4 syllables: en, thu, si, asts. Stress on thu.
en-THOO-zee-asts
/ɛˈnθuziˌæsts/
enthusiasts is pronounced en-THOO-zee-asts (/ɛˈnθuziˌæsts/). It has four syllables (en-thu-si-asts), with the stress on "thu". Enthusiasts are people who are highly interested and passionate about a particular subject or activity, often engaging deeply and frequently sharing their knowledge or enthusiasm with others. The term implies a lively, knowledgeable, and committed interest rather than casual curiosity. Use in contexts like hobbies, sports, arts, or specialized communities to describe devoted followers or practitioners.
Enthusiasts are people who are highly interested and passionate about a particular subject or activity, often engaging deeply and frequently sharing their knowledge or enthusiasm with others. The term implies a lively, knowledgeable, and committed interest rather than casual curiosity. Use in contexts like hobbies, sports, arts, or specialized communities to describe devoted followers or practitioners.
"The enthusiasts at the science fair gathered around the new robotics prototype."
"Cybersecurity enthusiasts meet weekly to discuss the latest threat intelligence."
"Garden enthusiasts swapped tips on perennial care and soil mixes."
Break it as en-THU-ziasts, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: ɛnˈθuːziˌæsts or ɛnˈθuːziˌæsts depending on vowel quality; UK: enˈθjuːziˌæsts. Start with a clear 'eh' for en, then a stressed 'THU' with the dental fricative θ, followed by a long 'oo' in the second syllable and the final 'sts' cluster. Practicing slowly: en-THU-zi-asts, then blend to natural speed.
Common errors: (1) Stress on the first syllable instead of the second; (2) Mispronouncing the sequence -thu- as 'thu' with a short 'u' instead of a long 'oo' (/uː/); (3) Dropping the S in the final -sts or mispronouncing the cluster as -zsts. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: en-THU-ziasts, ensure /θuː/ is a long 'oo' sound, and articulate the final /sts/ clearly with a light but audible 's' before the 't' and 's'.
US: /ɛnˈθuːziˌæsts/ with a clear /θ/ and a longer /uː/; UK: /enˈθjuːziˌæsts/ where /juː/ can be a glide after /θ/; AU: /ɛnˈθuːziˌæsts/ with often a more centralized or rounded vowel in fast speech and a non-rhotic approach but similar stressed placement. Rhoticity affects only rhotic vowels in some contexts; here there’s no /r/ involved. Vowel length and the/diphthong quality may vary slightly by region.
The difficulty lies in the cluster -ziasts with the long /iː/ or /i/ quality and the /θ/ dental fricative, which can be softened or misarticulated as /s/ or /t/. Also, the final /sts/ can become a simple /s/ or /t/ if spoken quickly. The secondary stress on '-zi-' can be subtle, so maintaining consistent primary stress on the second syllable ensures intelligibility.
Focus on the transition from the /θ/ fricative to the long /uː/ vowel in the second syllable. Start with en- and hold the following /θuː/ briefly before moving to -ziasts. Practice the sequence slowly: en-THU-uzi-asts, then compress into en-THU-ziasts, keeping the /t/ crisp and the final /s/ audible to avoid a muffled ending.
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The word enthusiast derives from the Greek en-theos, literally meaning “in God” or “inspired by a deity,” reflecting a sense of having a divine or intense zeal. The English adoption shifted toward general ardor and zeal for a subject. By the 17th century, ‘enthusiast’ often described a person inspired by religion or philosophy, but by the 18th and 19th centuries it broadened to denote ardent followers of various interests. The suffix -ist marks a person who practices or is associated with a belief or activity, while the -i- connection in enthusiasts (from the plural form of -ist patterns) emphasizes a group of such fervent individuals. First known uses appear in English texts discussing philosophical or religious zeal, with later usage in popular culture to describe fan communities. Over time, enthusiasts came to signify both the subject-matter specialist and the general sense of energetic, contagious enthusiasm across hobbies, sports, arts, and sciences. In modern usage, it commonly appears in compound forms like “science enthusiasts” or “car enthusiasts,” highlighting both expertise and passion.
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Words that rhyme with "enthusiasts"
-sts sounds
-ase sounds
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