/nuˈtɹɪʃəs/
Say it backNutritious describes food or substances that provide substantial nourishment and health benefits. It indicates a high level of nutrients and energy suitable for growth, maintenance, and well-being. The term is commonly used to describe meals, snacks, or ingredients that contribute to a balanced diet.
"She prepared a nutritious smoothie packed with vitamins and minerals."
"Eating a nutritious breakfast helped her stay energized through the morning."
"The chef highlighted nutritious, plant-based dishes on the menu."
Pronounce it as nu-TRI-tious with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US / nuˈtrɪʃəs /; UK / njuˈtrɪʃəs /. The first vowel is a quick schwa-like start in some speakers, moving to a short, clipped 'tri' and ending with a lax 'ous' sound. Mouth positions: start with a light schwa, elevate the tongue for /ˈtrɪ/, and finish with a relaxed /əs/. You’ll want to keep the /t/ light and not aspirated, and end with a soft /əs/ rather than a hard 'us'.
Common errors: misplacing the stress as nu-TRI-tious instead of nu-TRI-tious is not a mistake—stress is correct on TRI in most dialects, but some learners place it on NUT- instead of the second syllable. Another error is exaggerating the /t/ into a solid D-like stop or inserting a long vowel in /ɪ/. The correct approach: keep /ˈtrɪʃəs/ for US and /ˈtrɪʃəs/ for many UK speakers, with a light /t/ and a clipped ending /-ʃəs/. Practice with minimal pairs to lock the rhythm.
In US English, the word often sounds nu-ˈtri-shəs with a rhotic r-less or rhotic cue? US is typically /nuˈtrɪʃəs/ with a clear /r/ only in rhotic varieties; though /nəˈtrɪʃəs/ variant appears when fast speech reduces. UK English tends to /njuˈtrɪʃəs/ or /njʊˈtrɪʃəs/, with a fronted initial /nju/ and less emphasis on /r/. Australian English is often /nəˈtrɪʃəs/ or /njuˈtrɪʃəs/, with rounded /ɪ/ quality and slight vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. The primary difference lies in vowel quality and rhoticity; all share the campaign of stress on the second syllable.
Difficult due to the sequence /-ˈtrɪ-ɕəs/ where /tr/ blends and the final /-ʃəs/ requires precise tongue positioning. The 't' is often unreleased in connected speech, which can blur into /d/ or disappear. The 'ɪ' vowel in /ˈtrɪ/ is short; learners may over-enunciate it or insert an extra vowel, breaking the rhythm. Practicing the cluster /tr/ with a quick, light /t/ and finishing with a crisp /-ʃəs/ helps.
A unique nuance is the initial /n/ followed by a fast /ju/ or /j/ substitute when you connect from a vowel: you may hear nyoo-TRI-shəs depending on speaker. Focus on short, tight lip rounding for /ju/ in some accents, while others reduce to a quick /nju/ sequence. The key is maintaining the second-syllable stress and preventing an extra syllable like /nʌ-tri-tʃəs/.
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Nutritious traces its roots to the Latin word nutrire, meaning to feed, nourish, or sustain. The English form emerges from the Latin noun nutritio (nourishment) and the adjective nutrit-, from Latin nutrire, with the agent-noun suffix -ious to indicate the quality of. Early use in English aligned with medical and dietary contexts, capturing the idea of providing essential sustenance. Over time, nutritious became a standard descriptor in nutrition science and culinary discourse, signaling foods and diets rich in essential nutrients. The semantic shift intensified in the 19th and 20th centuries as nutritional science formalized dietary guidelines, making nutritious a frequent marker in health-conscious writing, menus, and public health messaging.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "nutritious" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "nutritious" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "nutritious"
-ous sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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