4 syllables: fu, ti, li, ty. Stress on ti.
fyoo-TIL-uh-tee
/fjuˈtɪləti/
futility is pronounced fyoo-TIL-uh-tee (/fjuˈtɪləti/). It has four syllables (fu-ti-li-ty), with the stress on "ti". Futility refers to the quality or state of being useless or ineffective; something that achieves little or nothing. It can also describe a lack of meaningful purpose or a sense that efforts are wasted. In literature and philosophy, futility often frames human endeavor as inherently limited, prompting reflection on value, meaning, and perseverance in the face of unchangeable outcomes.
Futility refers to the quality or state of being useless or ineffective; something that achieves little or nothing. It can also describe a lack of meaningful purpose or a sense that efforts are wasted. In literature and philosophy, futility often frames human endeavor as inherently limited, prompting reflection on value, meaning, and perseverance in the face of unchangeable outcomes.
"The constant delays made the mission seem like a study in futility."
"She felt a surge of futility as her well-planned plan collapsed at the last minute."
"The scientist acknowledged the futility of repeating the same experiment without changing variables."
Phonetically, it’s /fjuːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/ in US, UK, and AU accents. Break it into syllables: fu-til-i-ty with the main stress on the second syllable: tu- as in shy “tɪl” part. Start with an initial cluster f + jyu where the yod merges with a long
Common errors: flattening the first unstressed syllable into a quick /fə/ vs. /fjuː/ with a light /juː/. Misplacing stress as /fjuːˈtɪlɪti/ with the stress on the first or third syllable. A typical slip is pronouncing the middle /tɪl/ as /təl/ or mispronouncing the final /ti/ as /tiː/ or /ti/. Correct by maintaining a clear /tɪl/ and finishing with /əti/; ensure the second syllable carries the strong secondary stress rounding into the final “ee-tee” sound.
In all three accents, the /f/ initial is same; the key is the /juː/ sequence: US often retains a slightly clearer /juː/ after /f/; UK and AU mirror similarly with less rhotic influence on r-less syllables. The main variance is vowel quality: US often has a more precise /uː/ in /fjuː/; UK tends toward a more centralized mid- to high-back vowel; AU remains similar to UK with slightly more diphthongal finishing on /ti/. The stress remains on the second syllable: fu-TIL-i-ty.
Two main challenges: the delicate /juː/ glide after /f/ and the multi-syllabic, iambic rhythm with a strong middle stress. The /t/ followed by a light /l/ in /tɪl/ requires precise tongue-alignment; the final /ti/ is a light, unstressed ending that often blurs into /ti/ or /tiɪ/. Practice by isolating the second syllable, then linking to the third and fourth, ensuring steady, even rhythm.
Does the word have a silent letter in any dialect? No. All letters contribute to the spoken form in standard varieties. The sequence /fjuː/ uses a yod-like onset that’s pronounced as part of the syllable. Ensure you’re not dropping the /juː/ into a simple /fʊ/ or /fuː/. The second syllable carries the main stress, so maintain a distinct /tuː/ vs. /tɪl/ separation.
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The word futility comes from the Latin futilis, meaning “lethal or easily killed,” itself derived from futilis meaning “destructive” or “capable of being struck down,” which gave rise to futilis meaning “leaky or useless.” From Latin, it passed into Medieval Latin as futilitas, then into Old French as futilité, before entering English as futility in the 15th century. Early uses emphasized trivial or futile actions; by the 17th–18th centuries, the term broadened to describe endeavors that are unable to produce a valuable outcome. The core sense has always tethered to the idea of lack of efficacy: the action doesn’t achieve its intended effect, and thus is deemed pointless or impractical. The evolving nuance shifted from concrete uselessness in tools and tasks to more abstract notions of purpose and meaning, particularly in moral, philosophical, and literary contexts. Today, futility frequently appears in discussions of existential or strategic contexts, where certain efforts are recognized as unlikely to change the outcome, prompting reflection on perseverance, choice, and the value of effort itself.
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Words that rhyme with "futility"
-ity sounds
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