4 syllables: Eth, ni, ci, ty. Stress on ni.
eth-NIS-it-ee
/ɛˈθnɪsɪti/
Ethnicity is pronounced eth-NIS-it-ee (/ɛˈθnɪsɪti/). It has four syllables (Eth-ni-ci-ty), with the stress on "ni". Ethnicity refers to a social group’s shared sense of heritage, culture, language, and sometimes ancestry, often used to describe collective identity within a broader society. It emphasizes cultural traits and affiliation rather than purely genetic lineage. The term is commonly used in academic, policy, and sociological discussions about group identity and social categorization.
nounEthnicity refers to a social group’s shared sense of heritage, culture, language, and sometimes ancestry, often used to describe collective identity within a broader society. It emphasizes cultural traits and affiliation rather than purely genetic lineage. The term is commonly used in academic, policy, and sociological discussions about group identity and social categorization.
"Her research examines how ethnicity shapes educational outcomes in urban communities."
"The festival celebrated the city’s diverse ethnicities through music, food, and dance."
"Discussions about ethnicity can be sensitive and require careful, respectful language."
Ethnicity is pronounced eh-thni-si-ty with stress on the first syllable. IPA US: /ˈɛθnɪsɪti/; UK: /ˈeθnɪsɪti/. Start with a short, crisp /ɛ/ as in 'bet,' glide into /θ/ (thin) followed by /nɪ/ and finish with /sɪti/ where the second syllable is unstressed. You’ll place the tongue gently behind the upper teeth for /θ/ and keep the jaw relaxed. Audio references: Pronounce or Cambridge dictionary audio can help confirm the cadence and vowel quality.
Common errors include misplacing the initial /ˈɛ/ or /ˈe/ depending on variation, pronouncing /θ/ as /s/ or /t/ in some accents, and over-emphasizing the final /ti/ making it /tiː/ or /ti/ with a hard t. Correct by keeping a short, lax initial vowel, producing /θ/ with teeth gently touching the tongue tip, and reducing the final syllable to a quick /ti/ or /ti/ with light airflow. Practice breaking into syllables: /ˈɛθ.nɪ.sɪ.ti/ and aim for even, unstressed follow-through.
In US English, /ˈɛθnɪsɪti/ with a clearly voiced /θ/ and a slight reduction in unstressed vowels. UK speakers often maintain /ˈeθnɪsɪti/ with a marginally knee-jerk /e/ before /θ/. Australian tends to a flatter vowel quality and may reduce /ɪ/ to a centralized sound; still retain the /θ/ as a voiceless dental fricative. Overall, the main variation is vowel quality and vowel duration rather than the consonants.
It combines a challenging initial consonant cluster /θ/ with a reduced, multi-syllabic rhythm and three unstressed syllables after the first. The /θ/ sound requires precise tongue placement, and the sequence /-nɪ- sɪ- ti/ demands controlled vowel reduction without losing clarity. A practical approach is to practice the two-step rhythm: emphasize the first syllable, then smoothly connect the rest without overemphasizing every vowel.
No, there are no silent letters in Ethnicity. Every syllable carries a phonetic cue: /ˈɛθ.nɪ.sɪ.ti/ or /ˈeθ.nɪ.sɪ.ti/. The letter y serves as a vowel in the final syllable, contributing to the /i/ sound. The challenge lies in the rapid sequencing of four syllables and maintaining consistent air flow through /θ/ and the final /ti/.
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Ethnicity comes from the Late Latin ethnotia, formed from Greek ἔθος (ethos) meaning “custom, habit” and the suffix -logy in its broader relation to categories of social groups. In English, ethnicity first appeared in the 19th century in academic and sociological contexts as scholars distinguished between categories like nation, race, and ethnicity. The root ethos conveyed cultural character and shared practices, while -ic/ -ity were analytical suffixes used to form abstract nouns. Over time, ethnicity broadened to denote a social construct describing identities tied to culture, language, religion, and ancestry rather than strictly physical traits. The term has become central in discussions of immigration, pluralism, and identity politics, often contrasted with nationality, race, or ethnicity’s fluid, overlapping nature in multicultural societies.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ethnicity" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Ethnicity"
-ity sounds
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