3 syllables: Eu, lo, gy. Stress on Eu.
YOO-luh-jee
/ˈjulədʒi/
Eulogy is pronounced YOO-luh-jee (/ˈjulədʒi/). It has three syllables (Eu-lo-gy), with the stress on "Eu". As a noun, a tribute or formal speech praising someone who has died, typically delivered at a funeral or memorial service. It may recount the deceased’s character, achievements, and impact, and is delivered with a respectful, somber tone. The term can also refer to a speech that lauds a person or thing in a ceremonial context, not restricted to funerals alone.
nounA tribute or formal speech praising someone who has died, typically delivered at a funeral or memorial service. It may recount the deceased’s character, achievements, and impact, and is delivered with a respectful, somber tone. The term can also refer to a speech that lauds a person or thing in a ceremonial context, not restricted to funerals alone.
How to Pronounce Eulogy
"The journalist read a moving eulogy at the funeral, honoring the founder’s lifetime of service."
"Her grandmother’s eulogy highlighted both her generosity and resilience."
"During the service, he delivered a heartfelt eulogy that captured the community’s gratitude."
Pronounce it as /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable. Start with the long 'you' sound /juː/, then a quick, light schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /dʒi/ as in ‘gee.’ The sequence is two consonant clusters after the vowel: /l/ and /dʒ/. See audio reference via Pronounce or a major dictionary for spoken examples.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (treating it as a second-syllable word) and mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /j/ or /ʒ/. Some learners also shorten the second syllable too much, making it /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/ vs the correct /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/. Correct by listening to native pronunciations, emphasize the /dʒ/ cluster after /lə/, and keep the middle syllable as a near-schwa /ə/ rather than a full vowel.
Across accents, the initial /juː/ sound remains broadly similar, but vowel quality and rhotics vary. In US English, you’ll hear a rhotacized or non-rhotacized ending depending on speaker, with the /juː/ often pronounced slightly longer. UK speakers maintain clearer /juː/ and tend toward non-rhoticity in some varieties, subtly shifting the final /i/ or:/iː/ depending on dialect. Australian English tends toward a slightly wider vowel in /juː/ and a crisp /dʒi/ ending. Use IPA as reference: US /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/, UK /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/, AU /ˈjuː.lə.dʒi/ (with subtle vowel quality differences).
The difficulty lies in the cluster /lə.dʒ/ between the second and third syllables and maintaining the stress on the first syllable while keeping the second syllable reduced to a schwa. Learners often over-articulate the /l/ or mispronounce the /dʒ/ as /j/. Focus on a light, quick /lə/ and a crisp /dʒi/ with the correct mouth posture: tongue lightly touching the alveolar ridge for /l/, then the affricate /dʒ/ produced with a quick buildup of air.
A unique aspect is the two-phoneme onset in the third syllable with the /də/ sequence in some solfège/allocation accents—though not standard, careful listeners note the transition from /lə/ to /dʒi/ can vary slightly in tempo. The key is preserving the strong primary stress on the first syllable while rendering the middle syllable as a light /lə/ and finishing with a crisp /dʒi/. This makes the word sound balanced and ceremonious.
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Eulogy comes from the Greek word eu-/eu- meaning “good, well” and logos meaning “speech, word, reason.” The combination originally carried the sense of a “good word” or favorable speech. It entered English via Latin and French medieval usage, where eulogies were formal, ceremonial speeches praising saints or notable figures. In classical rhetoric, a eulogy celebrated virtue and achievement; in contemporary practice, it retains the core idea of praising and memorializing someone who has died. The English form began appearing in the 16th century, but the strong association with funeral or commemorative contexts crystallized in the 17th–18th centuries as societies formalized funeral orations. Over time, eulogy broadened to include praise in non-funeral settings (metaphorical or ceremonial “good word” for a person, event, or idea). The word has evolved from strictly laudatory orations to a widely recognized term for memorial speeches that balance admiration with remembrance. Today, eulogy remains a structured, often scripted address that blends personal anecdotes with universal themes of virtue, influence, and memory.
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Words that rhyme with "Eulogy"
-ory sounds
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