3 syllables: gen, er, ous. Stress on gen.
JEN-ur-uhs
/ˈdʒɛnɚəs/
generous is pronounced JEN-ur-uhs (/ˈdʒɛnɚəs/). It has three syllables (gen-er-ous), with the stress on "gen". Generous means giving more than is usual or expected, especially with time, money, or kindness. It describes a person's willingness to share freely and to consider others' needs. The word connotes warmth and benevolence, often implying a spirit of open-handed largesse beyond mere adequacy.
Generous means giving more than is usual or expected, especially with time, money, or kindness. It describes a person's willingness to share freely and to consider others' needs. The word connotes warmth and benevolence, often implying a spirit of open-handed largesse beyond mere adequacy.
- You’ll often hear people say jen-uh-ruhs vs jen-err-uhs; keep the middle vowel as a quick, neutral schwa /ə/ rather than a pronounced /ɜː/ or /ɜr/. - Avoid over-articulating the final /s/; in fast speech it stays crisp but light, so don’t chase an extra vowel after /s/. - The initial /dʒ/ should be crisp but not explosive; avoid a hard stop before gliding into /ɛn/; a gentle release aligns with natural rhythm.
"She made a generous donation to the charity."
"His generous praise boosted her confidence."
"They offered a generous portion of dessert to everyone at the table."
Pronounce as /ˈdʒɛnərəs/. Emphasize the first syllable: GEN-uh-ruhs. The second syllable is a reduced /nər/ where the middle vowel is schwa-like; the final /əs/ is light and unstressed. Mouth position: start with the front-closed /dʒ/ sound, relax into a mid-central vowel for /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with a soft /s/. Audio reference: think of “gen” as in “genius” but shorter, then a quick schwa, then a soft relax at the end.
Common errors include misplacing stress (pronouncing as gen-ER-ous), over-pronouncing the second syllable, or turning the final /əs/ into a full /əs/ with extra vowel length. To correct: place primary stress on the first syllable /ˈdʒɛn-/, keep the /n/ quickly followed by a neutral /ə/ in the second syllable, and finish with a short, crisp /s/. Practice a quick beat between /ˈdʒɛn/ and /ərəs/ to avoid vowel lengthening or rhotic interference.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈdʒɛnərəs/ with rhotic /r/ in the second syllable before the schwa. In many UK dialects, /r/ is not pronounced after a vowel in non-rhotic accents, so it may sound like /ˈdʒɛnərəs/ or /ˈdʒɛnɪərəs/ with a more centralized vowel in the middle. Australian English generally mirrors US patterns with rhoticity, but vowel quality can be lighter and the /ə/ closer to a centralized schwa. The critical differences lie in rhotic presence and the exact quality of /e/ and /ə/ vowels.
The difficulty centers on two features: (1) the reduced central vowel in the middle syllable, which often shifts toward a schwa, making /nər/ tricky to articulate cleanly; (2) the light, unstressed final /əs/ that can bleed into a vowel and alter syllable boundary in fast speech. Learners also struggle with keeping the initial /dʒ/ sound precise while transitioning quickly through the middle vowel to the final /s/. Paying attention to compact articulations helps maintain clarity.
One unique point about generous is how the second syllable contains a reduced schwa that can subtly vary in quality among speakers—some produce a closer /ɜː/ or a more centralized /ə/. This subtle shift can influence how native listeners perceive emphasis and rhythm. Practicing with minimal pairs that target the /ɛn/ vs /ə/ contrast and the speed of turning GEN into GEN-ə-ros can help you lock in a natural, native feel.
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- US: /ˈdʒɛnərəs/ with clear rhotic /r/. The middle vowel often sounds like schwa; ensure the /n/ is lightly tapped before the /ə/. - UK: non-rhotic tendencies may mute the /r/; aim for /ˈdʒɛnərəs/ but keep a mid-central vowel in the second syllable, reducing the /r/ sound. - AU: tends toward rhoticity with a slightly higher vowel in /ɛn/ and a relaxed final /ə/; watch vowel length and keep final /s/ crisp. IPA references help: US /ˈdʒɛnərəs/, UK /ˈdʒɛnərəs/, AU /ˈdʒɛnərəs/.
Generous comes from the Old French generous, from Latin largus meaning ‘abundant, large, or generous,’ with influence from largīus meaning ‘larger, more abundant.’ The sense evolution reflects social customs of patronage and charitable giving in medieval Europe, where a person who dispensed largesse was valued. In Middle English, the term carried the notion of generosity in gifts and offerings, often in religious or communal contexts. The word’s root in Latin largus is cognate with ‘large’ in modern Romance languages, reinforcing ideas of abundance. The semantic shift from merely abundant to benevolently giving occurred over centuries as communities formalized norms of donation, hospitality, and patronage. By the 16th–17th centuries, generous had solidified its modern sense of a generous character trait rather than just a quantity descriptor, aligning with moral evaluations in literature and moral philosophy. Today, generous is widely used across contexts—from philanthropy to everyday acts of kindness—retaining its core association with unselfish largesse and open-hearted giving.
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Words that rhyme with "generous"
-ous sounds
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