AY-zhuhnz
/ˈeɪʒənz/
asians is pronounced AY-zhuhnz (/ˈeɪʒənz/). Asians refers to people who originate from Asia or have Asian ancestry. In everyday usage, it’s a plural noun describing a demographic group; it can also appear as an adjective in phrases like Asian cultures. The term is common in academic, social, and demographic discussions and is generally neutral, though context can affect tone or sensitivity.
Asians refers to people who originate from Asia or have Asian ancestry. In everyday usage, it’s a plural noun describing a demographic group; it can also appear as an adjective in phrases like Asian cultures. The term is common in academic, social, and demographic discussions and is generally neutral, though context can affect tone or sensitivity.
"The conference welcomed attendees from various Asian countries."
"She wrote a paper on how Asian languages influence vowel timing."
"The census report grouped respondents by race and ethnicity, including Asians."
Pronounce as /ˈeɪ.ʒənz/ in US and UK /ˈeɪ.ʃənz/; stress on the first syllable. Start with a long A as in “day,” then a voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ like “measure,” followed by a schwa or reduced /ə/ and final /z/ or /nz/. Lip position is rounded for /ʒ/, with the tongue relaxed in the mid-mouth. Listen for the subtle /ʒ/ blend rather than a hard “sh.” Audio examples can be found on Forvo or YouGlish.
Common errors include: misrepresenting the middle consonant as /s/ or /ʃ/ (saying /ˈeɪ.sənz/ or /ˈeɪ.ʃənz/ with a different vowel), and not voicing the final /z/ (pronouncing it as /s/). Another error is reducing /ɜ/ or /ə/ too much, making it unclear. Correct by keeping the /ʒ/ sound accurate and ensuring a voiced endpoint /z/. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈeɪ.ʒən/ vs /ˈeɪ.sən/ to feel the difference.
In US/UK, primary stress on the first syllable with /ˈeɪ/ and a /ʒ/ middle sound. US often preserves /æ/ in some close words; in some US dialects the /ʒ/ remains stable. UK RP typically uses /ˈeɪ.ʒənz/ with a slightly tighter vowel and less rhotic influence. Australian English also uses /ˈeɪ.ʒənz/ but vowel quality can be broader; some speakers may reduce to /ˈeɪ.ənz/ in rapid speech. Across all, the central middle is /ʒ/; differences are mainly vowel length and surrounding vowels.
The difficulty rests on the /ʒ/ cluster in the middle, a sound less common in some learners' native languages. Add to that the expected final /z/ voice onset and the potential vowel reduction to /ə/ or /ɪ/ depending on accent. Students often flatten the /ʒ/ into /ʃ/ or insert an /s/ after the mid vowel. Practice with careful mouth shaping: place the tongue behind the upper teeth for /ʒ/, keep the jaw relaxed, and ensure voicing for the final /z/.
Yes. The plural ending -s in Asians is pronounced as /-z/ (voiced) when the stem ends in a voiced sound, which is typical here because /n/ is voiced and the preceding /ən/ yields /ənz/. Mispronouncing as /-s/ can subtly shift the sound and reduce naturalness. Accurate plural pronunciation helps listeners parse it as a plural noun rather than an unpluralized form, especially in rapid speech or noisy contexts.
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The term Asian derives from Latin Asia, which in turn comes from Ancient Greek Ασία (Asía). The modern usage began to coalesce in English in the 19th century as Western scholars categorized peoples by geography rather than cultural similarities. Initially, the label was a broad geographic designation, sometimes used imprecisely, and in some periods it carried ethnocentric or exoticizing connotations. The plural form Asians emerged to describe multiple individuals sharing geographic origin rather than a monolithic culture. Evolutionally, the word shifted toward a sociolinguistic descriptor, increasingly tied to identity, diaspora, and demographic statistics. First known uses appear in travelogues and ethnographic writings of the 1800s, where scholars indexed populations by continental origin. Over the 20th and 21st centuries, the term has become a standard collective noun in journalism, academia, policy, and social discourse, with ongoing sensitivity to the diversity of cultures, languages, and experiences encompassed within the Asian umbrella.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "asians" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "asians"
-nis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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