/ɪkˈskjuːz miː/). It has two syllables (Ex-cuse Me), with the stress on "cuse Me". Excuse Me is a polite interjection and noun used to apologize for a minor intrusion or to request attention. In conversation it functions as a courteous hedge or social lubricant, signaling acknowledgement of a potential interruption. The two-word phrase typically carries light formal or informal tone depending on context and delivery.
nounExcuse Me is a polite interjection and noun used to apologize for a minor intrusion or to request attention. In conversation it functions as a courteous hedge or social lubricant, signaling acknowledgement of a potential interruption. The two-word phrase typically carries light formal or informal tone depending on context and delivery.
- You’ll often mispronounce if you soften the /k/ too much, causing /ɪksjuːz miː/ to blur into /ɪkˈsjuːzmiː/. Practice: say 'ex' and immediately 'cuse', maintain /sk/ cluster. - Don’t drop the final /z/ in excuse; you want a voiced alveolar fricative. Practice saying /ɪkˈskjuːz/ with a crisp /z/. - Me should be /miː/, not /mɪ/; ensure the vowel length is long and not reduced. - In rapid speech, avoid merging both words into a single syllable; keep a brief pause or slight separation to mimic natural rhythm. - When interrupting, you may flatten intonation; keep a gentle rise toward the end of the phrase when asking a question.
How to Pronounce Excuse Me
"Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the station?"
"Excuse me, I didn’t catch that—what did you say?"
"When passing by, excuse me; I didn’t mean to bump you."
- Pronounce as two words: Ex-cuse /ɪkˈskjuːz/ and Me /miː/. In US you’ll hear a strong /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a clear /sk/ cluster before /juː/; the second word is a clean /miː/. In UK and AU, the /ɡ/ after ex is often softened; you can hear /ɪkˈsjuːz/ with a palatal glide before the /juː/. Emphasize the second syllable of excuse and the long /iː/ in me. Quick speech reduces the phrase; keep consonants crisp to avoid blending into “excuse me” as one syllable. IPA reference: US /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/, UK /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/, AU /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /k/ in ex- leading to /ɪˈsuːz/; (2) Slurring the /sk/ into /s/ or /ʃ/ so it sounds like /ɪkˈʃuːz/; (3) Not voicing the final /z/ in excuse, causing /skuː/ or /skjuː/. Corrections: keep /sk/ crisp, produce /ɪkˈskjuːz/ with a clear /z/ at the end; articulate the /m/ from me distinctly, and ensure /miː/ has a long vowel. Practice stopping after /z/ briefly before moving to /m/ to prevent linking errors. Use minimal pairs: /ɪkˈskjuːz/ vs /ɪkˈsjuːz/ to feel the difference between ex- variants.
In US, you’ll often hear /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/ with strong /ɪ/ and clear /juː/; rhoticity keeps /r/ absent in this phrase, so it’s non-rhotic by default. UK often reduces /ɪkˈsjuːz/ with less emphasis on the first /k/ and more fluid vowel movement; AU tends toward similar to US but with slightly flatter intonation and less vowel height in /juː/. All variants maintain the two-word rhythm; the main differences lie in the /ɪ/ vs /ɪ/ quality, the consonant cluster integrity, and vowel length. IPA references: US /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/, UK /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/, AU /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/.
Two main challenges: (1) The subtle /k/ + /sk/ cluster after ex- requires precise articulation so it doesn’t blur into /ɪˈsuːz/. (2) The /juː/ glide after /sk/ can slide into /ju/ or be mispronounced as /juː/ vs /juː/, especially in rapid speech. Maintaining a clean /sk/ sequence and a steady /juː/ before /z/ is essential. Practice with slow tempo and emphasize the two distinct syllables. IPA cues help: /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/ in many accents, ensuring the /sk/ remains a single consonant cluster and the final /z/ is voiced.
The e in Me is not pronounced as a separate syllable; it carries the /miː/ with a long /iː/. Stress remains on the second syllable of excuse and the single-syllable Me carries the long vowel. There is no silent letter here; the /e/ in 'Me' is part of the long /iː/ vowel. In connected speech, you’ll often reduce the final /iː/ slightly but it should still sound like /miː/. This subtle length and tenseness keeps the phrase clear, especially in interruptions or questions.
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- US: maintain rhotic precision, with crisp /r/ avoidance since it’s not in the phrase; focus on a full /ˈskjuː/ glide. - UK: lighter /t/ or /d/ influences; the /ex/ may be less aspirated; keep the /juː/ smooth. - AU: similar to US but with flatter vowels; ensure /miː/ remains long and clear. IPA references: US /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/, UK /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/, AU /ɪkˈsjuːz miː/. - General: maintain two-word rhythm, avoid continuous speech; gently separate words, especially in questions. - Mouth positions: ex- uses a front tongue blade and a crisp /k/ release; me uses a high front vowel /iː/ with relaxed jaw. - Minimal variation practice helps you lock in the exact phoneme transitions across accents.
The phrase Excuse Me originates from the verb excuse meaning to free from blame or to forgive, derived from Latin excūsāre ‘to excuse, free from blame’ from ex- ‘out’ + causā ‘cause, reason’. The word excuse entered English in the 15th century with senses related to pardoning or justification. Me, from Old English mē, evolved as the object pronoun in English. Over time, the two-word construction Excuse Me stabilized as a conventional politeness formula in social interactions, shifting from a direct request for pardon to a flexible preface or hedge used to interject, attract attention, or acknowledge inconvenience. In modern usage, it spans both formal and informal contexts, often pronounced quickly as a conventional politeness marker rather than a literal apology. First known written uses trace through early modern English etiquette and polite society discourse, with standardization in the 18th and 19th centuries as social etiquette expanded in public spaces and services. Today, it is a staple in conversational discourse worldwide, varied by region and tone but retaining core meaning of courteous interruption or attention-getting.
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Words that rhyme with "Excuse Me"
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