Alaska is a proper noun referring to the 49th U.S. state, known for its vast landscapes and cold climate. In general usage it is treated as a standard place name and is pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. The term can also appear in discussions of geography, travel, or discussions of American regions and culture.
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"I flew to Alaska last summer to see the northern lights."
"The Alaska map shows rugged coastlines and massive glaciers."
"Alaska’s state capital is Juneau, though many people visit Anchorage first."
"In Alaska, winters are long, and daylight hours vary dramatically by season."
Alaska derives from the Aleut word alaxsxix, meaning ‘great land’ or ‘the mainland’. The name entered English through Russian exploration and English maps in the 18th–19th centuries, reflecting the region’s Aleut and Inuit heritage. Early cartographers transliterated indigenous terms with varying spellings, eventually standardizing as Alaska by the late 19th century in American usage. The state’s designation as a U.S. territory followed the Alaska Purchase (1867), and it achieved statehood in 1959. Over time, the word shifted from a geographic label to a symbol of wilderness, resource wealth, and remote communities; semantically it’s a proper noun tied to identity, geography, and governance. The pronunciation solidified in English as /əˈlæs.kə/ in General American, with the first syllable reduced before the main stress on the second, but regional drift has reinforced slight vowel quality differences in media and education.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "alaska" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "alaska" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "alaska"
-ska sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /əˈlæs.kə/. The first syllable is unstressed with a schwa, the second syllable carries primary stress containing the short a as in 'cat', and the final syllable is a reduced schwa. Tip: keep the /æ/ sound crisp in the stressed syllable, and let the final /ə/ relax. Audio resources: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries or YouGlish for native examples.
Most speakers misplace the stress, saying /ˈeɪ.læs.kə/ or /əˈläs.kə/ with an elongated first vowel. Others pronounce the second syllable with a long /æː/ rather than the short /æ/. Correction: keep the first syllable unstressed (schwa), stress the second syllable with /æ/, and end with a neutral /ə/. Practice with minimal pairs: /əˈlæs.kə/ vs /əˈlɑːs.kə/ to feel the difference.
In US English you’ll hear /əˈlæskə/ with clear /æ/ and a rhotic, non-stressed first vowel. UK speakers often reduce to /əˈlɑːskə/ or /əˈlæs.kə/ depending on regional vowel quality. Australian tends toward /əˈlæ.skə/ with a flatter /æ/ and less rhoticity in some speakers. Core pattern remains stress on the second syllable, but vowel height and rhoticity shift subtly by accent.
Difficulties stem from the reduced first syllable (schwa) followed by a sharp, stressed /æ/ in the second syllable, and a final unstressed /ə/. Non-native speakers often overemphasize the first vowel or misplace the stress, turning /əˈlæs.kə/ into /ˈæ.læs.kə/ or /əˈlɑːs.kə/. Practice focusing on the secondary stress timing: keep the second syllable prominent, then relax the final schwa for natural rhythm.
A distinctive feature is the strong short a in the second syllable amidst a reduced first syllable, creating a contrastive rhythm: weak-STRONG-ə. This pattern remains consistent across dialects, though the vowel quality of /æ/ can drift toward /a/ in some UK and AU varieties. Visualize the mouth: lips relaxed, jaw drop for /æ/, then ease into the final /ə/ without adding extra vowel length.
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