3 syllables: Sus, pi, cious. Stress on pi.
suh-SPISH-uhs
/səˈspɪʃəs/
Suspicious is pronounced suh-SPISH-uhs (/səˈspɪʃəs/). It has three syllables (Sus-pi-cious), with the stress on "pi". Suspicious is an adjective describing a feeling or suspicion that something is likely to be wrong or untrustworthy. It implies a cautious wariness about a person, situation, or evidence. The term often signals doubt, skepticism, or a perceived threat, and can modify nouns such as behavior, behavior, or motives.
adjectiveSuspicious is an adjective describing a feeling or suspicion that something is likely to be wrong or untrustworthy. It implies a cautious wariness about a person, situation, or evidence. The term often signals doubt, skepticism, or a perceived threat, and can modify nouns such as behavior, behavior, or motives.
How to Pronounce Suspicious
"Her tone was suspicious, as if she knew more than she admitted."
"The gap in the documents looked suspicious to the investigators."
"He gave a suspicious glance at the stranger before walking away."
Pronounce it as sə-ˈspi-shəs. The primary stress is on the second syllable: sus-PI-cious. IPA: US/UK/AU: /səˈspɪʃəs/. Start with a quick, soft schwa in the first syllable, then a crisp /ˈspɪ/ cluster, and end with a light /-ʃəs/. Mouth position: keep the lips relaxed for the schwa, then bring the tongue to a high-front position for /ɪ/, lips rounded slightly for the /ʃ/ as you glide into a short, relaxed final /əs/.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (weakening the second syllable), saying /ˈsjuː-spɪʃəs/ with an unnecessary initial /juː/ sound, or turning /ɪ/ into a dull /iː/ in /ˈspɪʃ/. Correction: keep the schwa in the first syllable (sə-), place the primary stress on the second syllable (ˈspɪ), and keep /ɪ/ short. Practice the /sp/ cluster with the tongue close to the alveolar ridge, and ensure the final /əs/ is light, not a full /ɪəs/.
US: rhotic, but /r/ is not pronounced in this word; still, /səˈspɪʃəs/ with crisp /ˈspɪ/. UK: similar, but vowels in rapid speech may elide slightly; AU: tends toward a flatter vowel in /ɪ/ with a less precise schwa; overall /səˈspɪʃəs/ remains, but the vowel quality and vowel length can vary slightly. Ensure consistent /ɹ/ absence in all, focus on /sp/ and /ʃ/ clarity across accents.
Difficulties center on the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /sp/ cluster, where the /s/ is followed by a quick /p/. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable is short and clearly separated from /ʃ/. Audience often misplace stress or replace /ɪ/ with /iː/ in rapid speech. Practice distinguishing the unstressed first syllable schwa, the stressed /ˈspɪ/, and the final /ʃəs/. Precision in the /ɪ/ and /ʃ/ combination makes it feel natural.
There are no silent letters in suspicious. The key is the secondary syllable stress and the /sp/ cluster. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable is short and the /ʃ/ is a soft, palatal sound. You’ll hear a quick transition from /sp/ to /ɪ/ and then /ʃ/ before the final /əs/. A common nuance is the slight reduction of the final syllable in fast speech, where /əs/ can become a schwa.
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Suspicious derives from the Latin suspiciosus, meaning ‘full of suspicion,’ from suspicere, meaning ‘to mistrust’ or ‘to look up with suspicion.’ The root susp-, from sub- 'under' and mittere 'to send' in some analyses, evolves in later Latin and Old French into a sense of mistrust or doubt. In English, the form suspicious appears by the 15th century, initially meaning inclined to suspect or mistrustful. Over time, its usage broadened to describe people, actions, or circumstances that appear doubtful or questionable. The word carries a mildly pejorative denotation—implying that one is overly cautious or inclined to distrust—yet remains a common, neutral descriptor in investigative, forensic, and everyday evaluative discourse. Today, suspicious commonly collocates with nouns like behavior, activity, circumstances, person, and motives, often in legal, journalistic, or everyday reasoning contexts. The evolution reflects a shift from a general sense of doubt to a more situational, evidence-based suspicion, frequently paired with adjectives like highly or distinctly to emphasize degree. First known uses appeared in Middle English texts, aligning with broader changes in English lexicalg development related to judgement, trust, and perception of intent.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Suspicious" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Suspicious"
-ous sounds
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