3 syllables: bol, she, viks. Stress on bol.
BOHL-shuh-viks
/ˈboʊlʃəˌvɪks/
bolsheviks is pronounced BOHL-shuh-viks (/ˈboʊlʃəˌvɪks/). It has three syllables (bol-she-viks), with the stress on "bol". Bolsheviks refers to the members of the Russian socialist party that seized power in 1917, led by Lenin. In modern use, it designates a historical faction within the broader Bolshevik movement or refers to its adherents. The term carries strong historical and political associations and is often used in scholarly or analytical contexts.
Bolsheviks refers to the members of the Russian socialist party that seized power in 1917, led by Lenin. In modern use, it designates a historical faction within the broader Bolshevik movement or refers to its adherents. The term carries strong historical and political associations and is often used in scholarly or analytical contexts.
- Common phonetic challenges include misplacing stress (trying to stress the second syllable) and mispronouncing the /ʃ/ as /s/. To fix: practice the three-syllable chunk slowly: /ˈboʊl-ʃə-vɪks/ with a hard initial vowel. - Auditory blending errors: drop the schwa; keep /ʃə/ as a light, unstressed middle syllable. Do not reduce /ʃ/ before /v/; maintain the /ʃ/ release before the /v/.
"The Bolsheviks were instrumental in the October Revolution of 1917."
"Historians debate the long-term impact of the Bolsheviks on modern Russia."
"Some critics argue that Bolshevik policies centralized power."
Pronounce as /ˈboʊlʃəvɪks/ in US, /ˈbɒlʃəvɪks/ in UK/AU. Primary stress on the first syllable BOHL. Break it as bol-she-viks; the ‘she’ has a reduced vowel, and the final ‘viks’ rhymes with 'kicks'. Start with a rounded lip position for /oʊ/ (US) or /ɒ/ (UK/AU).
Common errors: treating the initial /boʊ/ as a short vowel like 'bols' with a quick /bɒl/. Also misplacing stress later in the word, or mispronouncing /ʃ/ as /s/. Correction: hold the first syllable with strong /oʊ/ or /ɒ/ and clearly articulate /ʃ/ as a single sound after /l/. End with /vɪks/ where /ɪ/ is a short, lax vowel and /ks/ is a voiceless cluster. Practice in syllables: /ˈboʊl-ʃə-vɪks/ (US) or /ˈbɒl-ʃə-vɪks/ (UK/AU).
US typically uses /ˈboʊlʃəvɪks/ with a clear /oʊ/; UK/AU lean toward /ˈbɒlʃəvɪks/ with a shorter /ɒ/. The /r/ sound is not pronounced in either, as it is non-rhotic; the /ə/ in the middle is a schwa. The consonants remain similar, but vowel quality and length shift. Emphasize the first syllable and keep /ʃ/ steady across accents.
Two main challenges: the ambiguous vowel in the second syllable (‘she’ / ʃə /) can drift toward /iː/ for some speakers, and the cluster /vɪks/ ends with a subtle /ks/ that requires precise tongue to avoid a /k/ or /s/ instead. Also maintaining stress on the first syllable while not reducing the second syllable too much. Practice with IPA and slow, deliberate articulation to anchor correct vowel color and consonant timing.
A distinctive feature is the /ɒ/ vs /oʊ/ split in different dialects and ensuring a clear /l/ following the initial vowel. The sequence /lv/ after the first syllable may tempt a light /l/ before the /v/. Make sure you don’t elide the /l/ and keep the /v/ fully voiced before the /ɪks/. Clear onset for /ˈ/ and consistent syllable tempo is key.
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- US: /ˈboʊlʃəvɪks/ with strong /oʊ/ and a clear /ʃ/; UK/AU: /ˈbɒlʃəvɪks/ with shorter /ɒ/; rhoticity doesn’t affect this word, but intonation may tilt slightly up on the first syllable in some contexts. - Vowel color: US tends tolierate /oʊ/; UK/AU tend to shorter /ɒ/. - Consonant: keep /ʃ/ sharp and avoid turning /vɪks/ into /vɪks/ with reduced /ɪ/?; ensure /ks/ is fused, not separate /k/ then /s/. - IPA references: US /ˈboʊlʃəvɪks/, UK/AU /ˈbɒlʃəvɪks/.
The term Bolshevik comes from the Russian bol’shevik, formed from the prefix bol’sh- meaning 'more' or 'greater' and the suffix -vik from -viki, indicating a faction. It originated within the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) around the early 1900s, when two main factions—Bolsheviks (majority) and Mensheviks (minority)—emerged. The split followed debates over party organization and revolutionary strategy; the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, advocated a tightly organized vanguard. The word gained international usage during and after the Russian Revolution of 1917, when Bolshevik forces seized power and established the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Over time, “Bolshevik” broadened to denote adherents of the Soviet regime or of hardline revolutionary socialism, often in historical or critical discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "bolsheviks"
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