Learning how to pronounce the English word "arduous" correctly is an important step for any non-native speaker. Arduous is pronounced \är-ˈd(y)ȯ-əs\ with a hard 'r' sound as the first letter. The vowel sound in the middle of the word is a long 'u' sound. The final syllable has a short 'us' sound.

To practice pronouncing arduous correctly, break the word into syllables: ar-du-ous. Start by saying the 'ar' sound, then move to the second syllable, the 'du' sound. The last syllable is 'ous', which is pronounced with a short 'us' sound. Practicing this syllable by syllable will help you nail the correct pronunciation.

To help with the hard 'r' sound at the beginning of the word, practice by saying words that begin with this sound like "road" or "rabbit". To practice the long 'u' sound, say words like "mule" or "dude". The final vowel sound of the word is a short 'us' sound, and words like "bus" or "thus" can help you with that.

Once you feel comfortable with each of the syllables in the word, practice saying the entire word. Say "ar-du-ous" several times until you feel confident that you're pronouncing it correctly. With enough practice, you'll soon have the pronunciation of the word "arduous" down.