How to pronounce "obstruse" in English
əbˈstɹus
əb·STROOS
Primary stress: STROOS
Hear native speakers say obstruse in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “obstruse”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
əb
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
STROOS
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("STROOS"). 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 "obstruse" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“If that seems like a sort of strange obstruse thing, in the UK, the post”— TED-EdWatch clip
Practice Speaking “obstruse”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
If that seems like a sort of strange obstruse thing, in the UK, the post
Hear it in context: “obstruse”
1 clipThe English word “obstruse” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as əbˈstɹus (phonetic respelling: əb-STROOS). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (əb · STROOS), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (STROOS). Grammatically, “obstruse” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 1 authentic English video clip demonstrating how native speakers articulate “obstruse” in natural connected speech across American (US: 1 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TED-Ed.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (1 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTED-EdClip #1 · @15:56
“improve the food still further. It's to get rid of the smell and clean up the floor. And it's vital we understand this. If that seems like a sort of strange obstruse thing, in the UK, the post strange obstruse thing, in the UK, the post”
Definition & Meaning: “obstruse”
- Abstruse.
Example Sentences (2)
- “And what great advances and mighty progress are daily made in finding out obstruse secrets […]”
- “floor. And it's vital we understand this. If that seems like a sort of strange obstruse thing, in the UK, the post”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “obstruse”
- Pronunciation:
- əb-STROOS
- Syllables:
- əb · STROOS
- Written Hyphenation:
- ob · struse
- Primary stress:
- STROOS
- IPA:
- əbˈstɹus
- Hear it in context
- obstruse
Words that Rhyme with “obstruse”
-usWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"obstruse" (⁄əbˈstɹus⁄) 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, "obstruse" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about obstruse
How do you pronounce “obstruse”?
“obstruse” is pronounced ⁄əbˈstɹus⁄ (əb-STROOS). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “obstruse”?
“obstruse” has 2 syllables: əb · STROOS.
Where is the stress in “obstruse”?
The primary stress in “obstruse” is on “STROOS”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “obstruse” mean?
Abstruse.
How can I hear “obstruse” used in real sentences?
This page has 1 real-world video example of “obstruse” 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 “obstruse”?
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⁄).