Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ambiguous

/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.57 in modern English

Syllables
am-bi-gu-ous
IPA
/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Open to multiple interpretations.

adj

Hesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin ambig(ō) Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Italic *-wos Latin -uus Latin ambiguuslbor. English ambiguous From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/
  • British English: /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more ambiguous (comparative) most ambiguous (superlative)

Derived Forms

ambiguously ambiguousness inambiguous nonambiguous

Phrases

situs ambiguous

Frequently Paired Words

ambages ambiguate ambiguation ambiguity disambiguation situs ambiguous contradictory mistakable

Synonyms

equivocal unclear ambiguous fuzzy generic gray imperspicuous imprecise indeterminate indefinite indistinct murky

Antonyms

unambiguous clear

Rhymes With

contiguous unambiguous exiguous incontiguous

Questions

How do you pronounce ambiguous?
The recorded pronunciation is /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/.
What does ambiguous mean?
Open to multiple interpretations.
Where does ambiguous come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin ambig(ō) Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Italic *-wos Latin -uus Latin ambiguuslbor. English ambiguous From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).

How to pronounce ambiguous

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ambiguous”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ambiguous”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “ambiguous” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.