4 syllables: Me, lo, di, ous. Stress on lo.
muh-LOH-dee-uhs
/məˈloʊdiəs/
Melodious is pronounced muh-LOH-dee-uhs (/məˈloʊdiəs/). It has four syllables (Me-lo-di-ous), with the stress on "lo". Melodious is an adjective describing something that has a pleasant, tuneful sound. It implies harmony and musicality, often used to praise voices, birds, or environments with agreeable, flowing tones. The word conveys an aesthetic of melodium-like grace and auditory beauty, suggesting a refined, lyrical quality.
adjectiveMelodious is an adjective describing something that has a pleasant, tuneful sound. It implies harmony and musicality, often used to praise voices, birds, or environments with agreeable, flowing tones. The word conveys an aesthetic of melodium-like grace and auditory beauty, suggesting a refined, lyrical quality.
- You will see: 1) Dropping the /dʒ/ as in /ˈmɛləˌduəs/ or mispronouncing as /ˈmɛləduəs/. 2) Flattening the /ːuː/ to a short /u/ in -duous, giving melə-DOO-əs instead of melə-DOO-əs with length. 3) Misplacing the stress, saying mel-o-DI-ous or mel- odious. Correction: keep stress on the third syllable, clearly articulate /dʒ/ and hold the /uː/ long enough; practice with a metronome to lock rhythm.
"The concert featured a melodious choir that filled the hall with warmth."
"Her melodious voice captivated the audience from the first note."
"The forest offered a melodious chorus of birdsong at dawn."
Pronounce as /ˌmel.əˈdʒuː.əs/ (US) or /ˌmel.əˈdʒuː.əs/ (UK/AU). Start with “mel” as in melody, then “o” as in a schwa-led dash, and stress the third syllable “-doo-” with a long /uː/. End with a light “əs”.”,
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable, saying me-LO-di-ous. 2) Slurring the middle /dʒ/ into /d/ or /j/ leading to mel-uh-JOO-us or mel-uh-DOO-us. 3) Shortening the final -ous to -əs without preserving the /uː/ for -doo-. Correction: keep the primary stress on the third syllable, articulate /dʒ/ clearly as in 'juice', and maintain a full /uː/ in the “doo” portion.
US: /ˌmel.əˈduː.əs/ with rhoticity; UK/AU: /ˌmel.əˈdʒuː.əs/ with non-rhotic or light rhotic tendencies depending on speaker. The core is syllable-timed in UK; US tends to a slightly faster rhythm. Vowel quality in the middle may be a relaxed schwa /ə/ in all; the /ˈduː/ portion often holds a clearer long /uː/ in US and AU.” ,
The challenge lies in the three-syllable rhythm with a mid-word cluster: /ˌmɛl.əˈduː.əs/. The /dʒ/ sound must be precise and not conflated with /d/ or /j/. The long /uː/ in -duous requires a taut, rounded lip posture; ensure you do not reduce the vowel to a schwa. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on /dʒ/ and the long /uː/.” ,
A unique nuance is maintaining the secondary stress on the first syllable while clearly delivering the long /uː/ in the third syllable. Some speakers may reduce to /ˌmel.əˈduː.əs/ vs /ˌmɛ.ləˈdoː.əs/ depending on the dialect’s vowel reduction pattern. Focus on keeping all three syllables distinct and the /dʒ/ segment crisp.
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- US: rhotic with clearer /ɹ/ and heavier /ɚ/ if spoken quickly; UK/AU: often non-rhotic; vowels are slightly more clipped; /ˈmɛləˌduː.əs/ vs /ˌmel.əˈduː.əs/. - Vowel guidance: middle /ə/ is reduced; long /uː/ requires rounded lips extended. - IPA references: US /ˌmel.əˈduː.əs/, UK /ˌmel.əˈdʒuː.əs/; AU similar to US but with slight vowel height differences and variable r-sound. - Practical tip: record yourself and compare with Forvo samples; emphasize the /dʒ/ as a discrete affricate.
Melodious comes from the Latin melōdiōsus, formed from melo- (song, music) and -diōsus (full of, teeming with). The root mel- traces to melos, meaning song. In Latin, melodic terms described things related to melody or singing. Its Old French derivative melodeis later yielded English melodius and melodious, with the modern spelling stabilizing in Early Modern English. The semantic center shifted from “pertaining to melody” to “having a pleasing tune.” By the 17th–18th centuries, melodious appears in poetry and prose to praise sound quality, gradually becoming a formal adjective used broadly for voices, instruments, environments, and phrases characterized by musical sweetness. The word’s core sense remains: something that sounds harmoniously, rhythmically, and aesthetically pleasing to the ear. First known use in English literature occurs in the late 16th to early 17th centuries, aligning with Renaissance interest in music and poetry’s sonic effects. Over time, melodious has maintained formal to literary usage, while occasionally appearing in everyday description of soundscapes or performances.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Melodious" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Melodious"
-ous sounds
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