How to pronounce "obsessive compulsive" in English
əbˌsɛ.sɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv
əb·se·siv·kəm·PUHL·siv
Primary stress: PUHL
Hear native speakers say obsessive compulsive in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “obsessive compulsive”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
əb
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
se
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
siv
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
kəm
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
PUHL
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
siv
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the fifth syllable ("PUHL"). 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.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "obsessive compulsive" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“obsessive compulsive disorder are a few of the pathological states that represent extreme versions of normal behaviors milder versions include”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“Obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, works as a often chronic mental health cycle where the brain becomes stuck”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“Obsessive compulsive disorders are, well, there's the obsessive part and there's the compulsive part.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Obsessive compulsive disorder, that's helped by SSRIs like Prozac as well.”— StanfordWatch clip
“an obsessive compulsive disorder or some personality disorder MH and are there some um psychological causes that authoria may stem”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“So obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD is a disorder where patients have obsessions and compulsions.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “obsessive compulsive”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
obsessive compulsive disorder are a few of the pathological states that represent extreme versions of normal behaviors milder versions include
Hear it in context: “obsessive compulsive”
316 clipsThe English word “obsessive compulsive” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as əbˌsɛ.sɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv (phonetic respelling: əb-se-siv-kəm-PUHL-siv). Phonologically, it consists of 6 syllables (əb · se · siv · kəm · PUHL · siv), with primary lexical stress placed on the 5th syllable (PUHL). Grammatically, “obsessive compulsive” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 316 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “obsessive compulsive” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from YaleCourses, TEDx Talks, MIT OpenCourseWare.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #1 · @5:15
“normal behavior anxiety depression Mania and obsessive compulsive disorder are a few of the pathological states that represent extreme versions of normal behaviors milder versions include represent extreme versions of normal behaviors milder versions include”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @3:19
“which explained why the thoughts felt so intense and uncontrollable. Obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, works as a often chronic mental health cycle where the brain becomes stuck works as a often chronic mental health cycle where the brain becomes stuck”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #3 · @68:27
“handout, which is obsessive compulsive disorders. Obsessive compulsive disorders are, well, there's the obsessive part and there's the compulsive part. obsessive part and there's the compulsive part.”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #4 · @24:07
“symmetrical and obsessively wash your hands eight hours a day. Obsessive compulsive disorder, that's helped by SSRIs like Prozac as well. helped by SSRIs like Prozac as well.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @2:55
“eating disorder wouldn't it yes it can be an eating disorder but it can also be an obsessive compulsive disorder or some personality disorder MH and are there some um psychological causes that authoria may stem some um psychological causes that authoria may stem”
Definition & Meaning: “obsessive compulsive”
- Relating to or characterized by a psychological compulsion to perform repetitive acts or obsessive thoughts.
Example Sentences (3)
- “He had obsessivecompulsive tendencies when it came to keeping his desk organized.”
- “obsessive compulsive disorder are a few of the pathological states that represent extreme versions of normal behaviors milder versions include”
- “Obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, works as a often chronic mental health cycle where the brain becomes stuck”
Pronounce: “obsessive compulsive”
- Pronunciation:
- əb-se-siv-kəm-PUHL-siv
- Syllables:
- əb · se · siv · kəm · PUHL · siv
- Written Hyphenation:
- ob · ses · sive · com · pul · sive
- Primary stress:
- PUHL
- IPA:
- əbˌsɛ.sɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv
- Hear it in context
- obsessive compulsive
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"obsessive compulsive" (⁄əbˌsɛ.sɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv⁄) 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, "obsessive compulsive" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about obsessive compulsive
How do you pronounce “obsessive compulsive”?
“obsessive compulsive” is pronounced ⁄əbˌsɛ.sɪv.kəmˈpʌl.sɪv⁄ (əb-se-siv-kəm-PUHL-siv). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “obsessive compulsive”?
“obsessive compulsive” has 6 syllables: əb · se · siv · kəm · PUHL · siv.
Where is the stress in “obsessive compulsive”?
The primary stress in “obsessive compulsive” is on “PUHL”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “obsessive compulsive” mean?
Relating to or characterized by a psychological compulsion to perform repetitive acts or obsessive thoughts.
How can I hear “obsessive compulsive” used in real sentences?
This page has 316 real-world video examples of “obsessive compulsive” 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 “obsessive compulsive”?
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⁄).