2 syllables: ner, vous. Stress on ner.
/ˈnɝvəs/
Say it backNervous describes a state of being anxious or worried, often manifesting as heightened alertness or unease. It can apply to emotional mood, physical sensations, or anticipatory responses to situations. The term functions as an adjective and, less commonly, as a noun in phrases like “a nervous,” though the adjective sense is far more typical in modern usage.
- Focus 1: The first syllable carries stress; in quick speech you may hear /nɜːr.vəs/ compressed. Ensure the first syllable is prominent. - Focus 2: The /ɜː/ vowel in the first syllable can be neutralized to /ɪ/ or /ə/ in some casual speech; practice maintaining the mid-back rounded vowel with rhoticity where applicable. - Focus 3: The second syllable /vəs/ should be unstressed and quick; avoid prolonging the /ə/ or turning /s/ into a /z/ in isolation. Record yourself and adjust timing to keep the second syllable light. - Tip: Practice in phrases like “I’m feeling nervous about,” emphasizing the first syllable and keeping the second syllable short.
"She felt nervous before giving the presentation but managed to speak clearly."
"His hands trembled and his voice sounded nervous during the interview."
"The nervous system plays a crucial role in coordinating movement and sensation."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on two syllables: /ˈnɜːr.vəs/ in US and UK, with AU often rendering the first vowel slightly more open as /ˈnəː.vəs/. Stress is on the first syllable. Start with the mid-central /ɜː/ vowel (like ‘bird’ without the r-colored cue), then a clear /r/ or /ɹ/ depending on accent, followed by a light schwa /ə/ in the second syllable and an /s/ or /z/ at the end in connected speech. Tip: keep the second syllable unstressed and quickly reduce it to /əs/ in fast speech.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress, saying /nɜrˈvəs/ instead of /ˈnɜːr.vəs/. 2) Slurring the /r/ or eliminating the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, yielding /ˈnɛvəs/ or /ˈnɜːvəs/ without the /r/. 3) Vowel length or quality confusion between /ɜː/ and /ə/ in the first syllable. Correction: keep the primary stress on the first syllable, pronounce /ɜː/ (or /ɜr/ depending on accent) clearly, and reduce the second syllable to /vəs/ for natural rhythm.
In US English, the first syllable commonly uses /ˈnɜːr/ with an rhotic /r/; the second syllable is /vəs/. UK English tends to a similar /ˈnɜː.vəs/ but with a non-rhotic r often dropping the /r/ in many accents, giving /ˈnɜː.vəs/. Australian English is usually rhotic but may feature a slightly broader vowel in /ɜː/ or a centralized /ɜː/ depending on region, with a quick, clipped /vəs/. The key differences are rhoticity and vowel quality.
Two main challenges: the two-syllable rhythm with a weak second syllable can cause mis-stressed pronunciation; and the central /ɜː/ vowel in the first syllable and the fast, light /vəs/ ending can be easy to compress or substitute. Practicing the separation of syllables, ensuring /ˈnɜːr/ (or /ˈnɜː/ in non-rhotic) and a crisp /vəs/ ending helps avoid blending. Focus on mouth posture: a relaxed jaw for /ɜː/ and a sharp /v/ lip contact.
There are no silent letters in nervous. Each letter corresponds to a sound in the standard pronunciation: n- /n/, e- often part of a rhotic /ɜːr/ vowel with the r-colored quality, r- /r/ or /ə/ depending on accent, v- /v/, o- similarly contributes to the /əs/ ending via the schwa, u- part of the /əs/ bundle, s- /s/. Some rapid speech can reduce vowels, but none are truly silent in careful pronunciation.
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- US vs UK vs AU: US rhotic, with a clear /r/; UK often non-rhotic, so /ˈnɜː.vəs/ with a softer r; AU typically rhotic, but vowels vary by region. All share two syllables with /ˈnɜː/ or /ˈnəː/ in some Australian accents, followed by /vəs/. - Vowel guidance: /ɜː/ (US/UK) is a mid-central, r-colored vowel; in non-rhotic accents, you hear less rhotic colouring, particularly in an end-stressed environment. The /ə/ in the second syllable is stable; keep it light and reduce to schwa in rapid speech. - Consonants: /n/ at start, /v/ mid, final /s/ can be crisp; avoid aspirated heavy /s/ in fast speech. - Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, tongue high-mid for /ɜː/ or /ɜːr/, then a forward-lip contact for /v/ and a gentle hiss for /s/. IPA references: US /ˈnɜːr.vəs/, UK /ˈnɜː.vəs/, AU /ˈnəː.vəs/.
Nervous comes from the Middle French nervos(e), from Latin nervosus, derived from nervus meaning “nerve.” The root nerv- is linked to sinewy strength, with early senses tied to the nervous system and the nerves that convey sensation or impulse. In English, nervous evolved to describe conditions of the body or mind associated with nerves—either the physical network or a figurative sense of excitability or agitation. The term found English usage by the 15th century in medical and general contexts, and by the 17th–18th centuries it broadened to describe emotional states, not just physiological ones. Over time, nervous has been used more loosely in everyday speech to denote anxiety, apprehension, or timidity, and it remains one of the most common adjectives for stress or worry in modern English. The evolution reflects a shift from concrete anatomical reference to a broader psychological condition, paralleling other terms that inherit from bodily metaphor to describe mood and temperament.
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Words that rhyme with "nervous"
-ves sounds
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