3 syllables: bat, mitz, vah. Stress on mitz.
bat-MITS-vuh
/bæt ˈmɪt͡svə/
Bat Mitzvah is pronounced bat-MITS-vuh (/bæt ˈmɪt͡svə/). It has three syllables (bat-mitz-vah), with the stress on "mitz". Bat mitzvah is a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for a girl, typically held when she turns 12 or 13, marking her obligations as a member of the Jewish community. The term blends Hebrew words for “daughter” and “commandment,” and is used in modern English to refer to the event itself, including the religious service and celebration. The phrase is commonly spoken in American English contexts and in Jewish communities worldwide.
nounBat mitzvah is a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for a girl, typically held when she turns 12 or 13, marking her obligations as a member of the Jewish community. The term blends Hebrew words for “daughter” and “commandment,” and is used in modern English to refer to the event itself, including the religious service and celebration. The phrase is commonly spoken in American English contexts and in Jewish communities worldwide.
- You might mispronounce mitzvah as mitz-BAH or misplace the emphasis, making היא sound unnatural; fix by emphasizing MITZ- with a clean /s/ before the /v/ and keeping the final schwa. - Another common error is softening the /t͡s/ into /t/ or skipping the affricate entirely; practice by isolating the 't' and 's' together. - Finally, the ending vowel can be too long or reduced; aim for a short, unstressed /ə/ so it flows into the final sound.
"The bat mitzvah will take place on Saturday at the synagogue."
"Her bat mitzvah speech honored her family and community."
"They prepared a Torah portion to read during the bat mitzvah."
- Pronounce as: /bæt mɪtˈsvɔː·və/ in US English or /bæt mɪtˈsɔːvə/ in UK/AU variants. Break it into two words: 'bat' with short a as in cat, and 'mitzvah' with the penultimate stress on the second syllable of the second word. The Hebrew-influenced vowel in mitzvah is closer to /ɔː/ in many English pronunciations; aim for a clean CV pattern: MITZ-və with the 'tz' affricate clearly articulated. Mouth posture: lips relaxed, tongue lightly tensed for the /t͡s/ cluster, and the /v/ at the end rings softly. You’ll hear slight variations, but keep the primary stress on MITZ- in most contexts.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /t͡s/ cluster in mitzvah, turning it into 'mizvah' or 'mitvah'; keep the /t͡s/ sound clearly. (2) Misplacing stress, saying 'BAT mitz-VAH' or 'bat MITZ-vah' inconsistently; aim for MITZ-VAH with the stronger stress on MITZ. (3) Vowel quality of the final syllable; ensure the final 'vah' is not a muted or nasalized 'va'—keep a clean schwa or light /ə/ after the stressed /ɔː/. Practice with minimal pairs and slow exaggeration to fix the cluster and stress.
In US English you’ll hear /bæt mɪtˈsvɔːvə/ with a pronounced /sv/ in mitzvah and a clear /ˈt͡s/ cluster. UK and AU variants tend to maintain /t͡s/ but may shift the final vowel to /ə/ or /ə/ with less length, yielding /bæt mɪtˈsɔːvə/. Rhoticity differences subtly affect rhythm; US tends to be rhotic with a more pronounced r in connected speech only if present, while non-rhotic UK examples may show a weaker trailing vowel. Overall, the key is preserving the /t͡s/ cluster and the 'va' vowel while shifting only the surrounding vowel quality slightly.
Two main challenges: (1) the consonant cluster mitzvah contains the /t͡s/ sound right before /v/, which can be tricky for speakers not used to TZ or CTS sequences; practice by saying 'tsee-vah' slowly, then blend into 'mitzvah'. (2) The vowel quality of the final syllable can vary: some say 'vah' with a broad /a/; others approach a light /ə/; aim for a short, clear 'vah' with a relaxed jaw. Slow practice, mouth positioning, and listening to native pronunciation help overcome these.
Is the final -vah pronounced with a hard 'v' or smoothing into a 'vuh' sound? Answer: In most English pronunciations, the final syllable is /-və/ or /-və/ with a light schwa; the 'v' remains voiced, but you do not overemphasize it. The immediate preceding /sv/ cluster should be held: /sv/ in 'mitz' and /v/ in the final syllable connects smoothly without a separate vowel; keep the transition swift and natural.
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- US: rhotic, tense vowels, clear 'mitz' with /t͡s/ and a light /vɑ/ or /və/ ending depending on speaker. - UK/AU: often non-rhotic or lightly rhotic; keep the final /və/ consistent and avoid over-emphasizing the /r/; vowels in 'mitz' may be slightly shorter, closer to /mɪtˈsvɔːvə/ or /mɪtˈsɔːvə/. - IPA-based guide: US /bæt mɪtˈsvɔːvə/, UK/AU /bæt mɪtˈsɔːvə/. - Keep the 'tz' cluster crisp; practice with a slight release before /v/.
Bat mitzvah comes from Hebrew: bat (daughter) and mitzvah (commandment/obligation, also used for a commandment in the Torah). In traditional Hebrew, mitzvah with tzadi-vav-heh ends with a voiceless /t͡s/ or /t͡sə/ sound, reflecting biblical phrasing. The construct bat mitzvah literally means daughter of the commandment, indicating that a girl becomes responsible for mitzvot after reaching adolescence. The phrase entered Yiddish and American English through 20th-century Jewish communities, adapting Hebrew pronunciation for English speakers. Early references in American Jewish newspapers and community bulletins date from mid-20th century, with the ceremony becoming a widely recognized rite of passage by the 1960s–1980s. In contemporary usage, bat mitzvah denotes both the ceremony and the celebratory occasion; in some communities, bat mitzvahs include a dvar torah (speech) and aliyah (torah reading). The term has also influenced secular uses to describe celebrations that parallel bar/bat mitzvah traditions even in mixed-religion families, though its religious meaning remains rooted in Jewish law and tradition.
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Words that rhyme with "Bat Mitzvah"
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