How to pronounce "kiasu" in English
ˈkjɑːsuː
KYAH·soo
Primary stress: KYAH
Hear native speakers say kiasu in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “kiasu”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
KYAH
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
soo
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("KYAH"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "kiasu" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“as part of a challenge so you could say I am very very very kiasu it's uh it's true I think a lot of people say if Michael is in that”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“In Singapore, we even have a hockey term for it, kiasu.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
Practice Speaking “kiasu”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
as part of a challenge so you could say I am very very very kiasu it's uh it's true I think a lot of people say if Michael is in that
Hear it in context: “kiasu”
2 clipsThe English word “kiasu” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈkjɑːsuː (phonetic respelling: KYAH-soo). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (KYAH · soo), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (KYAH). Grammatically, “kiasu” functions as a adjective, noun. SayItVid indexes 2 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “kiasu” in natural connected speech across American (US: 2 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (2 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @4:28
“wrote and was sold online and even more crazy I did 1.2 million steps in 21 days as part of a challenge so you could say I am very very very kiasu it's uh it's true I think a lot of people say if Michael is in that kiasu it's uh it's true I think a lot of people say if Michael is in that”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @4:21
“praises perfection as discipline, but in truth, it serves as a guise for something else. Fear. In Singapore, we even have a hockey term for it, kiasu. something else. Fear. In Singapore, we”
Definition & Meaning: “kiasu”
- Afraid to lose out, particularly because one is overly competitive.
- A kiasu person.
Example Sentences (3)
- “No wonder the parents acted that way, she said. They were just being kia-su (afraid to lose out).”
- “Apart from the kiasis and kiasus, there are also Singaporeans at the other end of the scale – the healthcare workers who put their lives at risk.”
- “as part of a challenge so you could say I am very very very kiasu it's uh it's true I think a lot of people say if Michael is in that”
Pronounce: “kiasu”
- Pronunciation:
- KYAH-soo
- Syllables:
- KYAH · soo
- Written Hyphenation:
- ki · a · su
- Primary stress:
- KYAH
- IPA:
- ˈkjɑːsuː
- Hear it in context
- kiasu
Words that Rhyme with “kiasu”
-ɑsuWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"kiasu" (⁄ˈkjɑːsuː⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "kiasu" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about kiasu
How do you pronounce “kiasu”?
“kiasu” is pronounced ⁄ˈkjɑːsuː⁄ (KYAH-soo). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “kiasu”?
“kiasu” has 2 syllables: KYAH · soo.
Where is the stress in “kiasu”?
The primary stress in “kiasu” is on “KYAH”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “kiasu” mean?
Afraid to lose out, particularly because one is overly competitive.
How can I hear “kiasu” used in real sentences?
This page has 2 real-world video examples of “kiasu” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “kiasu”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).