2 syllables: E, mu. Stress on E.
EE-myoo
/ˈiˌmju/
Emu is pronounced EE-myoo (/ˈiˌmju/). It has two syllables (E-mu), with the stress on "E". Emu is a large flightless Australian bird with long legs and neck, known for its speed and distinctive plumage. In general usage, it can refer to the animal itself or, informally, to something large and imposing in a metaphorical sense. The word is short, stressed on the first syllable, and commonly pronounced with two syllables in English.
nounEmu is a large flightless Australian bird with long legs and neck, known for its speed and distinctive plumage. In general usage, it can refer to the animal itself or, informally, to something large and imposing in a metaphorical sense. The word is short, stressed on the first syllable, and commonly pronounced with two syllables in English.
"The emu grazed near the waterhole, springs warming the dusty air."
"She compared the stubborn SUV to an Emu in the outback—tiered, tall, and surprisingly swift."
"Researchers studied the emu's gait to understand its efficient locomotion."
Pronounce it as EM-you, with the primary stress on EM. The IPA is US/UK/AU: ˈiː.mjuː. Start with a long E vowel as in 'see' and glide into a short 'yoo' sound. In connected speech, the second syllable may be a quick, light 'yu' or 'ju' depending on dialect. Audio references include standard dictionary entries and pronunciation platforms.
Common errors include treating it as a one-syllable word (e.g., 'emu' as EMU without a second syllable) and mispronouncing the second syllable as a hard 'oo' like 'emu' /ˈekuː/. Correct approach: two-syllable with a clear 'm' onset and a 'yu' offglide. Em- with a long E, then a light 'm-yu' or 'mju' cluster. Practicing the transition from /iː/ to /mju/ helps avoid run-together or vowel reduction mistakes.
In US/UK/AU, the first syllable carries the same long E /iː/ and the second syllable features /mjuː/ or /mju/ depending on speaker. US often preserves the /juː/ glide distinctly, while some UK speakers may realize a shorter offglide or a closer pronunciation to /mjuː/. Australian speech keeps the two-syllable pattern with a clear long E, and rhoticity does not affect it much since it’s non-rhotic by default. Overall, the difference is subtle and mostly in the offglide length and vowel quality.
The difficulty lies in the /iː/ to /mjuː/ transition, where the tongue moves quickly from a high-front vowel to a palatal glide. Many learners insert an extra vowel or shorten the second syllable, causing a blurred two-syllable effect. Also, the /m/ must connect smoothly to the /j/ or /juː/ cluster without a stop. Focus on a clean two-syllable sequence EM-ju, with a brief, unstressed second syllable.
Yes, the key is the /juː/ offglide after /m/. Some speakers may say /ˈiːmju/ or /ˈiːmʊ/ depending on dialect; the standard is /ˈiː.mjuː/ (US/UK/AU) with a clear /juː/ or /jʊ/ onset. Keep the first syllable stressed and ensure the second syllable starts with a soft consonant cluster, avoiding a heavy 'yoo' vowel that can blur into 'emu' as one syllable. Visualize 'em' + 'you' quickly but distinctly.
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Emu comes from Portuguese ema, from Latin ratitus, from Greek ren, which is related to the term for random flightlessness? Not exactly. The word emu in English first appeared in the 18th century as a borrowed name from the Australian Aboriginal language via early European explorers. The Emu is a member of the ratite family, which also includes ostriches and kiwis. The term moved into general English as a proper noun for the species Dromaius novaehollandiae and as a descriptive term in zoological literature. Early scientific texts sometimes used Emu capitalized as a proper name; over time, the common noun adopted a lower-case form when referring to the species. The first known published reference to the bird in English dates to the late 18th century. The evolution of the word tracks with European exploration days, the colonization period, and the expansion of natural history studies in Australia. The etymology reflects cross-cultural naming patterns, with the animal’s name entering English through maritime and colonial channels, while the modern usage often relies on two syllables with primary stress on the first syllable.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Emu" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Emu" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Emu"
-lue sounds
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