VUR-min
/ˈvɝmɪn/
vermin is pronounced VUR-min (/ˈvɝmɪn/). Vermin refers to small mammals, such as rats, mice, or other pests, typically considered nuisance or disease-bearing. The term can also describe people viewed as morally repugnant in a harsh, figurative sense. It conveys a sense of uncleanliness and infestation, often used in negative or hostile contexts.
Vermin refers to small mammals, such as rats, mice, or other pests, typically considered nuisance or disease-bearing. The term can also describe people viewed as morally repugnant in a harsh, figurative sense. It conveys a sense of uncleanliness and infestation, often used in negative or hostile contexts.
"The farmhouse was infested with vermin after the flood."
"Public health officials warned residents about vermin in the city’s gutters."
"The old attic attracted vermin, making repairs urgent."
Vermin is pronounced with two syllables: VER-min. Primary stress falls on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈvɜːrmɪn/ . In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /ɜː/ in the first syllable, followed by a short /mɪn/ with a light, unstressed final /n/. When you speak quickly, the second vowel reduces toward /ɪ/ and the /r/ may be less pronounced in some accents.
Many speakers misplace stress or mispronounce the /ɜː/ as a short /ə/. Others flatten the second syllable to a dull /mən/ instead of /mɪn/, or omit the rhotic /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Correct by maintaining primary stress on the first syllable, ensuring /ɜː/ is a tense mid-central vowel, not a simple schwa, and pronouncing the final /ɪn/ clearly as /ɪn/ rather than /ən/.
In American English you’ll typically hear /ˈvɜːrmɪn/ with rhotic /r/. UK speakers often realize /ˈvɜːmɪn/ with a more centralized or non-rhotic /r/ depending on dialect, and Australian English commonly uses /ˈvɜːmɪn/ with a relatively stable /ɜː/ vowel and light rhoticity. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel duration; the /ɜː/ quality can shift toward a more rounded or centralized vowel in UK vs US vs AU variants.
The difficulty lies in the long stressed /ɜː/ vowel in the first syllable and the quick, clipped /mɪn/ second syllable, especially when connected speech reduces vowels. Non-native learners often struggle with the rhotic /r/ in rhotic varieties or the lack of a true /r/ in non-rhotic accents, plus managing the light final /n/. Mastery comes from practicing the two-syllable rhythm and ensuring the first syllable retains tense vowel quality.
A distinctive feature is the contrast between a tense /ɜː/ in the first syllable and a short clear /ɪ/ in the second. Avoid turning the first is into a lax /ə/; keep it tense and true to /ɜː/. Also, ensure you articulate an audible /n/ at the end; some learners drop the final nasal, which makes the word sound incomplete. Remember: VER-min, with a crisp /m/ and /n/ boundary.
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Vermin comes from Middle English vermyn, versyn, from Old French vermin, vermin, and ultimately from Latin vermis meaning worm. Historically, the term referred to creeping or worm-like creatures but gradually broadened to include small mammals considered pests, especially rats and mice. The earliest English attestations date to the 12th–13th centuries, where vermin described harmful or troublesome creatures. By the Renaissance, vermin was used more generally for any animal that caused destruction or disease in urban settings. Over time, the word acquired a strong moral undertone in English-language rhetoric, often deployed in political or hygienic contexts to stigmatize groups deemed morally corrupt or socially dangerous. In modern usage, vermin typically denotes pests that threaten livestock, crops, or public health, with connotations of repugnance and nuisance. The etymology reflects a historical fear of disease vectors and social decay associated with uncontrolled animal populations in human settlements.
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Words that rhyme with "vermin"
-min sounds
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