3 syllables: Crust, a, ceans. Stress on a.
kruh-STAY-shuhnz
/kɹəˈsteɪʃənz/
Crustaceans is pronounced kruh-STAY-shuhnz (/kɹəˈsteɪʃənz/). It has three syllables (Crust-a-ceans), with the stress on "a". Crustaceans are a class of primarily aquatic arthropods that include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. They are characterized by a hard exoskeleton, segmented bodies, and jointed limbs. The term also refers to the collective animals of this group, both living and extinct, studied in zoology and marine biology.
nounCrustaceans are a class of primarily aquatic arthropods that include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. They are characterized by a hard exoskeleton, segmented bodies, and jointed limbs. The term also refers to the collective animals of this group, both living and extinct, studied in zoology and marine biology.
"The crustaceans in the tank include shrimp, crabs, and lobsters."
"Marine biologists catalog various crustaceans to understand their habitats."
"Crustaceans shed their shells as they grow, a process called molting."
Pronounce as KRUS-tey-shuhnz. Primary stress on the first syllable CRUS. The second syllable is a reduced -tey- with a long a sound, followed by an unstressed -shuhnz. IPA: /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/ or often two-syllable rhythm /ˈkrʌstˌeɪʃənz/ in rapid speech. Practice by isolating CRUS, then TEI- or TEY- sound, then -ans as a soft -ənz. If you’re unsure, imagine saying “CRUST” + “AY-shuns,” but drop the T sound more gently in rapid talk. Audio reference: listen to native marine-biology educators.
Common errors: (1) pronouncing the middle as a hard /t/ or /d/; (2) misplacing stress on the second syllable as /ˈkrʌstæˌsiːnz/ instead of /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/; (3) pronouncing the -eas as one long /iː/ instead of the reduced /ə/ or /ə/ in -eans. Correction: keep CRUS as /krʌs/, use a clear /teɪ/ for the second syllable, then softly voice -shənz. Use IPA cues: /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/ and maintain the final z as a light /z/.
In US, you’ll hear /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/ with a rhotic articulation and a clear /r/. UK may soften the /r/ to non-rhotic /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/ in careful speech, with a slightly shorter /eɪ/ and a gliding /j/ influence. Australian typically aligns with non-rhotic tendencies but preserves a crisp /r/ in word-internal positions; vowel quality in /eɪ/ can be broader. Overall, CRUS-TEI-? blends; notable difference is rhoticity and vowel length. IPA references: US /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/, UK /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/, AU /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/.
Two main challenges: (1) the cluster -str- in CRUS can produce a momentary slip without a crisp /s/; (2) the -teɪ.ʃə- sequence demands a smooth tilt from /teɪ/ to /ʃə/ to avoid an over-emphasized /t/ or /d/. Focus on keeping /krʌs/ light and quick, then glide into /teɪ.ʃən/ with a relaxed jaw. The final -ənz requires a brief schwa before the voiced -z, not an extended vowel. Practice with a slow tempo then speed up.
There are no silent letters in crustaceans, but the stress pattern CRUS-TEI-shənz places primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary stress on the second: /ˈkrʌsˌteɪ.ʃənz/. The -sh- is pronounced, unlike cases with silent consonants. The tricky parts are the /ʃ/ sound and the /eɪ/ diphthong, which should be cleanly separated from the following /ʃənz/ cluster. Emphasize the first syllable, then a quick, unstressed second syllable and a light final s/z.
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Crustacean comes from the Late Latin crustaceus, meaning crusty or crust-like, from crusta meaning crust or shell. The root crusta traces to Latin, aligning with the hard exoskeleton characteristic of these animals. The suffix -cean resembles other taxonomic groupings in biology, such as astacEans and decapods, and signals a systematic class-level designation. The term entered scientific usage in the 18th and 19th centuries as scientists formalized the grouping of aquatic arthropods with external shells and segmented bodies. Early naturalists contrasted crustaceans with mollusks and insects, emphasizing their jointed limbs and chitinous exoskeleton. Over time, the term expanded from strictly crust-covered organisms to a broad, inclusive category within Arthropoda that includes crabs (Brachyura), lobsters (Astacidea), shrimps (Caridea), and many others, both in modern oceans and ancient fossil records. The word’s precise scientific usage solidified in marine biology as taxonomy grew more rigorous, while common usage—crustaceans as a dietary or ecological term—remains prevalent in popular science and aquariology.
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Words that rhyme with "Crustaceans"
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