2 syllables: Brook, lyn. Stress on Brook.
BRUUK-luhn
/ˈbɹʊklən/
Brooklyn is pronounced BRUUK-luhn (/ˈbɹʊklən/). It has two syllables (Brook-lyn), with the stress on "Brook". Brooklyn is a major New York City borough and a cultural hub known for its diverse neighborhoods, historic sites, and distinctive speech patterns. As a noun, it refers to this borough or to something associated with it. The name itself has deep local resonance and is often passed through regional speech, influencing pronunciation and rhythm in everyday talk.
nounBrooklyn is a major New York City borough and a cultural hub known for its diverse neighborhoods, historic sites, and distinctive speech patterns. As a noun, it refers to this borough or to something associated with it. The name itself has deep local resonance and is often passed through regional speech, influencing pronunciation and rhythm in everyday talk.
How to Pronounce Brooklyn
"I spent the weekend exploring Brooklyn’s parks and cafés."
"She grew up in Brooklyn and loves its street-art vibe."
"Brooklyn style is casual yet expressive, with a bite in the delivery."
Brooklyn is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/. Break it into two syllables: BRŌK-lin, where the first syllable rhymes with 'book' but is shorter, and the second is a light 'lin'. In careful speech you’ll hear a crisp /ˈbrʊk/ followed by a clear /lɪn/. If you’re familiar with IPA, it’s /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/. Audio references: you can compare with native speakers on Pronounce or YouGlish for Brooklyn in context.
Common errors include over-aspirating the second syllable, pronouncing it as /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/ with a long vowel in the second syllable, or slurring the /k/ into /l/ making /ˈbruːk.lɪn/. The correct approach is a crisp /k/ stop after /brʊ/, not a long vowel, and a clear /l/ before /ɪn/. Keep the first syllable short and stressed, then lightly touch the /lɪn/ to avoid vowel reduction in fast speech.
In US General American, it’s /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/ with rhoticity and a clear /l/. UK speakers often maintain /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/ but may have a lighter rhotic quality and slight shortening of the vowel in casual speech. Australian English tends to center the /ɪ/ a bit more and may reduce the second syllable slightly, with a softer /l/ and a more clipped overall rhythm. Across all, the primary stress remains on the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in the fast sequence /ˈbrʊk/ followed by a quick /lɪn/, with precise tongue contact for the /k/ and a smooth transition to the /l/ without vowel intrusion. For non-native speakers, the cluster /br/ plus the alveolar /k/ and the liquid /l/ can be tricky to articulate in a single breath, especially in connected speech where the vowel in /ɪ/ can reduce. Mastery comes from careful practice of this two-syllable rhythm.
In Brooklyn, the first syllable is /brʊk/ with a short, lax 'u' sound as in 'book', not a long 'oo' as in 'book'. The vowel is a near-close near-back rounded /ʊ/ (often heard as /ʊ/), not /oʊ/ in 'broke'. So it’s /ˈbrʊk.lɪn/, where /ʊ/ is slightly more centralized in rapid speech. Focus on a crisp /ʊ/, avoiding delabialization or rounding that makes it sound like /broʊk/.
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Brooklyn derives from the Dutch name Breukelen, named after a town in the Netherlands. The area was settled by Dutch colonists in the 17th century and became known as Breuckelen, anglicized later to Brooklyn. The name ultimately means 'broken land' or 'marshy ground' in Dutch, reflecting its geographic landscape and early settlement features. The borough’s English usage emerged as New Amsterdam expanded inland, and the name stabilized in American English by the 18th century. Brooklyn’s linguistic identity evolved with waves of immigration, producing a distinct, rapid, and rhotic local speech that contributed to a world-renowned urban accent. The term Brooklyn, used to denote the borough or something characteristic of it, attains cultural significance through music, film, and literature, reinforcing its iconic status in American vernacular. The first known printed use in English appears in the 17th-18th centuries as settlers referenced the Breuckelen area, with the modern spelling Brooklyn becoming standardized in the 19th century after the consolidation of New York City in 1898.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Brooklyn" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Brooklyn" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Brooklyn"
-lyn sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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