2 syllables: back, bone. Stress on back.
BAK-bohn
/ˈbæˌkboʊn/
backbone is pronounced BAK-bohn (/ˈbæˌkboʊn/). It has two syllables (back-bone), with the stress on "back". Backbone refers to the spine or spinal column, especially the main support of an object or organization. It can also metaphorically denote inner strength or resolve. In everyday use, it conveys a core source of structure, resilience, and upright posture, sometimes extending to figurative leadership or character.
Backbone refers to the spine or spinal column, especially the main support of an object or organization. It can also metaphorically denote inner strength or resolve. In everyday use, it conveys a core source of structure, resilience, and upright posture, sometimes extending to figurative leadership or character.
"The backbone of the constitution ensures basic rights are protected."
"She showed real backbone by standing up to the committee."
"The team’s backbone broke under pressure, and morale plummeted."
Tip: pronounce as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈbækˌboʊn/. Start with a quick, open front position for /bæ/ and then glide into /k/ with a short, sharp release. The second syllable uses /boʊn/ with a long /oʊ/ diphthong and an audible final nasal /n/. Accent cues: keep the /k/ light but precise, and ensure the /oʊ/ is a pure diphthong rather than a simple /o/.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the /ˈbæk/ by reducing the vowel too much, (2) making the second syllable /boʊn/ sound like /boən/ with an intrusive schwa, (3) confusing the /k/ release between /æ/ and /k/. Correction: segment clearly as /ˈbæk/ + /ˌboʊn/, ensure a crisp, aspirated /k/ and a true /oʊ/ vowel; avoid a rushed transition. Practice by isolating each syllable first, then blend.
US: /ˈbækˌboʊn/ with rhotic vowel in the second syllable; UK: /ˈbækˌbəʊn/ with a non-rhotic tendency and a longer, tighter /əʊ/; AU: /ˈbækˌbəʊn/ similar to UK, often with slightly flatter vowels. The main differences lie in rhoticity (US /r/ coloring) and the vowel quality of the second syllable’s diphthong. In careful speech, you’ll still emphasize the first syllable; the second syllable maintains a clear /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ depending on accent.
Two core challenges: (1) coordinating a clear secondary stress pattern and maintaining a crisp /k/ release between /æ/ and /k/, and (2) producing the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong in the second syllable without reducing it to a schwa. The combination of a stop consonant cluster and a diphthong makes timing critical; practice by pacing the two syllables separately before blending, and by listening for the telltale height of mouth shape across the diphthong.
Backbone features a strong initial syllable with a classic open-front /æ/, followed by a rounded, elongated /oʊ/ in the second syllable. The word’s stress falls on the first syllable, but you should maintain clarity in the second by not shortening the /oʊ/. The nasal /n/ at the end should be a clean, audible closure, not swallowed. This combination yields a precise, memorable pronunciation that distinguishes it from similar two-syllable words.
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Backbone is a compound of back + bone. The noun backbone meaning the spine emerged in Middle English from Old English bakban, a compound rooted in the Germanic family of languages. The word back originally referred to the rear part of the body, and bone referred to any hard tissue. Over time, the term bone in backbone extended beyond anatomy to denote the essential structural core of an object or system, and metaphorically to inner resolve or courage. The earliest English usage appears in the 14th century, with references to the spine as the literal backbone and later to figurative meanings such as the backbone of a nation or organization. The sense of robustness and resilience became common in the 18th and 19th centuries, paralleling industrial and organizational metaphors. The etymology reflects a straightforward combination, with the implied central support, strength, and rigidity preserved across modern usage. First known use in a figurative sense can be traced to discussions of the “backbone” of institutions and communities in 1700s literature, culminating in the modern, widely-used metaphor for courage and structural integrity in leadership, systems, and design.
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Words that rhyme with "backbone"
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