fungus
noun · a living thing such as a mushroom or mould that feeds on other matter
- FUNGfʌŋ (stressed)
- gusɡəs
- FUNGfʌŋ (stressed)
- gusɡəs
- US /ˈfʌŋ.ɡəs/FUNG-gus Recorded voice
- UK /ˈfʌŋ.ɡəs/FUNG-gus Your device’s voice
How to pronounce fungus
Fungus is pronounced FUNG-gus, with two syllables and the stress on the first. The n is an ng sound and the g is hard, as in finger. The plural fungi has more than one correct form: FUNG-guy and FUN-jy are both listed, and Oxford also lists FUNG-gee.
- 2 syllables
- Stress on FUNG
- US and UK IPA
- Checked in Cambridge and Oxford
IPA checked in the Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. The recording is American English.
Fungus, sound by sound
Each sound in the IPA, with a word you already know that has it.
USUK American and British English/ˈfʌŋ.ɡəs/
FUNGstressed
- /f/as in fall
- /ʌ/as in cup
- /ŋ/as in sing
gus
- /ɡ/as in get
- /ə/as in about
- /s/as in see
Say fungus yourself
Press the microphone and say it once. Your browser writes down what it hears: if it writes fungus, you were understood. If it writes another word, you see which sound changed.
Tip. Say FUNG with an ng, as in finger, then a hard g: FUNG-gus.
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Common fungus pronunciation mistakes
What people often say instead, and how to fix it. Say FUNG-gus.
Not
FUN-jusMaking the g soft. Before u, g is always hard: FUNG-gus.
Not
FOONG-goosUsing Latin or Spanish vowels. Both vowels are English: the u of cup, then a weak uh.
Not
fun-GUSStressing the second syllable. Put the beat on FUNG.
Fungus in a sentence
Hear each one, slow it down, then say it. Words change a little when they join others, so practise them in sentences too.
A mushroom is a type of fungus.
The old tree is dying from a fungus.
Keep your feet dry to stop fungus from growing.
How do you pronounce fungi, the plural of fungus?
Start with the singular. The n in fungus is the ng of sing, and a hard g follows, just as in finger and hungry. In English, g before u is always hard, so it is never FUN-jus.
The word is Latin for mushroom, and English kept the Latin plural fungi. Dictionaries list several ways to say it. Cambridge gives FUNG-guy, and its American section also gives FUN-jy. Oxford lists FUNG-gee, FUNG-guy and FUN-jy.
The FUN-jy form follows an English habit: g before i often sounds like j, as in giant and ginger. Any of the listed forms is correct. Cambridge also accepts funguses as a plural, if you want to avoid the choice.
Words that sound like fungus
Rhymes and words that share its tricky sound. Open any of them in the checker and say it.
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