UHG-lee-nuhs
/ˈʌɡlinəs/
ugliness is pronounced UHG-lee-nuhs (/ˈʌɡlinəs/). Ugliness is the quality or state of being unattractive or repellent in appearance, shape, or form. It can also denote morally repugnant behavior or unpleasantness in a situation. The term emphasizes a stark deviation from conventional beauty, often carrying strong emotional or evaluative connotations.
Ugliness is the quality or state of being unattractive or repellent in appearance, shape, or form. It can also denote morally repugnant behavior or unpleasantness in a situation. The term emphasizes a stark deviation from conventional beauty, often carrying strong emotional or evaluative connotations.
- You may drop the /ɡ/ in the onset, yielding something like /ˈʌ.lɪ.nəs/. Ensure the /ɡ/ is fully voiced and audible immediately after /ʌ/. - The /l/ can blur with the following /ɪ/; keep the /l/ a distinct light sound before the short /ɪ/. - Stress misplacement is common (e.g., /ˈɪɡ.lɪ.nəs/ or /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ with reduced emphasis). Practice the full stress pattern: primary stress on the first syllable. - Final syllable often rushed; keep /nəs/ as a short, clean ending rather than a drawn-out /nəs/ or /nɪs/. - Vowel reduction in non-stressed positions can lead to /æ/ or /ə/; keep the middle vowel as a short /ɪ/.
"The ugliness of the battlefield haunted the villagers for years."
"Her remark added to the ugliness of the debate, making consensus impossible."
"We were shocked by the ugliness of the room’s décor, which clashed violently with the art."
You say /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ for General American and /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ for UK; AU follows the same pattern. The primary stress is on the first syllable: UG- (ˈʌɡ). The middle syllable is a short, lax /lɪ/ and the final is -ness /nəs/. Keep the /ɡ/ crisp but not aspirated after /ʌ/. Put weight on the initial syllable to avoid flattening the stress. For audio cues, think: “UHG-lin-iss.”
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /ɡ/ cluster and sounding like /ˈʊlɪ.nəs/; ensure the /ɡ/ is voiced and audible after the /ʌ/. (2) Over-suppressing the /l/ or making it too light, which blurs the syllable boundary; deliver a clear /l/ before the /ɪ/. (3) Misplacing stress, saying ul-GH-ness or u-GLIN-ess; maintain primary stress on the first syllable. Practice with slow repetition: /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ and gradually speed up without losing accuracy.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /ʌ/ vowel is consistent in stressed syllables, and /ɡ/ is voiced; rhoticity affects only following rhymes, not the core word. US and UK are non-rhotic? Actually US rhotic; UK often non-rhotic in some dialects but for this word the rhotic /ɹ/ does not appear; the main differences lie in vowel quality of /ɪ/ (short i) and the final reduced -nəs; AU tends to more centralized /ɪ/ and a slightly looser vowel space. Overall, the core is the same: /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ with minor vowel tilts.
The difficulty centers on maintaining a crisp /ɡ/ after the back-to-front /ʌ/ onset while not reducing the middle /lɪ/ to a schwa-only form. The consonant cluster /ɡl/ requires precise tongue contact; the final /nəs/ must stay light and quick, so the /s/ doesn’t hyper-articulate. Also, keeping the primary stress on the first syllable while the remaining syllables stay short can be challenging for non-native speakers. Focus on the transition between /ʌ/ to /ɡ/ to /l/ without vowel leakage.
A targeted tip is to practice the sequence with a clear release: /ˈʌɡ/ as a tight onset, then a short /lɪ/ with a relaxed jaw, followed by /nəs/—keep the /n/ light and don’t let the final /əs/ slide into an /ɪs/ or /əs/ mismatch. Use a pace rhythm: stressed syllable first, then two quick, light syllables. Record yourself and compare to a reference /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/ to ensure the timing and energy stay even.
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- US: emphasize rhoticity in connected speech; even though the word ends with -ness, you’ll hear a clear /r/ only in surrounding words. Use a small-lip rounding for /ʌ/ and a relaxed mouth for /ɪ/; /nəs/ stays crisp. IPA: /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/. - UK: keep a tighter tongue position for /ɡ/ and a slightly more clipped /ɪ/; rhythm is brisk with less vowel length in non-stressed syllables. IPA: /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/. - AU: similar to UK, with marginally more relaxed jaw and a touch more centralized /ɪ/. IPA: /ˈʌɡ.lɪ.nəs/. - General practice: rehearse in 3-speed blocks (slow, normal, fast) and link to surrounding sounds to maintain natural cadence.
Ugliness derives from the Old English word uglisc, related to misreadings and analogies with other forms meaning fear or dread. The lexical core is built on ugl- from Proto-Germanic root *ug- meaning “to hate” or “distaste,” extended by the suffix -ness to form a noun indicating a state or quality. The semantic shift over time centers on visual repulsiveness and moral repugnance, expanding in modern usage to encompass inferiority in appearance and, metaphorically, in behavior or atmosphere. The first known uses appear in Early Modern English discussions of aesthetics and ethics, where ugliness was contrasted with beauty and virtue, becoming a stable noun by the 16th century. Over centuries, it has retained a strong evaluative charge and is frequently used in both literary critique and everyday speech to signal strong negative assessment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "ugliness" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "ugliness" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "ugliness"
-ess sounds
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