2 syllables: Dee, jays. Stress on Dee.
DEE-jayz
/ˈdiː.dʒeɪz/
Deejays is pronounced DEE-jayz (/ˈdiː.dʒeɪz/). It has two syllables (Dee-jays), with the stress on "Dee". Deejays is the plural of deejay, referring to people who host electronic music or dance-oriented radio shows, clubs, or events. Pronounced with two stressed syllables, it signals informal industry jargon and collective roles within DJ culture. The term is common in media, nightlife, and entertainment contexts, often used when talking about performers or the act of DJing themselves.
nounDeejays is the plural of deejay, referring to people who host electronic music or dance-oriented radio shows, clubs, or events. Pronounced with two stressed syllables, it signals informal industry jargon and collective roles within DJ culture. The term is common in media, nightlife, and entertainment contexts, often used when talking about performers or the act of DJing themselves.
"The deejays kept the crowd energized all night with seamless transitions."
"Two new deejays joined the club lineup for Friday's opening act."
"The festival highlighted veteran deejays alongside rising talents."
You pronounce it as DEE-jes, with two clear syllables and primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈdiːˌdʒeɪz/. The first part “dee” is a long E vowel, and the second part “jays” starts with /dʒ/ as in “judge” and ends with /eɪz/ as in “maze.” Keep the /ˈdiː/ strong, then a light but distinct /dʒeɪz/ with final z. Try to avoid shortening the second syllable. Audio reference: imagine a brief pause between the two syllables only if you’re emphasizing the plural group.
Common errors include flattening the /ˈdiː/ to a short vowel like /ɪ/ and turning /dʒeɪz/ into /dʒəz/ or /jeɪz/. Another frequent issue is slurring the two syllables into a single beat, or stressing the second syllable too much. Correction tips: ensure a clear long /iː/ in the first syllable, release the /dʒ/ cluster cleanly, and end with a crisp /eɪ/ followed by /z/ without voicing it into /z/ as a separate sound.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈdiː/ remains a long E, but rhoticity affects surrounding vowels and linking. In US, non-rhotic linking may reduce trailing /r/ influence; in UK and AU, non-rhotic tendencies can soften final consonant clusters, making /dʒeɪz/ slightly more fronted and crisp. Vowel lengths can shift slightly: AU might exhibit a tighter mouth position with slightly higher vowel height for /iː/. Overall, the /ˈdiː/ and /dʒeɪz/ sequences stay recognizable; the main variation is rhythm and vowel quality.
The difficulty lies in coordinating a long vowel in the first syllable /ˈdiː/ with a rapid /dʒeɪ/ onset, especially when followed by a final voiced /z/. The /dʒ/ consonant is a dense affricate that requires precise tongue contact and a quick release. Maintaining clear distinction between /ˈdiː/ and /dʒeɪ/ while preventing vowel reduction in connected speech is challenging, especially in fast club or radio delivery.
A unique query might be: ‘Do you maintain the two-stress pattern when the word is reduced in casual speech, e.g., “the deejays spin”? You should retain perceptible first-syllable stress even in faster speech by keeping the /ˈdiː/ slightly longer and leading into the /dʒeɪz/ with a visible boundary. This helps listeners recognize the plural, the role, and the plural form in everyday speech.
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US: rhoticity is present; you’ll hear stronger /r/ influence in neighboring words, but not in the word itself. UK: often non-rhotic; keep /ˈdiːˌdʒeɪz/ with crisp /d͡ʒ/ and less vowel hooking. AU: tends to have a tighter tobacco-like breath between syllables; emphasize the second syllable with a clear /eɪ/. Vowel shifts: /iː/ in US/UK, and slight diphthongal quality in AU. IPA notes: /ˈdiːˌdʒeɪz/ across all three; focus on rhythm and the /dʒ/ onset.
Deejay derives from the combination of DJ, itself an acronym for disc jockey, and the casual, slang suffix -ey/-ay common in American English to form a persona-building noun. The DJ term originated in the 1920s and 1930s in the United States with radio and gramophone contexts, but the slang variant deejay emerged in the mid-20th century to describe performers who select records and mix them. Early uses appear in African American and Caribbean music scenes, where the role expanded from simply playing records to actively mixing, scratching, and hosting performances. By the 1960s–70s, deejay/correct spelling variations proliferated in journalism and industry circles, with “deejay” eventually becoming standard informal spelling in many media outlets. The plural form “deejays” follows the regular English pluralization pattern, adding -s to deejay, with pronunciation keeping the two-stress pattern intact. The term now encompasses mobile DJs, club DJs, radio-host DJs, and festival performers, tied closely to the broader evolution of electronic music culture and the DJ-beat-matching skill set that defines contemporary deejaying.
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Words that rhyme with "Deejays"
-eas sounds
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