3 syllables: bour, geois, ie. Stress on ie.
buurzh-wah-ZEE
/ˌbʊɹˌʒwɑˈzi/
bourgeoisie is pronounced buurzh-wah-ZEE (/ˌbʊɹˌʒwɑˈzi/). It has three syllables (bour-geois-ie), with the stress on "ie". Bourgeoisie (n.) refers to the social class that owns the means of production in capitalist society, typically characterized as urban, educated, and financially secure. The term often carries a critical or ironic tone, highlighting class distinctions and power dynamics rather than simple wealth. In usage, it can describe the class as a whole or individuals who belong to it, sometimes with ideological implications.
nounBourgeoisie (n.) refers to the social class that owns the means of production in capitalist society, typically characterized as urban, educated, and financially secure. The term often carries a critical or ironic tone, highlighting class distinctions and power dynamics rather than simple wealth. In usage, it can describe the class as a whole or individuals who belong to it, sometimes with ideological implications.
- Common phonetic challenges: 1) The /ʒ/ sound followed by /w/ can be blended incorrectly; 2) Final /iː/ may be reduced to /i/ or /iə/ in fast speech; 3) The initial syllable /bɔːr/ can be mispronounced due to American /ɔ/ vs British /ɒ/ variance. Corrections: practice with slow elision: bor-zhwa-zee; exaggerate the /ʒ/ to /ʒ/ to ensure distinctness; anchor the final long /iː/ with a held vowel; ensure you gloss the /r/ if you speak rhotic vs non-rhotic. Use minimal pairs such as 'bourgeoisie' vs. 'bourgeoisie'—not helpful; instead, separate phonemes and combine.
"The film critiques the bourgeoisie for their detachment from working-class realities."
"Scholars argued that the rise of the bourgeoisie transformed urban economies in the 19th century."
"The novel portrays a tension between the rebellious youth and the complacent bourgeoisie."
Pronunciation: /ˌbɔːrʒwɑˈziː/ (US, UK, AU typical). Syllable count: 3. Stress pattern: secondary on first syllable, primary on the last. Begin with 'bor' as in 'bore' with an /ɔː/ vowel, then /ʒ/ as the French 's' in measure, followed by /wɑ/ as in 'war', and end with /ˈziː/ as a long 'zee'. Tip: emphasize the 'zhee' ending (the /ʒ/ plus /ziː/) and make sure the final vowel is long. For clarity, you can imagine saying 'bor-zhwah-zee' with a swift middle slide.
Common mistakes: 1) Slurring the middle /ʒwɑ/ into a plain /ʒwɑ/ or skipping the /w/; 2) Misplacing the primary stress, which should fall on the final syllable /-ziː/; 3) Truncating the ending to /-zi/ or /-zij/ without the long /iː/ sound. Corrections: keep the /ʒ/ sound distinct, ensure you vocalize /wɑ/ clearly, and finish with a clear, long /iː/; practice with 'bor-zhwah-zee' and exaggerate the final vowel for accuracy.
In US English, /ˌbɔːrʒwɑˈziː/ with rhotics and a pronounced /r/; in UK English, /ˌbɔː(r)ʒwɒˈzɪː/ or /ˌbɔː(r)ʒwəˈziː/ depending on speaker, with a shorter /ɒ/ vowel and non-rhotic realization of /r/; Australian: /ˌbɔː(r)ʒwɒˈziː/ similar to UK but with Australian vowel qualities. Emphasis remains on the final syllable; the /ʒ/ and /z/ remain consistent, but the vowel qualities (o, a) shift slightly across accents.
Key challenges include the cluster /ʒw/ after the initial /ɔː/ and the French-influenced /ʒ/ sound followed by /w/—a combination not common in many languages. The stress on the final syllable /-ziː/ adds to the difficulty, and the ending /-ziː/ requires a lengthened long vowel. Also, non-native speakers may mispronounce /ˈziː/ as /ˈsiː/ or misplace the emphasis. Practice the sequence bor-zhwah-zee, paying attention to the smooth /ʒw/ transition and the long /iː/.
The word contains a rare consonant cluster /ʒw/ in the middle, created by the French loan routing in English. The /ʒ/ approximates the 's' in measure, followed immediately by /w/; learners must glide from /ʒ/ to /w/ without inserting an extra vowel. The ending /-ziː/ requires a clear, long vowel. Balancing the French-influenced vowel sounds with English phonotactics is the key.
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- US: rhotic /r/; non-rhotic tendencies in some UK varieties; AU: rhotic but with vowel tilts toward British; - Differences: rhoticity affects the middle consonant cluster and final vowel if not careful. Vowel differences: US /ɔː/ vs UK /ɒ/; UK often non-rhotic, affecting the /r/ pronunciation; AU often blends with /ɒ/ or /ɔː/. IPA references: /ˌbɔːrʒwɑˈziː/ (US), /ˌbɔː(r)ʒwɒˈziː/ (UK), /ˌbɔː(r)ʒwɔˈziː/ (AU).
Bourgeoisie comes from the French bourgeoisie, from bourgeois (middle class) + -ie as a suffix forming nouns. The root bourgeois originates from Old French bo(u)rgeois, meaning “town dweller” or “inhabitant of a market town,” which itself derives from Old French buor, “dweller by a ford” or “city dweller,” and -geois, related to savoir-faire and governance. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bourgeoisie referred specifically to the urban middle class as a distinct social class in Marxist and sociological discourse. By the late 19th century, the term broadened to denote the capitalist class owning production means, often contrasted with the proletariat. In modern usage, bourgeoisie commonly signals social class, wealth, education, and cultural capital, sometimes with a critical or ironic nuance, and appears across political discourse, sociology, and literature. First known use in English dates from the 18th century, but its political-economic senses crystallized with industrial capitalism, spreading worldwide with borrowed usage from French in scholarly and political texts. The word traveled with historical narratives about class structure, urbanization, and economic power, maintaining its charge as a social descriptor.
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Words that rhyme with "bourgeoisie"
-e-y sounds
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