Cruise (noun) refers to a leisure voyage on a ship, typically for pleasure or tourism. It can also describe the act of traveling at a steady, comfortable speed. In everyday usage, it connotes relaxation, exploration, and a planned itinerary rather than a destination-focused trip.
US: /kruz/ with rhotic /r/, longer /uː/. UK: /kruːz/, can be less rhotic, vowel longer, final z de-emphasized in some accents. AU: /kruːz/ with rounded /uː/ and light /z/; less pronounced rhotics in some regions. Cross-accents focus on keeping the vowel unrounded for tense /u/ and ensuring a voiced /z/ at the end. IPA references help: /kruz/ (US), /kruːz/ (UK/AU).
"We booked a Caribbean cruise for two weeks."
"The ship glided through the calm waters on a moonlit cruise."
"During the conference, attendees enjoyed a sunset cruise along the harbor."
"She decided to cruise the coast and photograph marine life."
Cruise derives from the Dutch word kruisen meaning 'to cross or travel', via the French croisière, which referred to a voyage on a ship or a military expedition. In English, early uses around the 15th century described voyages for trade or exploration. By the 19th century, the meaning broadened to leisure travel on passenger ships, driven by the era of ocean liners and pleasure cruises. The root sense remained tied to movement along water, but the modern sense foregrounds relaxation and tourism. The word evolved from nautical jargon to a mainstream term as ship travel became an accessible leisure activity for the middle class and, later, mass-market cruise lines. Over time, cruise also broadened to describe any steady, smooth movement, not only ships, though that maritime association remains primary in contemporary usage.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Cruise" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Cruise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Cruise" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Cruise"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounced /kruz/. The initial /k/ is a hard stop with the tongue-high back position; the vowel is a long /u:/ as in 'oo' combos, followed by the voiced /z/ sound. The final consonant is a voiced sibilant. In IPA for US/UK, it remains /kruz/, with a long vowel quality more evident in careful speech. For most speakers, the mouth rounds slightly for the /u/ and maintains a relaxed jaw. Listen to a native speaker to hear the final z-sound clearly.
Common errors include softening the /u/ to a short /ʊ/ as in 'book' and confusing the final /z/ with /s/. Another mistake is misplacing the tongue, making the /r/ less prominent in non-rhotic accents. Correction tips: keep the /u/ as a tense, rounded back vowel, avoid /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ in the vowel, and finish with a clear /z/ as a voiced fricative. Ensure a light puff of air for fluid transition to /z/ rather than an unvoiced /s/.
In US English, /kruz/ features a rhotic post-vocalic /r/ coloring the preceding vowel; the /z/ is loud and voiced. UK English often preserves non-rhotic tendencies in some regions, but in connected speech you’ll still hear a clear /z/ at the end; the preceding vowel might be slightly vowel-lengthened and less rhotic. Australian English uses /kruːz/ with a possibly even more rounded /uː/ and a crisp /z/. Overall, vowels may shift subtly, but the final consonant remains a voiced /z/ across major varieties.
The difficulty lies in balancing the long, tense /u/ quality with the voiced zibilant /z/ at the end, especially in fast speech where the /u/ can reduce and the /z/ can assimilate to surrounding sounds. In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ influence on the preceding vowel may be less obvious, changing perceived vowel length. Some speakers also mispronounce it as /krus/ with a short /u/ or confuse with /kruːz/ when not emphasizing length. Practice keeping your mouth rounded and the jaw relaxed through the nucleus and coda.
Is there a silent letter or unusual stress pattern in 'Cruise'?
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Cruise"!
- Shadowing: listen to native speech saying 'cruise' in natural phrases and imitate exactly, tracking mouth positions. Minimal pairs: crew vs cruise, drew vs true? but keep sense: crew vs crude? Not exact minimal pair; use 'crush' vs 'cruise' to practice final cluster and vowel difference. Use rhythm practice: slower tempo, then speed up maintaining stress on entire word. - Stress practice: although noun is one-syllable, practice in sentence: 'We booked a CRUISE next month.' - Recording: record yourself saying CRUISE in phrases, compare with native samples. - Context sentences: 'The ship will cruise along the coast,' 'He plans a Caribbean cruise'.
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