4 syllables: In, jur, i, ous. Stress on jur.
in-JUUR-ee-uhs
/ˌɪˈndʒʊɹiəs/
Injurious is pronounced in-JUUR-ee-uhs (/ˌɪˈndʒʊɹiəs/). It has four syllables (In-jur-i-ous), with the stress on "jur". Injurious is an adjective describing something that causes harm or damage. It denotes harm or injury, often used in formal or semi-formal contexts. The term emphasizes detrimental effects and can apply to objects, actions, or conditions that pose risk or injury.
adjectiveInjurious is an adjective describing something that causes harm or damage. It denotes harm or injury, often used in formal or semi-formal contexts. The term emphasizes detrimental effects and can apply to objects, actions, or conditions that pose risk or injury.
- You’ll likely misplace the main stress. Focus on the second syllable and ensure it’s clearly louder than the rest. - The /dʒ/ can become a /j/ or softened; keep it as a clear affricate. - The ending -ous may blur into /əs/ or /əs/; aim for a crisp /əs/ with a light final s. - Practice saying injurious in connected phrases to avoid trailing sounds: “injurious to health” and “injurious effects.”
"The policy change could be injurious to small businesses by limiting access to essential services."
"Exposure to certain chemicals is injurious to health if proper safety measures aren’t followed."
"Spreading unverified rumors can be injurious to a person’s reputation and well-being."
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈdʒʊriəs/ (US) or /ɪnˈdʒʊəriəs/ (UK/AU). Stress pattern is in-JUR-i-ous, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a short short i as in “in,” then the affricate /dʒ/ as in “judge,” followed by /ʊ/ or /ʊə/ in the “jur” syllable, then /iəs/ for the final two sounds. You’ll want a clean /j/ glide into the /ə/ sound, and finish with a light /s/. Audio reference: compare with dictionary audio in Cambridge/Oxford, or Pronounce resource.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (in-JUR-i-ous). 2) Blurring the /dʒ/ into a plain /j/ or /dʒ/ as a soft start. 3) Reducing the /ɪ/ to a schwa or conflating /ɪn/ with /ən/. Correction tips: drill the two-syllable core: /ɪn/ + /ˈdʒʊri/; keep the /dʒ/ crisp and release fully; pronounce the final /əs/ as /əs/ rather than /əs/. Practice slowly, then speed up while keeping rhythm.
US typically: /ɪnˈdʒʊriəs/ with rhoticity affecting the /ɹ/ in /ˈdʒʊriəs/. UK/AU: /ɪnˈdʒʊəriəs/ where the /ə/ in -riəs may be realized as /ə/ and vowel length or quality in the /iə/ sequence changes (UK often glides to /ɜː/ or /ə/ depending on speaker). The main difference lies in the schwa-less or schwa-influenced rhotics and vowel quality in the “jur” syllable. IPA references align with each dialect’s typical vowel network.
Key challenges: the /dʒ/ cluster after a short /ɪn/ can trick you into misplacing the onset; the /ɪn/ vs /ɪnʤ/ timing—avoid an extra beat before /ˈdʒ/; the /riəs/ ending involves a crisp /r/ and a fast /iəs/ sequence that may blur into /riəs/ or /rɪəs/. Pay attention to the glide into /riəs/ and keep the syllable weight balanced so you don’t compress the final -ous.
Is the pronunciation of the /riəs/ ending ever reduced or silent in fluent speech? Answer: In careful speech, the /riəs/ ending is pronounced as /riəs/ with a pronounced /i/ (or /iə/) depending on accent; however, in rapid casual speech some speakers may slightly reduce the vowel but generally retain -riəs, especially in careful or formal contexts. The primary difficulty remains maintaining the /ˈdʒʊ/ sequence and final /əs/.
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Injurious comes from the Middle English injurious, which is derived from the Old French injurios and ultimately from the Latin inguriōsus, meaning “injurious, harmful.” The Latin root ing- (into, toward) appears in words related to harm, though the core semantic progression centers on injury and damage. The use of -ious as a suffix forms adjectives describing possessing the quality of the root meaning. The earliest English attestations appear in the late medieval period, aligning with a growth in legal and moral discourse where “injury” and “injurious” were used to condemn acts or substances causing damage or harm. Over time, the word widened beyond strictly legal language to general descriptive usage in academic, scientific, and rhetorical contexts to indicate harmful effects or consequences. This evolution mirrors a shift from concrete injury to broader harmful impact in abstract or figurative contexts, while retaining its core sense of causing damage or injury. First known uses appear in texts discussing harm in medical, legal, and moral debates, with the sense solidifying in the modern era as a standard descriptor for detrimental effects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Injurious" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Injurious"
-ous sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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