4 syllables: co, ex, ist, ence. Stress on ist.
koh-ig-ZIS-tuhns
/ˌkoʊɪˈɡzɪstəns/
coexistence is pronounced koh-ig-ZIS-tuhns (/ˌkoʊɪˈɡzɪstəns/). It has four syllables (co-ex-ist-ence), with the stress on "ist". Coexistence refers to the state of living or existing together, often in a shared environment or with different groups maintaining peaceful relations. It implies mutual tolerance and balance, rather than assimilation or conflict, allowing contrasting elements to occupy the same space with minimal friction. The term is commonly used in politics, ecology, and sociology to describe sustainable interaction among diverse actors.
Coexistence refers to the state of living or existing together, often in a shared environment or with different groups maintaining peaceful relations. It implies mutual tolerance and balance, rather than assimilation or conflict, allowing contrasting elements to occupy the same space with minimal friction. The term is commonly used in politics, ecology, and sociology to describe sustainable interaction among diverse actors.
"Their city values coexistence among different cultures and faiths."
"The policy aims for peaceful coexistence rather than confrontation between neighbors."
"Birds and humans can achieve coexistence by preserving habitats and reducing disturbances."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers the multisyllabic rhythm: co–ex–is–tence. Phonetically: US /ˌkoʊ.ɪɡˈzɪs.təns/; UK /ˌkəʊ.ɪɡˈzɪs.təns/; AU /ˌkō.ɪɡˈzɪs.təns/. Start with a clean /koʊ/ (US) or /kəʊ/ (UK/AU), then /ˈɡzɪs/ across the stressed second portion, finishing with /təns/. Emphasize the second syllable is light, with primary stress on the third syllable “zís” (the /zɪs/ chunk handles the primary beat). Keep the final -tence clear and unstressed relative to the main stress.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (trying to stress the first or second syllable), mispronouncing the /ɡz/ cluster as separate sounds, and dropping or slurring the final -tence. Ensure you maintain /ɡz/ as a voiced-velar followed by a voiced alveolar cluster, and keep the final /təns/ distinct rather than merging it with preceding sounds. Practice by chunking: co-/ex-/is-/tence and aligning the syllable rhythm to a natural English cadence.
In US, the prefix co often sounds like /koʊ/ with rhoticity, yielding /koʊɪɡˈzɪs.təns/. In UK, /kəʊɪɡˈzɪs.təns/ tends to be less rhotic, with a lighter /əʊ/ and longer vowel in the first syllable. Australian tends to preserve /ˌkōˌɪɡˈzɪs.təns/ with a similar rhotic tendency to US but with slightly vowel-reduced first syllable. Across all, the primary stress lands on the /ˈzɪs/ portion, with careful articulation of /ɡz/.
The difficulty lies in the sequence co- + exist with the consonant cluster /ɡz/ bridging syllables and the Schwa-like vowel sounds in unstressed positions. The shift from /koʊ/ to /ɡzɪs/ requires precise timing so the /z/ doesn’t blend with the following /ˈz/; keeping the /t/ before the final -ence distinct also matters. Mastery comes from isolating and blending the multi-syllabic rhythm without over-emphasizing any single consonant.
The word contains a rare combination of a closed syllable boundary after a vowel in the first half expecting smoother transitions; you might wonder about the /t/ before -ence. The distinction is keeping /t/ as a light alveolar stop followed by a clear /əns/; avoid inserting extra vowels or glottalizations between /t/ and /əns/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ generally not involved in this word; focus on full vowel sounds, clear /oʊ/ or /oʊ/ depending on speaker. - UK: produce a clipped /əʊ/ and maintain non-rhoticity; /ɡz/ cluster should be crisp. - AU: tends to preserve the /oʊ/ vowel and a slightly broader, fronted /ɪ/ in /ɪs/; keep /z/ voiced and distinct. Across, the primary stress remains on “zís” (third syllable). IPA references help map subtle vowel shifts.
Coexistence is formed from the prefix co-, meaning together or joint, and exist, meaning to be or live. The noun suffix -ence marks a state or condition. The prefix co- has Latin roots, from cum (with) or together, signaling joint existence. Exist comes from Latin existere, from ex- (out) + sistere (to stand, set). The modern sense of two or more things existing together peacefully emerged in English by the 19th century as political and social vocabulary widened to discuss pluralistic societies and ecosystems. Early uses described diplomatic arrangements or biological states where species or groups maintain compatible living conditions. Over time, coexistence has broadened to ethics and sustainability, emphasizing toleration rather than complete integration. The term increasingly appears in discussions of multicultural policy, environmental management, and international relations, reflecting the complexity of balancing diverse elements in shared spaces. First known use in print traces to late 1800s-early 1900s, with evolving nuance toward social and ecological contexts as pluralism and environmental stewardship gained prominence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "coexistence" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "coexistence"
-nce sounds
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