4 syllables: Ob, strep, er, ous. Stress on strep.
uhb-STREP-ur-uhs
/əbˈstrɛpɚəs/
Obstreperous is pronounced uhb-STREP-ur-uhs (/əbˈstrɛpɚəs/). It has four syllables (Ob-strep-er-ous), with the stress on "strep". Obstreperous is a stubbornly noisy or defiant, aggressively boisterous person or behavior. It describes unruly, noisy conduct that resists control or restraint, often in a loud, obstinate way. The term conveys a sense of unruliness and disorder that is difficult to manage.
adjectiveObstreperous is a stubbornly noisy or defiant, aggressively boisterous person or behavior. It describes unruly, noisy conduct that resists control or restraint, often in a loud, obstinate way. The term conveys a sense of unruliness and disorder that is difficult to manage.
- You may mispronounce the /str/ cluster as /s tr/ separated; ensure quick, cohesive blend: /ˈstrɛp/ not /s t rɛp/. - The middle syllable should be clearly stressed; don’t reduce it to a weak vowel; keep /ˈstrɛp/. - Final -ous often becomes a weak /əs/; practice keeping a short, light /ərəs/ ending rather than turning it into a heavy syllable. - Avoid over-drawing the first syllable; keep the word flow with stress on second syllable. Correction tips: segment and blend, practice with slow speech, then speed up, record, and compare with dictionary audio.
"The obstreperous crowd refused to quiet down, shouting and laughing over the speaker."
"Her obstreperous puppy barked at every passerby, making training a challenge."
"The teacher struggled with obstreperous students who talked over the lesson."
Pronounce as ob-STREP-er-ous, with the primary stress on the second syllable. Phonetically: US/UK alike: /ˌɒbˈstrɛpərəs/ (UK /ˌɒbˈstrɛpərəs/; US /ˌɑːbˈstrɛpərəs/). Start with a short, clipped 'ob' or 'ohb', then stress the 'strep' cluster, followed by a soft 'er' and an unstressed 'ous'. The 'strep' contains an /str/ blend; keep it crisp. Audio references can be found on dictionaries that provide recordings; try listening around /ˌɒbˈstrɛpərəs/ and mirror the rhythm.
Common issues: 1) Dropping the /t/ in the /str/ cluster, giving ob-srep-erous instead of ob-STREP-er-ous. 2) Misplacing stress, saying ob-strEPerous with wrong emphasis. 3) Off syllable vowel reduction or mispronouncing the middle vowel as /i/ or /ɪ/. Correction: keep the /str/ cluster clear, stress the second syllable with /ˈstrɛ/ and use a full, unstressed final -ous. Practice with slow tempo and isolated syllables: ob- STREP- er-ous, then blend.
US vs UK vs AU: US often uses /ˌɑːbˈstrɛpərəs/ with a rhotic /r/ in syllable 3. UK tends to /ˌɒbˈstrɛp(ə)rəs/ with non-rhoticity in some contexts for careful speech, and a slightly shorter final vowel. Australian tends to /ˌɒbˈstrɛpəɹəs/ with a clear /ɹ/ and non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech but can show slight vowel broadening. Across all, the main stress is on the second syllable; the middle /str/ cluster remains the defining feature. Audio examples from major dictionaries help anchor the differences.
Key challenges: the /str/ consonant cluster is tight and requires precise timing to avoid a blended or slurred sound. The four-syllable rhythm with secondary stress can trip unwary speakers. The vowel in the first collateral vowel is short, and the final -ous adds an unstressed ending that can soften. Focus on maintaining a crisp /str/ and an even pace across syllables; stress the second syllable clearly; practice with minimal pairs to lock in the rhythm.
There are no silent letters in obstreperous; every letter contributes to the pronunciation. The challenging part is the /str/ blend and the unstressed final -ous. You’ll want to maintain audible /s/ and /t/ in the cluster and avoid t-voicing deviations in casual speech. The primary difficulty is rhythm and stress, not silent letters.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ in the third syllable, clear /ɔː/ or /ɑː/ in first; use full vowel in the second syllable; keep final /əs/ light. - UK: non-rhotic or lightly rhotic depending on register; crisp /ˈstrɛpə/ with slightly clipped first syllable and softer final. - AU: non-rhotic tendencies; open vowels; maintain /ɹ/ for second cluster; keep middle stressed syllable crisp. IPA references: /ˌɒbˈstrɛpərəs/ (UK), /ˌɒbˈstrɛpərəs/ (AU), /ˌɑːbˈstrɛpərəs/ (US). Focus on contrasting rhotics and vowel length for accurate accent reproduction.
Obstreperous comes from the Latin word obstreperus, from obstrepere, meaning to make a loud uproar. The root obst- conveys resistance or opposition, and strepere means to make a loud noise or roar. In Latin, obstreperus described something roaring against restraint, and by the 17th century English borrowed the form obstreperous to signify noisy, defiant behavior. The sense gradually shifted from physical uproar to figurative unruliness. The word held a formal, somewhat pompous tone in older literature, but by the 19th and 20th centuries it entered common usage to label disruptive, loudly defiant conduct in schools, meetings, or crowds. Over time, obstreperous has maintained its emphasis on outward noise and disorder, often implying a lack of willingness to yield or cooperate, and it is frequently used in admonishing contexts. The word’s gravitas tends to surface in formal writing or dramatic narrative, serving as a strong descriptor for behavior that is not merely loud but deliberately resistant to authority.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Obstreperous" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Obstreperous"
-ous sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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