uh-NEE-zee
/əˈnizi/
uneasy is pronounced uh-NEE-zee (/əˈnizi/). Uneasy means feeling worried, unsure, or unsettled, often with a sense of discomfort or anxiety. It describes a state where confidence is shaken and situations provoke doubt or caution. The term is commonly used to express mental or emotional unease rather than physical pain, and it can refer to both immediate feelings and more prolonged discomfort.
Uneasy means feeling worried, unsure, or unsettled, often with a sense of discomfort or anxiety. It describes a state where confidence is shaken and situations provoke doubt or caution. The term is commonly used to express mental or emotional unease rather than physical pain, and it can refer to both immediate feelings and more prolonged discomfort.
- You misplace the stress on the first syllable, speaking /ˈuː.niːzi/; fix by placing primary stress on the second syllable: /ʌnˈiː.zi/. - You shorten the /iː/ to /ɪ/; aim for a long /iː/ as in 'see' — practice with minimal pairs like 'seize' vs. 'see' to calibrate length. - You mispronounce the final /zi/ as /zɪ/ or /ziː/; keep it short but clearly voiced: /zi/. - You add an extra glide between /n/ and /iː/ (e.g., /nwiː/); keep a clean /n/ to /iː/ transition. - You over-aspirate the /z/ or soften it into /s/; maintain a crisp voiced /z/ before the final /i/.
"I felt uneasy after hearing the strange noise outside the window."
"The absence of clear guidance left everyone uneasy about the project's future."
"Her uneasy grin masked underlying concern about the news."
Pronounce as /ʌnˈiː.zi/ (US) or /ʌnˈiː.zi/ (UK/AU). The first syllable is /ʌn/ with a short, lax 'uh' vowel, followed by a stressed second syllable /iː/ as in 'see', then a light /zi/ where the 'y' acts like a vowel 'ee' plus an /z/ sound. Focus on producing a clear /iː/ and soft /z/; avoid truncating the second syllable. Think: 'un-EA-zee' with emphasis on the second syllable. Audio references: Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries online provide native speaker audio.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (say /ˈjuː.niː.zi/); correct is /ʌnˈiː.zi/. (2) Slurring the middle /iː/ into a short /ɪ/ leading to /ʌnˈɪzi/; aim for the long /iː/ vowel. Also avoid pronouncing a separate /eɪ/ or 'easy' as /iːz/?; keep it as /iː/ with the final /zi/.
In the US, /ʌnˈiː.zi/ with rhotic influence minimal; in many UK varieties, /ʌnˈiː.zi/ with less vowel length variation and a crisper /z/; in Australian English, you may hear slightly tighter /ɪ/ quality in the first syllable and a more open /iː/; overall stress remains on the second syllable. Despite differences, the sequence /ʌn/ + /ˈiː/ + /zi/ remains consistent; non-rhotic accents may reduce linking between syllables.
The difficulty lies in the vowel length of /iː/ and the affricate nature of /zi/ after a stressed syllable; you must maintain a long mid-front vowel before a voiced fricative. Beginners often shorten /iː/ or merge /zi/ with /zi/ from 'easy'. Also, some speakers insert a glide or misplace the primary stress. Practice holding the /iː/ and finishing with a crisp /zi/ to sound natural.
The word ends with a voiced alveolar fricative + vowel /zi/; ensure the final /y/ isn’t pronounced as /aɪ/ or /i/. Some learners add extra syllabic emphasis on -easy, but natural rhythm keeps the final /zi/ light. Keep the mouth rounded slightly for the /z/ before a front vowel, and avoid tensing the jaw at the /iː/.
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- US: /ʌnˈiː.zi/ with relatively flat vowels and a clearer /z/; keep the /ʌ/ fusion soft, not rounded. - UK: /ʌnˈiː.zi/ with less vowel reduction and a crisper /z/; consider non-rhoticity leading to subtle linking across words. - AU: /ʌnˈiː.zi/ similar to UK; slightly more relaxed articulation; maintain the long /iː/ and light /z/. IPA cues: US /ʌnˈiː.zi/; UK/AU /ʌnˈiː.zi/; ensure final /zi/ is not /ziː/.
Uneasy is formed from the prefix un- meaning ‘not’ or ‘opposite’ + easy, which comes from Old French aisie (from Latin facilis meaning ‘easy, doable’) and earlier Proto-Germanic roots. The first element un- has Germanic origins and is used to negate adjectives. The word ease itself traces to Old French aisier and Latin facilis, reflecting the sense of comfort or lack of difficulty. In Middle English, uneasy appeared as uneasien, blending un- with East Latin or Norman French influence for “not easy.” Over time, uneasy broadened beyond literal physical ease to psychological discomfort, distress, or reluctance, especially in social or moral contexts. By the 16th–18th centuries, uneasy commonly described mental states—anxiety, doubt, and discomfort—before gradually adopting modern senses of emotional unease and unsettledness in everyday usage. Today, uneasy appears frequently in literature, journalism, and speech to signal subtle or overt worry, without implying illness or danger.
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Words that rhyme with "uneasy"
-asy sounds
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