2 syllables: flour, ish. Stress on flour.
FLUR-ish
/ˈflɝɪʃ/
flourish is pronounced FLUR-ish (/ˈflɝɪʃ/). It has two syllables (flour-ish), with the stress on "flour". Flourish can function as a verb meaning to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, often with a striking display, or as a noun referring to a bold gesture or sweeping action. It conveys vitality, success, and elegance, marking a peak moment or decorative flourish. Typical usage emphasizes thriving, thriving results, or ornamental embellishment in style or performance.
Flourish can function as a verb meaning to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, often with a striking display, or as a noun referring to a bold gesture or sweeping action. It conveys vitality, success, and elegance, marking a peak moment or decorative flourish. Typical usage emphasizes thriving, thriving results, or ornamental embellishment in style or performance.
"- The garden began to flourish after the new irrigation system was installed."
"- His career began to flourish once he moved to a larger market."
"- The dancer’s flourish onstage captivated the audience."
Pronounce it as FLOUR-ish with two syllables. The IPA is /ˈflaʊr.ɪʃ/ in US and UK, and /ˈflaʊə.rɪʃ/ in broad Australian usage where the second syllable may be reduced to a schwa in rapid speech. Focus on the /aʊ/ diphthong in the first syllable, followed by an easy /r/ (rhotic) before /ɪ/ or /ə/. Start with a strong stressed first syllable and end with a crisp /ʃ/.
Mistakes: (1) Treating the first syllable as a pure /aʊ/ without the tilt to /ɹ/ before the /ɪ/; (2) Dropping the r-coloring in non-rhotic dialects or over-stress the second syllable; (3) Misplacing the final /ʃ/ after an indistinct vowel. Corrections: ensure the /r/ is pronounced in rhotic accents; maintain a clear /aɪ/ turning into /aʊ/ with rounded lip position; keep the final /ʃ/ steady with the tongue blade high near the palate for a crisp fricative.
In US/UK, /ˈflaʊr.ɪʃ/ with a pronounced /r/ before /ɪ/. Australian English often has a slightly reduced second syllable to /ə/ or a shorter /ɪ/ depending on speaker, yielding /ˈflaʊə.ɹɪʃ/ or /ˈflaʊ.ɹɪʃ/. The main difference is rhoticity: US and many UK speakers pronounce the rhotic /r/; some UK dialects are non-rhotic but still approximate flourish with a light /ə/ in the second syllable. In casual speech, the first syllable can be slightly reduced, but the /aʊ/ diphthong remains intact.
The difficulty lies in the /aʊ/ diphthong sequencing with a following rhotic element before /ɪ/ or /ə/; some speakers merge /rɪ/ into a single syllable, reducing clarity. The cluster /r/ immediately after the diphthong can blur for non-native speakers, and the final /ʃ/ requires precise tongue blade placement. Additionally, in rapid speech, the distinction between /ˈflaʊr/ and /ˈfloʊr/ can blur, so careful mouth positioning and deliberate release of the /r/ before the subsequent /ɪ/ or /ə/ is essential.
A unique aspect is the treatment of the second syllable in fast speech. In careful speech, you deliver /ɪʃ/ or /ɪʃ/ clearly, but in casual speech some speakers may reduce to /ɪ/ or omit the vowel entirely, sounding like FLOUR-ISH with a nearly silent second syllable's vowel. To avoid this, practice the sequence FLOUR-ɪʃ, ensuring the /ɪ/ is distinct and the /ʃ/ remains a clear fricative.
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Flourish originated in Middle English flourissen, from Old French flourir, meaning 'to blossom, bloom, flower.' The verb traces further to Latin florere 'to blossom, be in flower' from flos (flor-), meaning 'flower.' In early English, flourish carried the sense of flowering or blooming and was used metaphorically for growth, success, or ornamentation. The noun form, flourishing, emerged to describe a decorative gesture or a dramatic display—like a hand movement, a flourish in writing, or a flourish of triumph. By the 16th–17th centuries, the sense broadened to include both literal plant growth and figurative prosperity, while also evolving in musical and literary contexts to denote embellishment or elaborate display. The term remains common in business, aesthetics, choreography, and literature, retaining its core sense of vibrant movement, growth, and decorative complexity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "flourish" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "flourish" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "flourish"
-ish sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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