4 syllables: Om, ni, vo, rous. Stress on ni.
ahm-NIV-uh-ruhs
/ɑmˈnɪvərəs/
Omnivorous is pronounced ahm-NIV-uh-ruhs (/ɑmˈnɪvərəs/). It has four syllables (Om-ni-vo-rous), with the stress on "ni". Omnivorous is an adjective describing an organism that eats both plants and animals. It can also mean having a wide range of interests or tastes. The term emphasizes all-encompassing feeding or consuming behavior, rather than specialization.
adjectiveOmnivorous is an adjective describing an organism that eats both plants and animals. It can also mean having a wide range of interests or tastes. The term emphasizes all-encompassing feeding or consuming behavior, rather than specialization.
- Common Mistake 1: Misplacing stress by saying om-NI-vo-rus with even pacing. Correction: keep the primary stress on the second syllable: om-NI-vo-rous; practice tapping the beat to feel the four-syllable rhythm. - Common Mistake 2: Compressing the /ɪ/ in /ˈnɪv/ into a quick /ɪ/ without a clear nucleus. Correction: hold a crisp /ɪ/ with a short but sturdy nucleus, then release into /v/. - Common Mistake 3: Final cluster slurring into 'rus' as 'rəs' or 'rəs' with too much vowel. Correction: end with a light, unstressed /əs/ or /ərəs/ depending on accent; keep the /r/ soft in non-rhotic varieties.
"The omnivorous bear will eat berries, roots, and fish alike."
"Her omnivorous curiosity led her to read about science, history, and philosophy."
"Farm animals can have omnivorous diets depending on what is available."
Omnivorous is pronounced with four syllables: /ɒmˈnɪvərəs/ in British and many non-rhotic varieties, stressing the second syllable. In US and other rhotic varieties you’ll hear /ɑːmˈnɪvər əs/ (the final /əs/ typically reduced). Start with /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ as the short back rounded vowel, then /m/; the stressed syllable is /ˈnɪvə/. End with /rəs/ or /rəs/ depending on rhoticity. Listen to a slow, careful articulation first, then speed up while maintaining clear vowel quality.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing the stress, saying om-NI-vi-rous with wrong rhythm. 2) Dropping the /n/ after the initial vowel, or turning /nɪ/ into a quick /ni/ without the schwa-like /ə/ in the second syllable. 3) Tensing the final /əs/ into /ɪs/ or /əs/ too sharply, instead of a light, reduced ending. Correction: emphasize the second syllable with clear /ˈnɪv/ and keep a relaxed, unstressed final /ərəs/ or /ərəs/ depending on accent; practice with slow pacing and a checklist of the four phonemes.
In US English, expect /ɑːmˈnɪvərəs/ with rhotic /r/ in the final syllables and a clear /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable; the initial /ɒ/ often opens toward /ɑ/. UK English tends to a shorter /ɒ/ or /ɒmˈnɪvərəs/ with non-rhotic /r/ and slightly clearer schwa in the second syllable. Australian English is rhotic and often maintains /ɒmˈnɪvərəs/ or /ɔːmˈnɪvərəs/ with a more centralized final /ərəs/. Vowel quality and rhoticity influence the overall feel; listen for the /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable and the reduced final /əs/.
Key challenges: the combination of /m/ followed by /nɪ/ can create a subtle nasal boundary that can blur syllables; the stressed syllable /ˈnɪv/ requires precise tongue placement without adding an extra vowel between /m/ and /n/. Also, the final /rəs/ or /rəəs/ variation can trip non-native speakers depending on rhoticity rules. Focus on maintaining a clean /m–n/ transition, crisp /ˈnɪv/, and a light, reduced ending.
No silent letters in modern English usage for omnivorous, but the cluster /mv/ across morpheme boundary is a tight transition: /m/ followed by /n/ with a brief nasal-velar liaison can feel momentary. The tricky part is keeping the /m/ there while moving into the /n/ without adding a vowel between them. Practice by isolating the boundary: say /m/ then immediately /n/ with a minimal delay, keeping the vowel in /ɪ/ clear.
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- US: Rhotic, final /r/ pronounced; ensure /ɚ/ or /ər/ in the ending, but avoid harsh rhoticity on the final -ous. - UK: Non-rhotic; final /ə/ or /ə/ can be reduced; keep /r/ silent, softening the end. - AU: Rhotic but with broad vowels; maintain /ɒ/ and the /r/ can be approximated or lightly rhotic depending on speaker. Vowel shifts: /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/; keep /ɪ/ crisp in stressed syllable. - IPA references: /ɒmˈnɪvərəs/ US / UK / AU alignments; ensure consistent /ˈnɪv/ stress.
Omnivorous comes from Latin omnis, meaning all, and vorāre, meaning to devour. The combination found its way into English by way of Late Latin or early scientific Latin terminology, modeling a classificatory term for organisms that eat a broad diet. The first part, omnis-, is a familiar Latin root seen in omnipresent or omniscient, conveying total inclusion. The second part, -vorous, derives from vorāre via Latin vorāre meaning to devour or swallow, often seen in biology terms like herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous. The emergence of -vorous as a suffix dates to classifications that sought to group animals by feeding strategies, particularly during the rise of systematic biology in the 18th and 19th centuries. The modern sense—eating both plants and animals—appears in English scientific writing by the 19th century as taxonomies expanded and scholars emphasized dietary breadth. The word then spread beyond biology into metaphorical usage, describing people, habits, or tastes that are broad or indiscriminate. The earliest attestations anchor the term in scientific lexicon, gradually permeating common usage as a more precise descriptor than “eating everything.”
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Words that rhyme with "Omnivorous"
-ous sounds
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