Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce controversy

US 'KON-truh-vur-see' (stress on the 1st syllable); UK also 'kun-TROV-er-see' (stress on the 2nd)

US/ˈkɑn.tɹəˌvɝ.si/

kɑntɹəvɝsi

UK/kənˈtɹɒv.ə.si/

kəntɹɒvəsi

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

What “controversy” means

A debate or discussion of opposing opinions; (generally) strife.

In a sentence

  • There was a heated controversy over the safety of the new drug.
  • The controversy surrounding the project stalled its approval.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

Look up another wordTry a pronunciation quiz

Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.