2 syllables: Ob, scure. Stress on scure.
uhb-SKYUUR
/əbsˈkjʊɹ/
Obscure is pronounced uhb-SKYUUR (/əbsˈkjʊɹ/). It has two syllables (Ob-scure), with the stress on "scure". Obscure means not clearly seen or easily understood; hidden or uncertain in meaning or identity. As an adjective, it can describe something hard to perceive, little-known or not well understood, or something made less clear or ambiguous. In usage, it often conveys a sense of mystery, obscurity, or lack of prominence.
adjectiveObscure means not clearly seen or easily understood; hidden or uncertain in meaning or identity. As an adjective, it can describe something hard to perceive, little-known or not well understood, or something made less clear or ambiguous. In usage, it often conveys a sense of mystery, obscurity, or lack of prominence.
"The meaning of the ancient glyphs remains obscure to most scholars."
"Her reasons for leaving were obscure and not easily explained."
"The village is obscured by fog on winter mornings."
You say ob-SCURE, with the primary stress on the second syllable. In US: /əbˈskjʊr/. In UK: /əbˈskjʊər/ and in Australian: /əbˈskjuːə/. The vowel is a short schwa followed by a smooth 'sk' blend and an /u/ or /juə/ glide into the final /r/ or /ə/ depending on accent. Mouth posture: keep the initial 'uh' relaxed, then raise the tongue toward the palate for the /skj/ cluster, and finish with a clipped /r/ or a non-rhotic ending where the /r/ is not pronounced.
Common mistakes include misplacing stress (saying ob-SCURE or ob-s-CURE incorrectly), mispronouncing the /bj/ combination as a simple /b/ or /j/ sound, and letting the final /r/ be too weak or overly rolled. To correct: ensure the 'sc' leads into a /kj/ blend, keep the second syllable stressed with a clear /kj/ frame, and practice a light, non-rhotic or rhotic final depending on your variant. Practice with minimal pairs like 'secure' vs 'obscure' to tune the /bj/ and /kj/ transition.
In US English, /əbˈskjʊr/ with rhotic final /r/; in UK English, /əbˈskjʊə/ or /əbˈskjʊər/ with a non-rhotic final in some varieties; in Australian English, /əbˈskjuːə/ with a strong /j/ glide and a less pronounced final /r/. The main differences are the presence/absence of rhoticity, the quality of the final vowel (short schwa versus a centering diphthong), and the treatment of the /ʃ/ or /sk/ onset into /kj/ cluster. US tends toward a tighter /r/; UK tends toward a longer vowel in the final syllable; AU consolidates the glide into a longer /juː/ or /juə/.
The difficulty lies in the /b/ + /sk/ + /kj/ sequence and the /kj/ cluster, which demands a precise tongue blade raising to produce /kj/. The second syllable stress is crucial for natural English rhythm. Additionally, the final /r/ or lack thereof depends on the accent, which can confuse learners expecting a terminal /r/ sound. Mastery requires precise tongue-tip and blade positions for the /skj/ blend and careful control of vowel length in the final syllable.
Yes. The 'ob-' prefix remains phonemically /əb-/ rather than a hard /ɔb-/. The initial syllable uses a neutral reduced vowel (schwa) /ə/ in most dialects, followed by a clear /b/ and the /ˈskjʊr/ portion. Stress is on the second syllable, so the prefix is lighter in emphasis. Understanding that /əb-/ is a common, unstressed reduction helps you deliver a natural, conversational version without over-articulating the first syllable.
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US: rhotic, final /r/ pronounced; mouth closes gently into a back-of-mouth /ɹ/ with a relaxed tongue tip. UK: non-rhotic in many varieties, use /ə/ or /ə/ with a non-rhotic ending; the final vowel is a diphthong-ish /ə/ or /ɜː/ depending on region. AU: tends to have a clearer /juː/ in the second syllable with a shorter final /ə/; glide remains strong, and /r/ is often less pronounced. IPA references: US /əbˈskjʊr/; UK /əbˈskjʊə/; AU /əbˈskjuːə/.
Obscure traces to the Latin obscurus, meaning dark, dim, or covered, derived from ob- (toward, against) and caecus (blind). The root enters English via Old French obscur, adopting the sense of dark, hidden, or not easily perceived. In Middle English, the term broadened to describe things not clearly seen or understood, evolving into figurative senses such as obscure or obscurely as meaning not well-known or little understood. By the 16th and 17th centuries, it included both physical concealment (visibility) and epistemic concealment (understanding). The word has maintained its core contrast between visibility or clarity and concealment or lack of prominence, though usage has shifted with cultural discussions of knowledge, reputation, and interpretation. Historically, obscure was often attached to contexts of mystery, secrecy, or the marginal status of ideas, persons, or places, and remains common in academic, literary, and journalistic registers to denote something deliberately or unintentionally not easily discerned.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Obscure" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Obscure"
-ure sounds
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