2 syllables: Jeal, ous. Stress on Jeal.
JEL-uhs
/ˈdʒɛləs/
Jealous is pronounced JEL-uhs (/ˈdʒɛləs/). It has two syllables (Jeal-ous), with the stress on "Jeal". Jealous is an adjective describing envy or resentment toward someone’s advantages, or a protective, wary feeling about potential loss. It conveys a mix of insecurity and longing, often tied to personal relationships or perceived inequalities. In everyday use, it can describe emotions, actions, or attitudes that arise from wanting what others have or fearing harm to one’s own standing.
adjectiveJealous is an adjective describing envy or resentment toward someone’s advantages, or a protective, wary feeling about potential loss. It conveys a mix of insecurity and longing, often tied to personal relationships or perceived inequalities. In everyday use, it can describe emotions, actions, or attitudes that arise from wanting what others have or fearing harm to one’s own standing.
How to Pronounce Jealous
"She felt jealous of her coworker’s promotion."
"The siblings were jealous of their brother’s new bike."
"He’s jealous when his partner speaks with other people."
Pronounced /ˈdʒel.əs/ (US) or /ˈdʒel.əs/ (UK). The first syllable carries primary stress: JELL-əs. The ‘jeal’ part blends the /dʒ/ sound (as in judge) with a short e sound; the second syllable is unstressed and reduced to a schwa-ish /ə/ before the final /s/. Mouth position: start with the edge of the tongue near the palate for /dʒ/, then relax into a clear short /e/; end with a soft /s/. Listening to native pronunciation helps solidify the subtle vowel and syllable timing duties.
Common mistakes include pronouncing the first syllable with a long /i/ as in ‘jeal-e-eous’ or adding an extra /w/ sound: /ˈdʒiː.ləʊ.əs/. Another frequent error is fully stressing both syllables, producing /ˈdʒe.ləs/ with an overt second-stress or misplacing the schwa. The correct pattern is primary stress on the first syllable with a short /e/ vowel, and a reduced /ə/ in the second syllable: /ˈdʒel.əs/. Practitioners should focus on keeping the second syllable light and crisp, avoiding an elongated or overt vowel.
In US and UK, the start blends /dʒ/ with a short /e/ (as in ‘bed’), yielding /ˈdʒe.ləs/. US speakers may slightly reduce vowels faster; UK speakers might emphasize a crisper /l/ and a slightly lighter /ə/. Australian English tends to be closer to US/UK but often with a more centralized vowel for /ə/, so it can sound a touch more centralized. The rhoticity is generally non-rhotic in UK and AU in many contexts, but pronunciation here is typically not affected much by rhoticity because /ˈdʒel.əs/ ends in /s/. In all, the key is the first syllable’s short vowel and a light, unstressed second syllable across dialects.
The difficulty comes from the diphthongal-leaning /e/ in the first syllable combined with a quick, reduced second syllable /əs/. Learners often overextend the vowel in the first syllable or insert extra consonants (e.g., /dʒeɪləs/). The /dʒ/ onset must be crisp, not palatalized, and the /l/ should not blend with the /ə/; keep the /l/ light and the /ə/ small. Mastery also requires proper stress placement on the first syllable, with a breathy, light ending on /əs/ rather than a heavy /s/.
Yes. Jealous carries primary stress on the first syllable: JEAL-ous. If you tilt into intense emotion or emphasis, you might momentarily raise intensity on the first syllable but you should avoid shifting stress to the second syllable. The delayed release of the /l/ and a very compact /əs/ at the end are natural. In connected speech, you often link the /l/ to the following consonant lightly, almost as a syllable bridge, making the transition from /l/ to /ə/ very smooth.
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Jealous traces to the Old French jalous, from jalus, meaning ‘jealous, suspicious, wary,’ which in turn comes from the Latin zela, zelem, meaning ‘jealousy, zeal.’ The English form emerged in Middle English as jalous and later jealous, with influence from the Old French jalous meaning ‘envy, suspicion’ and the sense of guarding or guarding against loss. The core idea evolved from depicted suspicion toward a rival or threat to one’s possession or affection, to the modern sense of envy or possessiveness. First known uses appear in late medieval English literature, aligning with courtly love motifs and social anxieties about fidelity and social standing. Over time, the word broadened from strictly “envy of others” to include “guarded or possessive behavior” in relationships, and finally to a general emotional tone of envy or protective suspicion in various contexts. The pronunciation stabilized around /ˈdʒɛləs/ in many dialects, though regional vowel qualities have shaped slight variations. In contemporary usage, jealous can describe emotional states across personal relationships (romantic or familial), as well as more abstract forms like jealous of attention, status, or opportunities. The shift from a primarily relational term to a broader emotional descriptor reflects changes in how speakers express insecurity and competition in social dynamics.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Jealous" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Jealous"
-us? sounds
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