3 syllables: He, si, od. Stress on He.
HEE-see-uhd
/ˈhisiəd/
Hesiod is pronounced HEE-see-uhd (/ˈhisiəd/). It has three syllables (He-si-od), with the stress on "He". Hesiod is a proper noun referring to the ancient Greek poet traditionally dated to the 8th century BCE. The name is most often encountered in academic, literary, and classical studies contexts, and is pronounced with attention to Greek phonology rather than English regularity. It signals authority in epic poetry and ancient literature scholarship.
nounHesiod is a proper noun referring to the ancient Greek poet traditionally dated to the 8th century BCE. The name is most often encountered in academic, literary, and classical studies contexts, and is pronounced with attention to Greek phonology rather than English regularity. It signals authority in epic poetry and ancient literature scholarship.
How to Pronounce Hesiod
"Hesiod’s Works and Days is a key text in ancient Greek literature."
"The instructor cited Hesiod as a primary source for early Greek mythography."
"Scholars compare Hesiod’s Theogony with Homer’s epics in their introductions."
Pronounce Hesiod as /ˈhɛ.zɪ.ɒd/ in broad English adaptation, with the Greek form giving a slightly more clipped second syllable. Stress on the first syllable: HÉ-si-od. The “e” in the first open syllable sounds like the “e” in bet, the middle syllable uses a short i like sit, and the final vowel is a short o as in odd. In careful pronunciation you may hear /hɛˈsiːɒd/ in some academic circles, but the standard modern English rendering remains /ˈhɛ.zɪ.ɒd/.
Common errors include stressing the second syllable (he-SI-od) and flattening the final vowel to a schwa. The correct pattern is initial primary stress on Hè, with two short, distinct vowels before the final open -od. Another mistake is mispronouncing the middle vowel as a long /iː/; keep it short /ɪ/. Finally, avoid blending Hesiod into a modern surname-like /ˈhɛz.iɒd/; keep the separate vowels and avoid a voiced 'z' sound; the middle consonant is a soft /z/ depending on speaker, but most pronunciations render it as a clear /z/ split.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /h/ is aspirated in all three. The first vowel is a short /ɛ/ (as in bed) and the second syllable uses a short /ɪ/ in most English pronunciations, with final /ɒ/ sounding like the 'o' in odd. Australians may soften the final /ɒ/ slightly toward /ɒː/ in some dialects, but generally stay in the same range. UK pronunciations often preserve crisper consonants; US tends toward slightly flatter vowels; AU aligns closely with UK but with a generally flatter vowel quality, especially in non-rhotic environments.
Hesiod poses multiple challenges: two short vowels in close succession and a final closed syllable -od that can be reduced in rapid speech. The name also involves a Greek-derived pronunciation heritage that English speakers adapt rather than directly reproduce, making the middle /z/ sometimes devoiced or softened. Additionally, the final /ɒ/ can vary in length and quality by dialect, while keeping the initial aspirated /h/. The combination of non-intuitive vowel lengths and Greek-origin stress pattern makes careful articulation essential.
There are no silent letters in the standard English rendering Hesiod; all letters contribute to the syllables: He-si-od. The initial 'H' is pronounced in English; in some very careful, philological readings you might encounter an aspirated 'h' as a breathy onset. The letter 'e' is pronounced as a short /ɛ/; 's' is audible as /z/ in most American and British pronunciations, not silent; and the final 'd' is pronounced. So, pronounce all letters: H-E-S-I-O-D, in three syllables.
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Hesiod comes from ancient Greek Ἡσίοδος (Hēsíodos). The root Ἥς/Ἡσί- is related to the goddess Hestia through uncertain semantic development but the form is primarily a proper name. The -ο-ς (-os) ending marks a masculine nominative in ancient Greek, common for poet-names. The name appears in Hesiod’s own works and in later Greek literature as a label for the poet; it is later transmitted into Latin as Hesiodus and into English as Hesiod. The etymology aligns with Greek naming conventions for poets in the archaic period, often referencing lineage or auspicious naming; however, there is no widely accepted semantic literal meaning beyond the personal name. First known use is from classical Greek texts dating to the 8th century BCE, with later references by Hellenistic and Roman authors. The name became fixed in Western literary tradition as the canonical author of early Greek epic and didactic poetry, with the modern English form cemented through medieval Latin and early modern scholarly translations.
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Words that rhyme with "Hesiod"
-oid sounds
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