2 syllables: joy, ous. Stress on joy.
JOY-uhs
/ˈdʒɔɪəs/
joyous is pronounced JOY-uhs (/ˈdʒɔɪəs/). It has two syllables (joy-ous), with the stress on "joy". Joyous describes feel-good, celebratory happiness or merriment. It conveys a vivid sense of delight, often in response to something uplifting or festive. The term carries a slightly formal or literary tone, suitable for elevated writing or expressive speech.
Joyous describes feel-good, celebratory happiness or merriment. It conveys a vivid sense of delight, often in response to something uplifting or festive. The term carries a slightly formal or literary tone, suitable for elevated writing or expressive speech.
"The gathering was joyous, filled with laughter and shared stories."
"Her joyous cry rang out as the fireworks burst overhead."
"A joyous mood descended on the group after the good news."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on /ˈdʒɔɪ.əs/. Start with /dʒ/ as in 'judge,' then the /ɔɪ/ diphthong as in 'boy,' followed by a light schwa and the final /s/. The primary stress sits on the first syllable: JOY-ous. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈdʒɔɪ.əs/.
Common errors include mispronouncing the diphthong as a pure /ɔː/ or /oʊ/ instead of /ɔɪ/ (say ‘jo’ as in ‘jog’). Another mistake is shortening the ending to /-əs/ with incorrect voicing or a clipped /z/; keep a light, continuous /ə/ before the final /s/. Practice the sequence /dʒ/ + /ɔɪ/ + /ə/ + /s/ with clear release.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /dʒ/ is the same, but the /ɔɪ/ quality can vary slightly: US tends to a more open ending, UK may have a slightly tighter diphthong, and AU often aligns with non-rhotic tendencies but keeps /ɔɪ/. The final /əs/ can be reduced to /əz/ in rapid speech in informal US/UK, whereas careful enunciation preserves /ə s/. Overall, primary stress remains on the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in the diphthong /ɔɪ/ transitioning cleanly into the unstressed /əs/. Many speakers either flatten the diphthong to a monophthong or insert an extra vowel. Keeping the mouth open just enough to start /ɔɪ/ and then relaxing into /ə/ before /s/ requires controlled mouth movement and timing, especially in fluent speech.
A key nuance is the two-syllable rhythm with strong initial stress but a subtle, quick second syllable. Do not double the consonant or compress into one syllable; maintain a brisk but light second syllable /əs/ to preserve the word’s buoyant character.
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Joyous originates from the noun joy, via Old French joie moving through Middle English. The root joy traces to the Latin gaudium and Greek gaudion, reflecting a sense of delight and exultation. In Middle English, joyous appeared as joyous in some texts, with spelling variants influenced by French orthography during the Norman influence era. By the 14th and 15th centuries, joyous settled into modern English with the suffix -ous denoting possessing the quality of. The semantic shift kept a focus on internal happiness and outward expression, often in contexts of festive or celebratory sentiment. First known uses appear in religious and poetic contexts where the sense of gladness or rejoicing was central, evolving to a general adjective describing lively, cheerful states and events in Early Modern English literature.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "joyous" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "joyous" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "joyous"
-oes sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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