2 syllables: Feng, Shui. Stress on Feng.
FUHNG shway
/ˈfʌŋ ʃweɪ/
Feng Shui is pronounced FUHNG shway (/ˈfʌŋ ʃweɪ/). It has two syllables (Feng-Shui), with the stress on "Feng". Feng Shui is a traditional Chinese practice that arranges living and work spaces to harmonize energy flow (qi). It blends philosophy, aesthetics, and practical layout rules to enhance well-being, prosperity, and balance. Used to guide furniture placement, color choices, and spatial orientation, it emphasizes harmony between people and their environment rather than religious ritual.
nounFeng Shui is a traditional Chinese practice that arranges living and work spaces to harmonize energy flow (qi). It blends philosophy, aesthetics, and practical layout rules to enhance well-being, prosperity, and balance. Used to guide furniture placement, color choices, and spatial orientation, it emphasizes harmony between people and their environment rather than religious ritual.
How to Pronounce Feng Shui
"To improve the energy of your apartment, you’ll consider Feng Shui principles when placing furniture."
"She hired a consultant to evaluate the floor plan and apply Feng Shui to the office."
"Some people use Feng Shui to pick auspicious dates for major decisions."
Pronounce as two words: Feng = /fʌŋ/ with a voiced velar nasal followed by a short, rounded back vowel; Shui = /ʃuːi/ with a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/, then a high back rounded vowel /uː/ gliding into /i/; stress is on the first syllable of Feng and secondary stress on Shui in natural speech. IPA: /fʌŋ ʃuːi/. You’ll reduce the final vowel slightly in fast speech: /fʌŋ ʃuːɪ/ in some accents. Audio reference: imagine saying “fung” and then “shoo-ee.”
Common errors: 1) Saying /fɛŋ/ with an open vowel instead of /ʌ/; 2) Mispronouncing /ʃuːi/ as /ʃwiː/ or consonant-heavy; 3) Merging the two words too tightly, causing a run-together /fʌŋʃuːi/ without appropriate pause. Correction tips: keep /fʌŋ/ distinct with a short, closed mouth on the vowel, then release into /ʃuːi/ with a clean /ʃ/ onset and a smooth /uː/ to /i/ glide. Listen to native speakers and slow down at first.
In US, UK, and AU pronunciations you’ll find /fʌŋ/ for Feng consistently; the Shui part tends to be /ʃuːi/ with a long /uː/ followed by /i/; US speakers may glide the final vowel a bit more (/ʃuːɪ/), UK speakers may have a tighter /ʊ/ or /uː/ with less vowel shortening, and AU speakers often maintain a clear /ʃuːi/ without strong rhotic influence. The main differences are vowel length and the degree of rhoticity and vowel quality in /uː/ vs /u/.
Two main challenges: 1) The initial /f/ to /f/ is straightforward, but /ʌ/ in /fʌŋ/ is shorter and less tense than many English vowels; 2) The second word /ʃuːi/ has a tricky sequence: a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/ followed by a long /uː/ and a high front glide /i/, which can blur in rapid speech. Pauses between words help; practice the glide carefully and avoid replacing /ʃ/ with /s/ or simplifying the diphthong.
A distinctive feature is the two-word separation with a clear boundary between /fʌŋ/ and /ʃuːi/, rather than blending them into /fʌŋʃuːi/. Emphasize the /ŋ/ at the end of Feng, then launch the /ʃ/ onset cleanly. Additionally, ensure the /uː/ in Shui is held longer than a typical English /u/ before the /i/ glide. Mastery hinges on precise consonant release and controlled voicing across the two words.
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Feng Shui comes from Mandarin Chinese: feng (wind) and shui (water). The term originally referred to the geomantic study of how winds and waters shape landscapes and settlements. Early formulations integrated Daoist cosmology, yin-yang balance, and the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) to optimize site orientation and living conditions. The first circulated references date to ancient Chinese texts and later encyclopedic compilations during the Song and Ming dynasties, where the practice evolved from purely environmental observation to prescriptive design methods. In the West, Feng Shui entered popular consciousness in the 20th century, often sanitized to emphasize aesthetics and well-being while losing some of its philosophical depth. The phrase itself is unambiguously Chinese and translates literally as “wind-water,” reflecting the core belief that proper alignment of natural forces within a space promotes vitality and harmony.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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Words that rhyme with "Feng Shui"
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