Bhang is a noun referring to crushed cannabis leaves and stems used to prepare traditional beverages or pastes in the Indian subcontinent. In culinary and cultural contexts, itDesignation can also imply a drink or preparation made from these leaves, especially in ceremonial or festive settings. The term is often associated with regional hemp traditions and historical usage in South Asian communities.
- US: /bæŋ/ with a lax /æ/, less rhotic influence. - UK: /bæŋ/ with similar vowel; slight non-rhotic tendencies do not affect the word. - AU: /bæŋ/; vowels tend to be more centralized. IPA: /bæŋ/ across all; focus on nasal ending and reduction of any following vowel. - Common tweaks: maintain consistent voicing and minimal aspiration on /b/.
"The bhang thandai is a popular festive drink during Holi in parts of India."
"He prepared a fragrant bhang paste for the ceremonial offering, following ancestral methods."
"During the festival, bhang doses were shared among consenting participants as part of the ritual."
"Some traditional recipes use bhang to infuse milk with a subtle, herbaceous aroma."
The word bhang originates from the Sanskrit bhāṅga (भाङ्ग), which refers to the pulverized leaves and flowers of Cannabis indica used in drinks and culinary preparations. Historical texts across South Asia describe bhang as part of ritual and medicinal contexts, with use documented in ancient Indian literature and Ayurvedic traditions. The term is attested in medieval Persian and Urdu writings, reflecting cultural exchanges along trade routes that spread cannabis-infused preparations. The English borrowing bhang entered popular usage during colonial and post-colonial periods as tonics, beverages, and edible pastes were described in travelogues and ethnographic accounts. In many regions, bhang is closely linked to Holi celebrations and religious observances, where grinding cannabis leaves into a paste or powder, mixing with milk, water, or yogurt, yields a beverage or paste with psychoactive effects and distinctive aroma. First known uses in English appear in late 18th to early 19th century texts describing Indian customs, expanding in the 20th century through anthropological and culinary literature. Today, bhang remains a culturally loaded term that can refer to the plant material itself, prepared pastes, or beverage forms, with regional pronunciations and spellings influencing contemporary usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bhang" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bhang"
-ang sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You say it as /bæŋ/, rhyming with 'bang.' The initial sound is a short, lax b, followed by the nasal /æ/ vowel as in 'cat' but shorter, and ending with the velar nasal /ŋ/ as in 'sing.' The mouth stays relaxed, with the tongue lightly touching the roof of the mouth for the /ŋ/. Stress is on the single syllable, and there’s no strong aspiration after /b/.
Common errors: (1) Using an open back vowel like /ɑ/ instead of /æ/, making it sound more like 'bang' with a deeper vowel. (2) Over-pronouncing the /h/ or adding a schwa after /b/, which distorts the smooth onset. (3) Not closing the velar for /ŋ/, producing a hard stop instead of a proper nasal. Correct by keeping the vowel near front of mouth, ensuring a light release, and finishing with a clear /ŋ/ without adding extra vowel.
Across US/UK/AU, the word remains monosyllabic with /b/ onset and /ŋ/ coda. US and UK typically share /bæŋ/, with minor vowel quality shifts: US tends toward a slightly lower, fronted /æ/; UK may have a marginally closer /æ/; Australian is similar but often a little tensed in the vowel. All are non-rhotic in most contexts, but the final /ŋ/ remains consistent. The main variation is vowel height and duration rather than consonants.
The difficulty lies in producing the short, lax /æ/ vowel while avoiding a postvocalic vowel or change to /e/; the final /ŋ/ nasal requires the tongue to stay high and back without a trailing vowel. Beginners sometimes vocalize the nasal as /ŋg/ or omit nasalization entirely, producing /bæŋg/ or /bæŋə/. Focus on a clean, short /æ/ and a crisp, unobtrusive /ŋ/ ending, as you would in 'sang'.
In South Asian contexts, bhang often carries a ceremonial or culinary nuance. Pronunciation may be affected by regional dialects that reduce vowel length or alter /æ/ toward a near-fronted /e/ in rapid speech. Some speakers may produce a more aspirated onset if influenced by surrounding languages, though in accurate pronunciation you maintain a non-aspirated /b/. The emphasis stays on the nasal closure, so ensure a smooth transition from bilabial to velar without extra frication.
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