3 syllables: Ba, ku, nin. Stress on ku.
buh-KOO-nin
/bəˈkuːnɪn/
Bakunin is pronounced buh-KOO-nin (/bəˈkuːnɪn/). It has three syllables (Ba-ku-nin), with the stress on "ku". Bakunin is a proper noun referring to Mikhail Bakunin, a 19th-century Russian revolutionary thinker and anarchist. In discourse, it denotes the surname of this historical figure or any context referring to his ideas, writings, or influence. The pronunciation is dependent on language context, but in English usage it’s typically said with stress on the second syllable, giving a distinctive emphasis that signals a foreign name rather than a common noun.
nounBakunin is a proper noun referring to Mikhail Bakunin, a 19th-century Russian revolutionary thinker and anarchist. In discourse, it denotes the surname of this historical figure or any context referring to his ideas, writings, or influence. The pronunciation is dependent on language context, but in English usage it’s typically said with stress on the second syllable, giving a distinctive emphasis that signals a foreign name rather than a common noun.
How to Pronounce Bakunin
"The lecture analyzed Bakunin's role in the development of anarchist theory."
"She quoted Bakunin to illustrate his critique of centralized authority."
"The book compares Bakunin’s ideas with those of Karl Marx."
Pronounce as buh-KOO-nin with secondary stress on the first syllable? Actually, the common English rendering is /bəˈkuːnɪn/ or /bəˈkjuːnɪn/. Place primary stress on the second syllable: buh-KYOO-nin (IPA: bə-ˈkuː-nɪn). The mouth position uses a soft, reduced first syllable, then a rounded /kuː/ vowel in the stressed syllable, and a light final /nɪn/. You’ll hear journalists and scholars say /bəˈkuːnɪn/.
Mistakes include stressing the first syllable (BA-ku-nin) or turning the second syllable into /kju/ as in ‘cue you’ instead of /kuː/. Another error is oversimplifying the final syllable to /nɪn/ with a dull 'n' instead of a crisp, light /nɪn/. Correct by keeping the second syllable long /kuː/ and the final /nɪn/ with a light flap-like n. Use IPA guidance /bəˈkuːnɪn/ and practice with minimal pairs.
In US English you’ll often hear /bəˈkuːnɪn/ with a clear long /uː/ in the stressed syllable. UK speakers may prefer a tighter /ˈkjuː/ variant or /ˈkuːnɪn/ depending on speaker; both keep the second syllable stressed. Australian pronunciation tends to be close to UK/US, but with slightly broader vowels and a more pronounced Australian vowel coloring. Anchor the pronunciation to /bəˈkuːnɪn/ and adjust vowel quality per region.
It’s tricky because the vowels in the second syllable are long and the cluster /kn/ in some transliterations can make the sequence feel unnatural to English speakers. The initial unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa, which can mask the glottal closings, and the /kuː/ vowel needs to be held long enough to avoid a clipped second syllable. Focus on the long /uː/ in the stressed syllable and the light final /nɪn/.
Bakunin’s pronunciation hinges on the second syllable’s long /uː/ and the final nasal + lax vowel /nɪn/. In careful, formal contexts, pronounce /bəˈkuːnɪn/ with precise vowel length and crisp final /n/. If you encounter a speaker who uses /ˈbæ-kuː-nɪn/ or /bəˈkjuːnɪn/, steer back to /bəˈkuːnɪn/ to maintain consistency with scholarly references.
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Bakunin is a Russian surname formed from a diminutive or patronymic root related to the given name Baku or a root possibly linked to the surname Bakun. The surname became widely known internationally due to Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876), a prominent figure in revolutionary and anarchist thought. The name’s spread into English-language contexts occurred through translations of his writings and historical analyses, and it is typically treated as a proper noun with the standard final -in suffix common in Slavic surnames. The first known use in English texts to refer to the person was in the late 19th century as his influence and writings circulated in European and American scholarly and political circles. The surname’s pronunciation in English adapted to English phonology, diverging from original Russian pronunciation to accommodate stress patterns and phoneme inventory familiar to English speakers. In Russian, Bakunin is spelled Ба́кунин and pronounced with a stress pattern that may shift by speaker; in English, the common rendering treats it as Ba-ku- nin with stress often on the second syllable. The historical footprint of Bakunin’s name thus traverses linguistic boundaries, reflecting the cross-cultural transmission of his ideas and the way proper names are integrated into global discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bakunin" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bakunin"
-rin sounds
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