5 syllables: In, fu, ri, a, ting. Stress on fu.
in-FYUUR-ee-ay-ting
/ˌɪnˈfjʊɹiˌeɪtɪŋ/
Infuriating is pronounced in-FYUUR-ee-ay-ting (/ˌɪnˈfjʊɹiˌeɪtɪŋ/). It has five syllables (In-fu-ri-a-ting), with the stress on "fu". Infuriating describes something that provokes intense anger or frustration. It often refers to actions, situations, or people that test your patience, causing strong irritation or outrage. The word carries a sense of aggravation that can feel almost unbearable over time, especially when repeated or unresolved.
adjectiveInfuriating describes something that provokes intense anger or frustration. It often refers to actions, situations, or people that test your patience, causing strong irritation or outrage. The word carries a sense of aggravation that can feel almost unbearable over time, especially when repeated or unresolved.
How to Pronounce Infuriating
"The constant delays were infuriating, making it hard to stay calm."
"Her needless interruptions during the meeting were infuriating to everyone involved."
"It’s infuriating that the error keeps happening despite our best efforts."
Infuriating is pronounced in- FYOOR-ee-ate-ing, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: ɪnˈfjʊriˌeɪtɪŋ. Break it into three parts: in- (unstressed), fury- (stressed vowel cluster), -ating (secondary stress on the ate). The key is the 'fjʊr' blend, where the 'u' sounds like 'you' and the 'r' is lightly rolled in some accents. You can practice with: in-FYUR-ee-ate-ing, and listen to native models to nail the rhythm.
Common errors include misplacing stress (e.g., in-FU-ri-ating), merging 'fjʊ' into a simple 'fy' sound, and dropping the 'ing' at the end (infuriat-). Correct them by: 1) placing primary stress on the second syllable (ˈfjʊr) 2) preserving the /fj/ cluster as a single consonant blend rather than a simple /f/ followed by /j/ 3) clearly articulating the final -ing to avoid truncation, ensuring the syllable count matches three beats.
Across US/UK/AU, the core syllable structure remains in-ˈfjʊr-i-eɪ-tɪŋ, but vowels and rhoticity shift. US tends to rhotically pronounce the /r/ in /fjʊr/ with a clearer /ɹ/; UK often has a non-rhotic variant, softening or dropping r after vowels, affecting the /r/ ~ /ə/ transition; AU sits between, with a marked but not dominant rhoticity and a longer /eɪ/ in -ating. Listen for the /ɪŋ/ vs /ɪŋ/ ending; stress remains on the second syllable. Include a light schwa in unstressed segments.
Key challenges include the cluster /fjʊr/ after an unstressed prefix in-, which requires precise blending of /f/ and /j/ into /fj/; a long or diphthongized /juː/ in the /fjʊr/ segment; and maintaining the three-syllable rhythm with correct stress on the second syllable, all while not flattening the ending /-eɪtɪŋ/ into a single quick sound. Focus on crisp consonant timing and mid-mouth positioning to avoid slurring the /r/ and /eɪ/ combinations.
A key point is the strong secondary movement into the /eɪ/ in ate-, creating a slight two-part vowel feel in the -ating suffix. Many learners slide this into a flat /eɪ/ or skip the /t/ timing. Practice by isolating the /eɪ/ with a quick, light stop before the final /t/—infuri-ate-ing—ensuring the middle is clearly enunciated without making the word sound clipped.
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Infuriating originates from the Latin infuriare, meaning to make mad or to enrage. The root furor/infuri- relates to wild anger or fury. The suffix -ate turns the noun or adjective into a verb-like or adjectival form indicating causing or inspiring; in English, -ing forms the present participle and adjectives from verbs. The influence of fury-related roots appears in many Romance languages, with similar terms indicating arousal of anger or hostility. The transition into Middle English preserved the core sense of provoking intense anger, which modern usage has extended to describe situations or behaviors that cause strong irritation. First known use in English traces to literary and formal writing contexts where characters or events incite rage, evolving into a common adjective by the 18th–19th centuries. The etymological pathway shows a shift from a state of fury (fury, fury-like anger) to the action of provoking that anger in others, culminating in today’s widespread usage to describe aggravating circumstances.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Infuriating" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Infuriating"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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