Pronunciation: "us" vs "ous"

[crazYgeeK]

Are they the same in pronunciation!
Such as "plus", "circus", "mucus" and "mucous" ...
Thank you so much!

 

[5jj]

The word plus has the vowel[FONT=&quot]/ʌ/ [/FONT]in BrE. The final vowel in surplus, mucus and mucous is[FONT=&quot]/ə/.[/FONT]

 

[crazYgeeK]

Thank you, it seems that "ous" is always pronounced the same way in words that it terminates and the pronunciation of "us" depends on the word it terminates. I think in most two-syllable words, it is pronounced like "ous", except some one-syllable words such as "plus". Is this right?
Thank you again!

 

[5jj]

It depends on the word stress. When they appear in unstressed syllables, ous and us are usually pronounced [FONT=&quot]/əs/.[/FONT] In stressed syllables, us is usually pronounced [FONT=&quot]/ʌs/ [/FONT]in BrE. The only word that I can think of at the moment in which the stress falls on ous (rather than ouse) is nous, [FONT=&quot]/naʊs/[/FONT].