4 syllables: Sac, ri, le, gious. Stress on le.
sak-ruh-LEJ-is
/ˌsækɹəˈlɛdʒɪs/
Sacrilegious is pronounced sak-ruh-LEJ-is (/ˌsækɹəˈlɛdʒɪs/). It has four syllables (Sac-ri-le-gious), with the stress on "le". Sacrilegious is an adjective describing actions, speech, or ideas that violate or show disrespect toward something sacred or holy. It conveys a strong judgment about irreverence, often in a moral or religious context. The term implies offense beyond casual disrespect, bordering on sacrilege in the eyes of the observer.
adjectiveSacrilegious is an adjective describing actions, speech, or ideas that violate or show disrespect toward something sacred or holy. It conveys a strong judgment about irreverence, often in a moral or religious context. The term implies offense beyond casual disrespect, bordering on sacrilege in the eyes of the observer.
- You often collapse the unstressed vowel in the second syllable, producing a hurried /sæk·rɪ·ˈlɪdʒəs/ instead of the natural /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒ.əs/. Practice by saying each syllable slowly, then blend. - Misplacing stress on the -lig- portion; keep the primary stress on the third syllable /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒəs/ rather than /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒəs/ with even stress. Use a four-beat counting rhythm to memorize the rhythm. - Mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /ʒ/ or /j/; treat it as an affricate: place the tongue just behind the upper teeth, release with a small burst into /əs/. Practice with minimal pairs: 'sacrilege' vs 'sacrilegious' to feel the added syllable and /dʒ/.
How to Pronounce Sacrilegious
"The minister condemned the desecration as a sacrilegious act that shocked the community."
"Her remarks were seen as sacrilegious by many parishioners, provoking a loud debate."
"The museum exhibit was labeled sacrilegious by critics who argued it trivialized sacred relics."
Pronunciation is /ˌsækrɪˈlɪdʒəs/. Stress falls on the third syllable while the 'li' of the second syllable becomes a short, quick 'li' and the ending sounds like 'jəs'. Start with /sæ/ (as in sat), then /krɪ/ (quick with a short i), then /ˈlɪ/ (lip-lie with a short i), and end with /dʒəs/. You can listen to native pronunciation on Pronounce or YouGlish for natural rhythm.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (often stressing -lig- instead of -li-), mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /ʒ/ or /j/, and overpronouncing the second syllable so it becomes /krɪˈliːdʒəs/. Correct by keeping stress on the third syllable: /ˌsækrɪˈlɪdʒəs/, ensure the /dʒ/ is a single palatal affricate, not a retroflex. Practice with minimal pairs like 'sacrilege' vs 'sacrilegious' to internalize the rhythm.
In US English, the pronunciation tends to be /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒ.əs/ with slightly sharper tenses and rhoticity in vowels nearby. UK English keeps a similar pattern but with a slightly more clipped vowel in /æ/ and a less rounded lip position for /ɪ/. Australian tends to be more vowel-reduced in the middle syllable, with a softer /ɪ/ and a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable; still the stress on -li-. Overall, the /dʒ/ remains constant across accents.
Two main challenges: the initial cluster /kri/ after /sak/, and the /dʒ/ sound in -ligious. The tongue must move quickly from /kr/ to /l/ and then produce /dʒ/ without avoiding adjacent vowels. The stress on the third syllable can be overlooked; holding /ˈlɪ/ and releasing into /dʒəs/ requires careful timing. Focus on the sequence /sæk- rɪ- ˈlɪ- dʒəs/ with steady airflow and a light onset for /dʒ/.
There are no silent letters in sacrilegious. Every letter contributes to the syllables: sac-ri-le-gious. The complexity comes from consonant clusters, especially the /kr/ sequence after /sa/ and the /dʒ/ in the final syllable. Keeping the air flowing through each consonant and not swallowing ensures clear pronunciation. Focus on
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- US: rhotic accents maintain /r/ in clusters; ensure /r/ softens between /kr/ and /ɪ/. Vowels may be shorter; keep /æ/ near 'cat' for /sæk-/. - UK: slightly more clipped vowels; reduce vowel length in the middle; maintain non-rhoticity in many contexts, so /r/ not pronounced unless followed by vowel. - AU: more centralized vowel quality; /ɪ/ in /lɪdʒ/ may be slightly more centralized; maintain /dʒ/ as a palatal affricate with a clean release. - IPA references: US /ˌsæ.krɪˈlɪdʒ.əs/, UK /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒ.əs/, AU /ˌsæk.rɪˈlɪdʒ.əs/.
Sacrilegious comes from the late Latin sacrilegiosus, from sacre (sacred) + legere (to gather or pick, also related to legere as in read or collect) with the Latin prefix -ous indicating possessing. The root sacer means sacred or holy, and legere evolved to mean to steal, seize, or plunder in some contexts associated with sacrilege. The word entered English in the 16th century during religious and political upheavals when acts perceived as disrespect toward sacred things were publicly condemned. Over time, sacrilegious broadened to describe actions seen as irreverent or scandalous beyond strictly religious connotations, extending to any flagrant violation of what is held sacred or highly valued by a culture. The term maintains a strong moral charge, often coupled with condemnation or moral outrage, and is frequently used in debates about blasphemy, cultural traditions, and ritual propriety. First known uses appear in early modern English texts discussing church doctrine and ceremonial proprieties, with continued usage in legal and literary contexts as discussions of moral violation evolved.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Sacrilegious" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Sacrilegious"
-ous sounds
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