5 syllables: Eth, no, cen, tri, sm. Stress on cen.
eth-noh-SEN-triz-uhm
/ˌɛθnoʊˈsɛntɹɪzəm/
Ethnocentrism is pronounced eth-noh-SEN-triz-uhm (/ˌɛθnoʊˈsɛntɹɪzəm/). It has five syllables (Eth-no-cen-tri-sm), with the stress on "cen". Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one’s own, often accompanied by the belief that one’s culture is superior. It is a cognitive bias that can influence attitudes, policies, and social interactions, privileging familiar cultural norms over unfamiliar ones. The term is commonly discussed in social science, anthropology, and ethics contexts as a barrier to cross-cultural understanding.
nounEthnocentrism is the tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one’s own, often accompanied by the belief that one’s culture is superior. It is a cognitive bias that can influence attitudes, policies, and social interactions, privileging familiar cultural norms over unfamiliar ones. The term is commonly discussed in social science, anthropology, and ethics contexts as a barrier to cross-cultural understanding.
How to Pronounce Ethnocentrism
"Her ethnocentrism led her to assume Western norms were universal, ignoring local practices."
"Scholars warned that ethnocentrism can hinder the interpretation of other societies’ history and values."
"Public discourse sometimes reveals ethnocentrism when contrasting national traditions with global perspectives."
Pronounce as /ˌeθ.noʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/ (US) or /ˌeθ.nəʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/ (UK). Primary stress on the third syllable cent in -centr-; second, the -trism ending has a light schwa-zy sound: -trɪz(ə)m. Start with the initial “eth” as /eθ/ (short e + th), then /noʊ/ (as in ‘no’), then /ˈsen/ (accent on “sen”), then /trɪzəm/.” Audio reference: seek the Pronounce resource or YouGlish examples of “ethnocentrism.” Keywords: IPA, stress, pronunciation path.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress: pronounce as eth-no-CEN-trism with incorrect stress on -cen-; fix by placing stress on -cen- (ˈsen). 2) Blunting -tr- cluster: readers often say /ˈtrɪzəm/ instead of /ˈtrɪzəm/ or reduce the -tr-; maintain clear /tr/ onset after the -sen-. 3) Final /zəm/ mispronounced as /səm/ or /zəm/ with excessive voicing; keep the /z/ and reduce to /zəm/ with a light schwa before m. Practice: break the word into segments and rehearse with minimal pairs.
US: /ˌeθ.noʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/ with r-less /ər/ influence in connected speech; UK: /ˌeθ.nəʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/ with non-rhoticity and a longer /əʊ/ diphthong; AU: similar to UK but with slightly broader vowels and more non-rhoticity; contrast rhotics in US, slight vowel length differences in /oʊ/, and /ə/ vs /ɐ/ in some Australian varieties. Accent cues: practice linking between /noʊ/ and /ˈsen/.
High syllable count, multisyllabic rhythm and an internal -cent- cluster can trip speakers. The tricky parts are the unstressed initial /eθ/ plus the mid- word /noʊ/ sequence and the /ˈsen/ cluster before the /trɪ/ onset. Also, final -zəm requires precise /z/+schwa+ /m/ articulation. Practice by isolating each morpheme: eth-no-cent-rism, then blend with even, controlled mouth movement and a final, light /z/.
Ethnocentrism uniquely has the /noʊ/ in the second syllable and the /ˈsen/ stress block, plus the /trɪ/ onset after that. The sequence eth-no-cent-rism combines a voiced alveolar nasal with a rounded back diphthong and a strong /tr/ cluster; this combination is less common in everyday words, so it’s easy to misplace stress or mispronounce the r-controlled /ər/ patterns in surrounding terms. Carefully segment and then co-articulate.
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US: rhoticity makes the final syllable /zəm/ sound like /zəm/; UK/AU: often non-rhotic to a degree; vowel quality differences: US may use /noʊ/ vs UK /nəʊ/ depending on speaker; /ˈsen/ is consistent; practice by isolating vowels then blending with /tr/ onset. IPA references: US /ˌeθ.noʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/, UK /ˌeθ.nəʊˈsen.trɪ.zəm/; AU similar to UK with slightly more flattened /ə/ before /s/; focus on linking and streamlining the /noʊ/ or /nəʊ/ into the next syllable.
Ethnocentrism derives from the Greek roots ethnos (meaning “people” or “nation”) and kentron (meaning “center”). The suffix -ism marks a doctrine or worldview. The concept emerged in anthropological and sociological literature in the early 20th century, building on earlier ideas of cultural hierarchy and ethnology. First attested in English around the early 1900s, ethnocentrism was shaped by debates over cultural relativism, Western-centric bias, and the critique of universalism. The word’s use expanded during discussions of colonialism, nationalism, and globalization, where scholars described how groups evaluate others using their own norms as a baseline. Over time, ethnocentrism has become a standard term in interdisciplinary studies, used to explain prejudice, policy biases, and resistance to cultural change. The evolution of the concept mirrors shifts in social science toward emphasizing perspective-taking and contextual understanding, rather than assuming a single universal standard for all cultures.
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