4 syllables: I, ras, ci, ble. Stress on ras.
ir-AS-ib-uhl
/ˌɪˈɹæsɪbəl/
Irascible is pronounced ir-AS-ib-uhl (/ˌɪˈɹæsɪbəl/). It has four syllables (I-ras-ci-ble), with the stress on "ras". Irascible is an adjective meaning easily provoked to anger; having a hot or short temper. It refers to a temperament that responds quickly to irritation, often with quick, visible anger or impatience. The term is used in formal to semi-formal contexts to describe someone’s characteristic mood or disposition, rather than a fleeting irritation.
nounIrascible is an adjective meaning easily provoked to anger; having a hot or short temper. It refers to a temperament that responds quickly to irritation, often with quick, visible anger or impatience. The term is used in formal to semi-formal contexts to describe someone’s characteristic mood or disposition, rather than a fleeting irritation.
How to Pronounce Irascible
"Her irascible nature made meetings tense until she felt heard."
"The manager’s irascible reactions to minor delays strained the team’s morale."
"Despite his intelligence, his irascible outbursts could undermine his credibility."
- Pronounce as /ɪˈræs.ɪ.bəl/ in US, /ɪˈræ.sɪ.bəl/ in UK, with the final syllable sounding like bin/bull depending on speaker. Primary stress on the second syllable: i-RAS-cible. Mouth positions: initial short I as in 'it', then a strong rhotic second syllable vowel /æ/ or /æ/ as in 'cat' with a schwa-less, crisp /ɪ/ in the third, and a light, almost 'bəl' ending. Audio references: you can hear it on Forvo as 'iras·ci·ble' and in pronunciation dictionaries.
- Substituting /ɜː/ or /ə/ for the /æ/ in the second syllable: say i-RAS-cible, not i-RESS-cible. - Misplacing stress: some learners put stress on the first syllable; ensure the second syllable carries primary stress: i-RAS-cible. - Slurring the final /bəl/ into a vowel-only ending; maintain a light /b/ followed by a clear /l/ to avoid a trailing vowel. Practice with minimal pairs and slow drills to lock the rhythm.
- US: /ɪˈræs.ɪ.bəl/ with rhoticity, a clear /ɹ/ and tense second syllable. - UK: /ɪˈræs.ɪ.bəl/ but with slightly shorter vowel qualities and non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; color of /æ/ may be broader. - AU: /ɪˈræː.sɪ.bəl/ or /iˈræsɪbəl/, with a broader, flatter /æ/ and a more clipped final consonant. In all, the stress pattern stays i-RAS-cible, but vowel lenition and rhotacism vary subtly by region.
- The combination of a strong second-syllable stress and a fast transition from /æ/ to /s/ before the /ɪ/ can trip non-native speakers. - The final -ble ending often reduces to a light /bəl/ or /bl/ cluster; learners may over-mute the /b/ or merge into a syllabic /l/. - The initial 'I' is short, not long; misplacing vowel length or reducing the second syllable's vowel can compromise the rhythm. Focus on crisp /æ/ in the second syllable and a clear /b/ before the final /əl/.
Yes: the word hinges on a distinct secondary-stress on the -ras- segment and a strong, clean onset to the final -ble. You’ll want a strong /ɹ/ before the /æ/ and a short, precise /ə/ or /ɪ/ in the last syllable before /l/. Practicing with a focus on the second syllable’s quality and the transition into -ble helps you land the word crisply in fluent speech.
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- US: maintain rhotic /ɹ/ and clear /æ/; keep a slightly more open jaw for /æ/. - UK: more clipped vowels; may miss rhoticity; emphasize /æ/ with a shorter vowel length. - AU: broader vowel like /æ/ with a flatter intonation; avoid over-enunciating the final /l/.
Irascible comes from the Latin irasci, meaning to become angry, itself from ira meaning anger. The suffix -able attaches to verbs to form adjectives meaning capable of being or inclined to. The Latin form irritare evolved into the Old French irascible before entering English; its earliest documented use in English traces to the 16th century in medical and literary contexts where temperamental dispositions were described with greater nuance than simple irritability. The word’s development parallels a broader shift in English to describe temperament with more precise adjectives (for example, from angry to irascible as a more specific trait). Over time, irascible retained its sense of quick-tempered volatility, and in modern usage it often appears in evaluative, sometimes clinical, descriptions of personality. The sense broadened beyond clinical language into everyday prose, signaling a stronger, more judgment-laden temperament than merely being irritable. First known uses appear in early modern lexical records, with consistently nuanced applications in literary descriptions of characters and real individuals. Contemporary usage covers both individuals with pronounced temper and more generalized temperament descriptors in psychological or sociolinguistic discussions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Irascible" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Irascible"
-ble sounds
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