3 syllables: Po, ison, ous. Stress on Po.
POY-zuh-nuhs
/ˈpɔɪzənəs/
Poisonous is pronounced POY-zuh-nuhs (/ˈpɔɪzənəs/). It has three syllables (Po-ison-ous), with the stress on "Po". Poisonous is an adjective describing something containing poison or capable of causing harm if ingested, touched, or inhaled. It signals a serious risk and is often used for substances, plants, or animals. In everyday usage, it can also describe metaphorical danger, as in a poisonous situation or atmosphere.
adjectivePoisonous is an adjective describing something containing poison or capable of causing harm if ingested, touched, or inhaled. It signals a serious risk and is often used for substances, plants, or animals. In everyday usage, it can also describe metaphorical danger, as in a poisonous situation or atmosphere.
How to Pronounce Poisonous
"The berries looked edible, but they were poisonous and caused illness."
"Some snakes are highly poisonous and must be treated with caution."
"Prolonged exposure to the poisonous fumes required immediate evacuation."
Poisonous is pronounced POI-zuh-nuhs, with the primary stress on the first syllable. In IPA: US /ˈpɔɪ.zə.nəs/, UK /ˈpɔɪ.zən.əs/. The first syllable contains the diphthong /ɔɪ/ as in 'boy,' the middle syllable is a schwa /ə/, and the final is /nəs/. Keep the second syllable light and reduce it to a soft schwa; don’t over-articulate the middle; the rhythm is strong-weak-weak. In casual speech you may hear a reduced final /əs/ to /əs/ or /əs/ depending on speed.
Common errors: mispronouncing the /ɔɪ/ diphthong as a pure /ɔː/ or /oʊ/; over-articulating the middle /ə/ so it sounds like /ə/ or /ɪ/; and truncating the final /əs/ into /s/ or /z/. Correction: emphasize the diphthong /ɔɪ/ with a smooth glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/, keep the middle as a soft, quick /ə/ (not a full vowel), and end with a clear /nəs/ or a reduced /nəs/ depending on speed. Practicing with minimal pairs helps solidify the /z/ vs /s/ timing and the weak final syllable.
US: /ˈpɔɪ.zə.nəs/ with rhotic /r/ influence absent; UK/RP: /ˈpɔɪ.zən.əs/ with a slightly shorter /ɜː/ quality in some speakers; AU: /ˈpɔɪ.zən.əs/ often similar to UK but with broader vowel quality and a less pronounced rhotic influence. The main differences are the vowel length and quality in the first syllable and the lightening of the second syllable’s vowel, with Australians often adopting a more centralized /ə/ in unstressed positions.
The difficulty lies in the juxtaposition of the diphthong /ɔɪ/ and the following unstressed /ə/ in the middle syllable, which can blur into a short /ə/ or /ɪ/ for non-native speakers. Additionally, the final syllable /nəs/ requires crisp alveolar nasal and syllabic rhythm, which can be softened in rapid speech. Mastering the timing—strong first syllable, light middle, precise final cluster—helps maintain authentic pronunciation across accents.
The unique feature is the prominent /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the first syllable, which can be mispronounced as /ɔː/ or /oʊ/. Also, the sequence /zə/ in the middle can be misheard as /sə/ if you under-articulate /z/. Focus on the /ɔɪ/ glide and ensure the /z/ is voiced and clearly separated from the following schwa, even when speech is fast.
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US: more pronounced rhoticity and slightly different vowel qualities in the final syllable; UK: crisper /zən/ or /zən./; AU: broader vowels and less pronounced /r/ influence. • For US, keep /ɔɪ/ rounded and the /z/ clearly voiced. • For UK, short, tighter /ə/ and a more clipped second syllable. • For AU, lighter /ə/ in the middle and a more relaxed final
Poisonous comes from the noun poison, via Middle English poisonen from Old French poison, from Latin poisonedus, from Greek poisōn meaning “potion, poison,” possibly rooted in *poiein* ‘to drink’ or related to the Greek *posis* ‘drink.’ The term evolved in the 14th–15th centuries to describe substances capable of causing harm by ingestion or contact. Over time, English extended “poisonous” to describe not only physical toxicity but metaphorical danger, as in ‘a poisonous atmosphere.’ The word is closely related to toxic and venomous, but usage distinguishes the means of harm (poisonous substances vs. venomous animals whose venom is injected). Throughout its history, “poisonous” has retained emphasis on a chemical or physical danger that warrants caution, rather than merely being disagreeable or harmful in a broad sense. First known use in English literature appears in the late medieval period, aligning with medical and botanical texts that catalog poisonous plants and compounds.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Poisonous" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Poisonous" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Poisonous"
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