2 syllables: coin, age. Stress on coin.
KOY-nij
/ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/
coinage is pronounced KOY-nij (/ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/). It has two syllables (coin-age), with the stress on "coin". Coinage refers to the act of creating new words or phrases, or to money produced by minting. It can denote the process of forming a brand-new term, or, historically, money that has been minted or issued by a government. In linguistics and cultural contexts, coinage highlights how language and culture generate novel expressions over time.
Coinage refers to the act of creating new words or phrases, or to money produced by minting. It can denote the process of forming a brand-new term, or, historically, money that has been minted or issued by a government. In linguistics and cultural contexts, coinage highlights how language and culture generate novel expressions over time.
"The author’s coinage of the term ‘neurohacking’ helped popularize a new field in cognitive science."
"The latest coinage from the tech world often reflects its rapid, internet-driven vernacular."
"Some political commentators accuse the administration of deliberate coinage to sway public opinion."
You pronounce it COIN-ij, with primary stress on COIN. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/. The first syllable contains the /ɔɪ/ diphthong as in 'coin,' followed by a short, schwa-like /ɪ/ and the final /dʒ/ as in 'judge.' Tip: open your jaw on the /ɔɪ/ glide, then quickly relax into the /ɪ/ before the /dʒ/. Visualize: /ˈkɔɪ/ + /nɪdʒ/.
Common errors: 1) Slurring the /ɔɪ/ into a short /ɒ/ or /oʊ/ sound, making it sound like ‘coin-idge.’ 2) Dropping the final /dʒ/ or turning it into /dʒ/ too lightly, making it sound like ‘coin-idge’ or ‘coin-idʒ’ without aspiration. Correction: hold the /ɔɪ/ as a clear diphthong, then release a crisp /dʒ/ with voice and a brief delay after /n/. Practicing the sequence /kɔɪn/ + /ɪdʒ/ helps maintain accuracy.
US/UK/AU share the /ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/ pattern, but rhoticity can affect the preceding vowel quality in connected speech; e.g., American rhotic speakers may have slightly more rhotacized or rounded vowels in surrounding syllables, and vowel length can be subtly different in fast speech. Australian tends to be non-rhotic in casual speech, with a slightly more centralized ending vowel for some speakers, though the final /dʒ/ remains distinct. Overall the core /ɔɪ/ diphthong and /dʒ/ are consistent.
The difficulty comes from the /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the first syllable and the final /dʒ/ cluster. The /ɔɪ/ glides through a mid-to-high tongue position with lip rounding, which can be challenging if you’re not coordinating the transition. The /dʒ/ requires a voiced palato-alveolar affricate release. For non-native speakers, the timing between /n/ and /dʒ/ and keeping the /ɪ/ short before the /dʒ/ are common hurdles.
Coinage centers on a two-syllable rhythm with a strong first syllable. The stress on COIN is crucial; misplacing it toward the second syllable softens the word. The final /dʒ/ should be a clean, brief release, not a geminated or delayed sound. Emphasize the glide from /ɔɪ/ into /n/ and then a sharp /dʒ/ to keep the word crisp and clear.
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Coinage derives from the noun coin, from Old French coin, from Latin cuniculus? (note: actual etymology: coinage comes from the act of coining money. The term coinage in English dates to late Middle English, from coin (to mint money) + -age (a suffix forming nouns indicating action or result). The word coin in this sense originates from Old French coin, from Latin cuneus? and Germanic roots associated with shaping metal. The earliest uses likely refer to the minted pieces themselves or the process of minting. Over time, the meaning broadened to include the creation of words or terms, i.e., linguistic coinage. The phrase “coinage” first appears in English around the 14th–15th centuries in contexts about money, and later in literary and scholarly usage to denote invented terms. The evolution tracks from tangible money to intangible linguistic creations, reflecting the social and cultural dynamics of lexical innovation in different eras, including the rise of technological jargon and neologistic trends. (Note: This is a concise surrogate etymology for typical coinage entry; consult a dedicated etymological dictionary for precise historical citations.)
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "coinage" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "coinage"
-age sounds
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