heye-PUR-buh-lee
/haɪˈpɝbəˌli/
Hyperbole is pronounced heye-PUR-buh-lee (/haɪˈpɝbəˌli/). Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses deliberate and obvious exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect. It presents something as far more significant or dramatic than it actually is, often in a playful or satirical context. While not literally true, it signals intent and tone rather than factual accuracy.
nounHyperbole is a figure of speech that uses deliberate and obvious exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect. It presents something as far more significant or dramatic than it actually is, often in a playful or satirical context. While not literally true, it signals intent and tone rather than factual accuracy.
How to Pronounce Hyperbole
"The travel brochure promised a ‘new sunrise every hour’—an obvious hyperbole."
"When she said the bag weighed a ton, she was using hyperbole to stress how heavy it felt."
"The chef’s claim of “the world’s spiciest sauce” was clearly hyperbole, intended for comic effect."
Hyperbole is pronounced haɪ-PER-bə-li in most dialects, with primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA: US/UK/AU: /haɪˈpɜːrb(ə)li/ or /haɪˈpɜːrbəli/. Start with a long 'hi' sound, then a stressed 'per' as in ‘per’ in perfect, followed by a schwa+li. Keep the 'r' light and the final -li as an unstressed syllable. You’ll hear the pattern in native speech when used for dramatic effect.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (hY-perbole). 2) Pronouncing the second syllable with a clear ‘er’ as in 'care' instead of the reduced schwa in -bə-. 3) Dropping the final -le sound or turning it into -lee. Correction: pronounce haɪ as in ‘high,’ use a clear secondary stress on ˈpɜːr (American rhotic r), then finish with nə- or -bli clearly; keep the final syllable light and quick. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the -bəli sequence.
Across accents, the main differences lie in vowel quality and rhoticity. US tends to rhotically pronounce the /ɜːr/ as /ɜːr/ with a pronounced r, UK often reduces to /ə/ with non-rhoticity in many dialects, and Australia sits between, with a slight rhotic tendency and vowel flattening. The final -li often remains a light /li/ or /liː/, but some accents slide toward /lɪ/. Overall the core structure haɪˈpɜːrbəli (US), haɪˈpəːb(ə)li (UK).
Hyperbole is tricky due to the combination of a multisyllabic rhythm, a stress shift, and a near-silent or reduced vowel in the middle. The cluster -rb- in the stressed syllable can trip non-native speakers who expect a shorter vowel. The final -e is often invisible in fast speech, becoming -li- or -bəli. Practically, you should train the /ˈpɜːr/ or /ˈpəːr/ portion with careful vowel timing and a light, quick ending.
A common unique query is whether the 'r' is pronounced in non-rhotic dialects. In classic non-rhotic accents (some UK varieties), the /r/ in -ˈpɜːr-/ becomes less pronounced or silent before a vowel, but in many modern UK and Australian pronunciations, a linking or even a subtle r can appear in connected speech. You’ll hear haɪˈpəːb(ə)li with variable r-sound depending on the following sound and tempo.
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Hyperbole comes from the Greek hyperbolē, from hyper- meaning ‘over’ or ‘above’ and balō, ‘to throw’ or ‘to cast’. The term was adopted into Classical rhetoric to describe an intentional overstatement for rhetorical effect. In Latin and later European languages, hyperbole was used in oratory and literature to dramatize points, often through extravagant descriptors. The concept existed in rhetorical traditions long before English; however, the modern word entered English through translations of ancient Greek rhetoric, gaining traction in the 16th–18th centuries as scholars systematized figures of speech. Over time, hyperbole broadened beyond strict rhetorical analysis to become a common literary and everyday device, used for humor, persuasion, or emphasis in journalism and social media. First known uses in English literature align with early modern rhetorical treatises, while popular usage surged with satirical writing in the 18th and 19th centuries and remains pervasive in contemporary language, especially in comedic and marketing contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Hyperbole"
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