To pronounce "precious", say PREC-ious — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈpɹɛʃəs/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
precious
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2
Syllables
8
Letters
/ˈpɹɛʃəs/
IPA
"precious" has 2 syllables: prec-ious. It rhymes with semiprecious, if that helps it stick.
noun
adjective
“The crown had many precious gemstones. This building work needs site access, and tell the city council that I don't care about a few lorry tyre ruts across their precious grass verge.”
“My precious daughter is to marry.”
adverb
“There is precious little we can do.”
Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.
Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.
"Precious" has 2 syllables: prec · ious.
The IPA transcription of "precious" is /ˈpɹɛʃəs/.
Precious: Someone (or something) who is loved; a darling.
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