3 syllables: i, di, ots. Stress on i.
ID-ee-uhts
/ˈɪˌdiəts/
idiots is pronounced ID-ee-uhts (/ˈɪˌdiəts/). It has three syllables (i-di-ots), with the stress on "i". Idiots refers to people who act in a way that shows a severe lack of good sense or judgment. It is a pejorative term and should be used with caution, as it can be insulting. In everyday speech it’s often used humorously among friends, but in formal contexts it is considered disrespectful.
Idiots refers to people who act in a way that shows a severe lack of good sense or judgment. It is a pejorative term and should be used with caution, as it can be insulting. In everyday speech it’s often used humorously among friends, but in formal contexts it is considered disrespectful.
"The meeting devolved into a shouting match as the idiots in the room refused to listen."
"Don’t act like idiots; think before you speak."
"The coach criticized the idiots who nad made repeated reckless plays."
Pronounce it as /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ in British English and /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ in American; some US speakers say /ˈɪd.i.ət s/ depending on assimilation. The stress sits on the first syllable: ID-i-ots. Start with a short, lax i in the first syllable, then an unstressed schwa or a short a in the second syllable, and end with the o-t-s cluster. Lips start relaxed, tip of tongue high for /ɪ/, jaw drops slightly for /ɒ/ before the /ts/ release. You’ll hear a light, almost unreleased /t/ and a clear /s/.
Common errors: (1) Overemphasizing the second syllable by inserting extra vowel like /ˈɪ.di.ɒts/ with a full /ɒ/ in the middle; correct is /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ with a reduced middle segment. (2) Slurring the /d/ into a /t/ or misplacing the t; aim for a clear /d/ followed by lightly released /t/. (3) Final cluster mispronounced as /t s/ with separate articulation; keep a smooth tap or light affricate release for /ts/.
US: often /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ with a clear /ɒ/ and a lightly released /t/; non-rhotic? varies with region. UK: /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ with more rounded /ɒ/ and a crisp /t/. AU: /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ similar to UK; more flapped or glottalized t in some informal speech. Vowel quality shifts and rhotacism differ; US rhotics influence surrounding vowels; UK and AU maintain more traditional non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech.
Because it involves a syllable reduction and rapid consonant cluster /t s/ at the end, which is often unreleased in many dialects. The middle /i/ can be reduced to a schwa in connected speech, making the transition from /d/ to /ɒ/ less obvious. Practitioners must coordinate a light /d/ release followed by a quick /t/ release into /s/ without an audible stop. The tongue must stay relaxed to avoid warping the /ɪ/ vowel and to prevent a mapped /iː/ or /ɪr/ effect.
Is the 'ti' sequence pronounced as a separate /t/ release or a combined /ts/ affricate in rapid speech? In many dialects it’s a light, nearly silent /t/ in casual speech, resulting in /ˈɪd.i.ɒts/ with a subtle /t/ followed by /s/. In careful speech you’ll hear a more distinct /t/ release before /s/.
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Idiots comes from the Greek idios (one’s own, private) via the Latin idiosyncratic meaning ‘peculiar to one person’ and later ‘private person’. By late Middle English, idyot appeared as a phonetic variant, influenced by the Greek idios, and was first attested in English in the early 16th century in medical and moralizing texts. The word shifted through French as idiot (French: idiot) and Latin idiotēs, a term with classical roots used to label private individuals who lacked professional or common sense. In English, idiot evolved into a general insult describing someone perceived as lacking judgment or reason. By the 18th–19th centuries, idiotbecame common slang for a fool, with pejorative force intensifying in modern usage. Contemporary English often uses idiots in informal contexts; in formal writing, alternatives or milder terms are preferred. The semantic field has broadened to include phrases like “total idiot” or “idiot-proof,” though the latter can be ironic when used in technical contexts. Overall, idiocy denotes a perceived deficiency in rational thought rather than any clinical mental health condition, and usage reflects social sensitivity and context.
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Words that rhyme with "idiots"
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