2 syllables: O, bese. Stress on bese.
oh-BEES
/oʊˈbis/
Obese is pronounced oh-BEES (/oʊˈbis/). It has two syllables (O-bese), with the stress on "bese". Obese is an adjective describing someone who is extremely overweight to a degree that may affect health. Commonly used in medical or clinical contexts, it denotes a BMI category and implies significant excess body fat. The term is formal and precise, often preferred over casual descriptors in professional discussions.
adjectiveObese is an adjective describing someone who is extremely overweight to a degree that may affect health. Commonly used in medical or clinical contexts, it denotes a BMI category and implies significant excess body fat. The term is formal and precise, often preferred over casual descriptors in professional discussions.
Common Mistakes in Practice: • Under- or over-stressing the second syllable: You’ll hear o- BEES; aim for a clear second-syllable peak and avoid fumbling to a flat /oʊ/ without emphasis. • Shortening the /iː/ vowel: Don’t reduce /iː/ to /ɪ/ or /i/; keep it long and tense by shaping the jaw and sustaining air. • Final /s/ becoming a /z/: Ensure the tongue tip lightly touches the alveolar ridge and the airstream is unvoiced; you should feel air rather than voice on the /s/.
How to Pronounce Obese
"The study focused on obese patients and the risks associated with chronic illnesses."
"Public health campaigns aim to reduce obesity rates and promote healthier lifestyles for obese individuals."
"She was diagnosed as obese after several measurements indicated a BMI well above the normal range."
Pronounce as o- BEES in most varieties: /oʊˈbiːs/ in US, /əʊˈbiːs/ in UK/AU. The first syllable carries the main stress signal, with a long 'o' sound and the second syllable bearing the primary stress due to the 'BEES' vowel length. Mouth position: start with a rounded, mid-back vowel, then move to a long front vowel for the second syllable; lips spread slightly for the /iː/ vowel, and finish with a light release on /s/. Listen for the contrast between the stressed second syllable and the trailing sibilant in fluent speech.
Common errors: (1) Understressing the second syllable, producing /ˈoʊ.bs/ or /ˈoʊbiːz/ with weak final /s/. (2) Misplacing the vowel in the first syllable, turning /oʊ/ into a reduced vowel like /əʊ/ or /ɒ/. (3) Confusing the final /s/ with a voiced /z/ in rapid speech. Correction: keep the /biː/ sequence long and clear, end with a crisp /s/; ensure the second syllable is clearly stressed: /oʊˈbiːs/.
In US English, /oʊˈbiːs/ with a clear diphthong in the first syllable and a long /iː/; rhoticity doesn’t alter the word core. UK and AU typically render the first syllable with /əʊ/ or /əʊ/ before a strong /biːs/, and the rhotic /r/ is not involved. Australians may have a slightly flatter vowel in the first syllable, but the /biːs/ remains: /əʊˈbiːs/ or /oʊˈbiːs/ depending on speaker. Pay attention to the long /iː/ and stable /s/ at the end across accents.
Key challenge is maintaining the long /iː/ in the second syllable while keeping stress on that syllable; many speakers slide to a shorter vowel or shift stress toward the first syllable in casual speech. Also, the final /s/ must be voiceless; allowing voice to creep into /s/ creates /z/ instead of /s/. Practice precise vowel length, crisp consonant boundaries, and steady breath support.
There is no silent letter in 'obese' as pronounced; every phoneme contributes: /oʊ/ (or /əʊ/) + /biː/ + /s/. The tricky aspect is the vowel quality of /oʊ/ in different accents and keeping the /iː/ sustained before the final /s/.
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Accent Tips: • US: /oʊˈbiːs/ with a typical American diphthong in the first syllable; keep the second syllable tense and the /s/ crisp. • UK: /əʊˈbiːs/; the first syllable often has a more centralized start; maintain strong syllable separation and a clear /iː/ before /s/. • AU: /əʊˈbiːs/; similar to UK but with a slightly more drawn-out /əʊ/ and a rounded onset; ensure non-rhoticity is preserved; final /s/ remains voiceless. • IPA references: US /oʊˈbiːs/, UK/AU /əʊˈbiːs/. • Key tips: practice with a mirror to monitor lip rounding in /oʊ/; keep tongue high for /biː/; stop air cleanly for /s/.
Obese comes from the Latin obesus, meaning 'fat, fattened, or fattened by food,' from ob-'toward' + edere 'to eat.' The term passed into Medieval Latin and then into Late Latin as obesus, preserving the sense of being fat or bloated. In English, obese appeared in the 17th century in medical or descriptive writing, initially in more general senses before narrowing to describe human adiposity levels in clinical contexts. The modern medical usage aligns with a BMI-based threshold and standardized definitions to distinguish obesity from mere overweight. Throughout evolution, the word retained its core physical sense—excessive fat—while shifting from broad descriptive use to precise clinical categorization in public health discourse. First known English uses appear in scholarly or technical texts discussing body mass, with the term gradually becoming common in medical literature and epidemiology as obesity emerged as a major public health concern.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Obese" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Obese" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Obese"
-ose sounds
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