4 syllables: Ob, sce, ni, ty. Stress on sce.
uhb-SEN-it-ee
/əˈbsɛnɪti/
Obscenity is pronounced uhb-SEN-it-ee (/əˈbsɛnɪti/). It has four syllables (Ob-sce-ni-ty), with the stress on "sce". Obscenity (noun) refers to something that depicts or describes sexual matters in a way that strongly offends or shocks public morals. It can also denote qualities or works that are lewd, indecent, or offensive by conventional standards. The term is often used in legal, literary, and cultural discussions about decency and censorship.
nounObscenity (noun) refers to something that depicts or describes sexual matters in a way that strongly offends or shocks public morals. It can also denote qualities or works that are lewd, indecent, or offensive by conventional standards. The term is often used in legal, literary, and cultural discussions about decency and censorship.
"The film was censored for obscenity due to its explicit scenes."
"Contemporary art can provoke debates about obscenity and freedom of expression."
"The judge ruled that the publication crossed the line into obscenity."
Pronounce as /əbˈsɛnɪti/ (US) or /əbˈsenɪti/ (UK/AU). Primary stress is on the second syllable: ob-SEN-i-ty. Start with a schwa + b, then a clear 'sen' with an 'eh' as in 'set', and finish with a soft 'ih-tee'. The mouth stays relaxed but the tongue rises slightly for the nasal 'n' before the final 'i' vowel. Audio reference: consult standard dictionaries or Pronounce resources for native-speaker samples.
Two common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (OB-scen-i-ty) leads to an unnatural, emphatic rhythm. 2) Reducing the second syllable to /æ/ or /ɪ/ without a clear /ɛ/ in /ˈsɛn/. Correction: keep the secondary syllable as /ˈsɛn/ with a short ɛ as in bet, and ensure the final '-ity' is /əti/ rather than /i/ or /ɪti/; practice with slow, mapped syllables: ob-SEN-i-ty.
In US, /əbˈsɛnɪti/ with central-ish schwa in first vowel; non-rhotic? US pronounces 'r' minimally; UK and AU typically /əbˈsenɪti/ with a shorter /ə/ in first syllable and closer /e/ in /sɛn/; rhoticity is generally low in UK/AU; focus on second syllable vowel quality /e/ vs /eɪ/? The key is that the second syllable carries the main stress and the 'ti' often merges to /ti/ or /tiː/ depending on locale. Listen for a firmer /t/ at the end in careful speech.
Because it combines a noisy consonant cluster with a mid-central vowel in the first syllable and a stressed second syllable that contains a tense /ɛ/ vowel, followed by a light /ti/ sequence. The sequence /ˈsɛnɪ/ can blur in fast speech, and many speakers drop or devoice the final syllable slightly. Pay attention to the secondary stress and avoid turning /ˈsɛn/ into a dull /sən/ by exaggerating the /ɛ/.
Does the 'scen' part influence pronunciation due to the 'sc' cluster? Yes. The 'sc' is pronounced /s/ + /k/ blend? Actually /sɛ/—the cluster is softened as /sɛn/ with a single /n/; don’t insert a separate /sk/; keep the /s/ followed directly by /ɛn/ with a short, clear /e/. The 'ti' is /ti/ or /tiɪ/ in some dialects, so ensure the final /ti/ is crisp rather than swallowed.
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Obscenity derives from the Latin obscenitas, from obscenus meaning 'shocking, repulsive, or ill-omened' and 'prohibited' in classical Latin. The root obsc-, from ob- 'toward' and -scenus 'to be loathsome', evolved through Middle English into Old French obscénité and Latinized forms. The term entered English usage by the 15th century to describe morally offensive content. Over centuries, the sense shifted from general ugliness or repulsiveness to specifically sexual or lewd content, especially in legal and moral debates. By the 18th and 19th centuries, obscenity laws framed such content as dangerous to public morals, with court cases refining standards for what constitutes obscenity. In modern contexts, obscenity often intersects with freedom of speech, censorship, and artistic expression, with varying thresholds across jurisdictions.
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Words that rhyme with "Obscenity"
-ity sounds
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