3 syllables: id, i, om. Stress on id.
ID-ee-uhm
/ˈɪdiəm/
idiom is pronounced ID-ee-uhm (/ˈɪdiəm/). It has three syllables (id-i-om), with the stress on "id". An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions of its individual words. It often has a figurative sense that is understood within a language community, sometimes making it opaque to learners. Idioms enrich communication but can complicate translation for non-native speakers because their meaning varies culturally and historically.
An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions of its individual words. It often has a figurative sense that is understood within a language community, sometimes making it opaque to learners. Idioms enrich communication but can complicate translation for non-native speakers because their meaning varies culturally and historically.
"That expression is an idiom in English; its meaning isn’t obvious from the words themselves."
"She dropped an idiom from Spanish that doesn’t translate directly into English, and we all laughed."
"In the exam, you’ll be asked to explain idioms in context, not to translate word-for-word."
You say /ˈɪd.i.ɒm/ in UK English or /ˈɪd.i.əm/ in US English. The primary stress is on the first syllable: ID-ee-um. The middle vowel is a short /ɪ/ or a near-closed /ɪ/ sound, and the final /ɒm/ (UK) or /əm/ (US) uses a rounded or schwa-like vowel before a nasal. Tip: keep the tongue high at the start, then relax for the final syllable, so the expression sounds smooth and natural.
Two frequent errors are misplacing stress and mispronouncing the final vowel: people often say /ˈaɪ.di.ɒm/ (wrong final diphthong) or mix up /ɪ/ with /iː/ on the first vowel. Correct by enforcing primary stress on the first syllable and using a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable: /ˈɪ.dɪ.ɒm/ (UK) or /ˈɪ.d.i.əm/ (US) depending on variant. Also avoid turning the final /m/ into a nasalized or run-together vowel; end clearly with /m/ or /əm/.
US tends to use /ˈɪ.dɪ.əm/ with an unstressed final schwa-like vowel before /m/ and rhoticity in surrounding words can color vowels. UK often features /ˈɪ.dɪ.ɒm/ with a shorter, clipped /ɒ/ and less vowel length variation. Australian typically aligns with UK for the /ɒ/ vs /ɪ/ distinction but may flatten vowel length slightly and connect the /dɪ/ to /ɪm/ more quickly in fluent speech. Listen for the subtle differences in the final syllable quality and rhoticity in connected speech.
The difficulty lies in the light, rapid transition between the consonant cluster /d/ and /i/ and the final closed nasal /m/. Learners struggle with keeping the final /m/ distinct after a front vowel and with the short, lax /ɪ/ in the second syllable. Achieve clarity by isolating each syllable, practicing the sequence /ˈɪ.dɪ.əm/ slowly, then increasing speed while maintaining even airflow and precise lip closure for /m/.
Yes. In idiom, the second syllable begins with a light /d/ followed quickly by /i/; the transition should be smooth like /dɪ/ rather than a hard break. The /d/ should be lightly released, not aspirated, to avoid sounding like a separate word boundary. Practicing with a peg-down rhythm—beat every syllable with steady breath—helps you maintain natural flow and avoid a choppy /ɪ.dɪ/ sequence.
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The word idiom traces to the Latin idiom, from Greek idea ‘form, proper usage, or special phrasing,’ via Old French as idiome before entering English in the 16th century. Early senses centered on “a distinctive form of expression,” derived from a broader sense of ‘special manner or mode.’ In Middle English, idiom referred to a custom or manner of speaking, evolving to emphasize the phrase-level unit rather than the literal word-by-word meaning. The modern definition—an expression whose figurative meaning cannot be deduced by the literal meanings of its constituents—emerged as scholars and writers clarified the difference between idiomatic and literal language across the Renaissance and Enlightenment. First uses in print appear in dictionaries and rhetorical texts of the 1500s, with broader usage by the 17th–18th centuries as English absorbed many cultural phrases from French, Latin, and Greek sources. The semantic shift toward “a fixed expression with figurative meaning” solidified through literary and linguistic analyses in the 19th and 20th centuries, aligning with modern lexicography’s focus on phraseology and collocations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "idiom" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "idiom" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "idiom"
-ium sounds
-dom sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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