4 syllables: Gen, u, ine, ness. Stress on Gen.
JEN-yuh-wuh-nis
/ˈdʒɛnjəwənɪs/
Genuineness is pronounced JEN-yuh-wuh-nis (/ˈdʒɛnjəwənɪs/). It has four syllables (Gen-u-ine-ness), with the stress on "Gen". Genuineness is the quality of being truly what something claims to be; authenticity expressed through honest demeanor or behavior. It denotes sincerity and credibility, not manufactured or feigned traits. The term is used in evaluating people, statements, or artifacts for their real, intrinsic nature rather than appearances or pretenses.
nounGenuineness is the quality of being truly what something claims to be; authenticity expressed through honest demeanor or behavior. It denotes sincerity and credibility, not manufactured or feigned traits. The term is used in evaluating people, statements, or artifacts for their real, intrinsic nature rather than appearances or pretenses.
"Her genuineness shone through in her candid answers."
"The painting’s genuineness was confirmed by carbon dating and expert analysis."
"You’ll be able to tell the genuineness of his apologies by how consistently he follows through."
Pronounce it as /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/. The primary stress is on the first syllable GENU-, with a clear, long U sound in the second syllable. Start with a voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ like 'j' in 'jar', then /ɛn/ as in 'men', followed by /juː/ as in 'you', and finish with /ən.nəs/ with a light, unstressed final -ness. Think: JEN-yoo-ən-ness. An audio reference you can check is Pronounce or Cambridge’s audio entries for live pronunciation cues.
Common mistakes include slurring the sequence /juː.ən/ into a vague /juːən/ or eliminating the second vowel cluster, producing /ˈdʒɛn.jə.nəs/ instead of /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/. People also misplace the stress, saying /ˈdʒɛn.juːˈɛn.nəs/ or mispronouncing /ɪ/ sounds in the middle. To correct: hold the /juː/ as a distinct syllable before the schwa /ən/; keep the /n/ sounds crisp; and articulate the final /nəs/ with a light, quick ending rather than a drawn-out -ness. Reference pronunciation guides on Forvo or YouGlish for native examples.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/ with non-rhotic tendencies minimal; the /r/ is not involved here. UK English tends toward /ˈdʒe.njuː.ən.nəs/ with slight reduction in the middle vowels and crisp /t/ absent; AU keeps /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/ but with a broader vowel quality in /ɔː/ or /ju:/ depending on speaker. Core rhymes remain with -ness; the main variance is vowel length and the exact quality of /juː/ and the unstressed syllables, which may be shorter and less tense in AU and some UK speakers.
Because it contains a multi-syllabic sequence with a long vowel in the second syllable /juː/ followed by a consonant cluster /ən.nəs/. The challenge is maintaining syllable integrity in rapid speech: separating /juː/ from /ən/ and producing the light alveolar /n/ sounds without adding extra vowels. Also, the initial affricate /dʒ/ needs to be crisp, not softened. Practicing with slow, isolated syllables then advancing to connected speech helps solidify- /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/.
The middle sequence /juː.ən/ can be a source of slip-ups: learners often link /juː/ directly to /ən/ producing /ˈdʒɛn.jən.nəs/. Keeping a distinct /juː/ vowel before the schwa /ən/ is essential for natural-sounding speech; ensure the /ən/ is a reduced vowel, not fully pronounced as /ən/ with extra emphasis. Also, avoid replacing /juː/ with a short /u/ sound. Practice with slow repetitions and then purposefully insert a slight pause between /juː/ and /ən/ to hear the separation.
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US: /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/ with clear /juː/ and reduced schwa; non-rhotic influence minimal. UK: /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/ with slightly tighter vowels and crisper /dʒ/; AU: /ˈdʒɛn.juː.ən.nəs/ and a flatter intonation, sometimes shorter /juː/ before /ən/; keep rhotics understated, but let the /j/ glide be evident. IPA references help: /dʒ/ as in 'judge', /ˈdʒɛn/ stressed, /juː/ as in 'you', /ən.nəs/ neutral endings. Tailor mouth position: tip of tongue near alveolar ridge for /dʒ/, middle tongue for /j/, lips rounded lightly for /juː/.
Genuineness comes from the Middle French genuinense, from Old French genuin, which descends from Latin genuinus, meaning ‘born of the knee’ or ‘native, genuine,’ rooted in genu- ‘knee, origin’ via Germanic and Latin evolutions. The sense evolved from distinguishing what is born of nature from what is artificial, to the broader modern sense of authenticity. By the 17th century, English used genuineness to describe authenticity in objects and declarations, later broadening to character and demeanor. The word traveled through literary and philosophical discourse, aligning with notions of truth and integrity in both ethics and aesthetics. First known uses surface in scholarly and religious texts where distinguishing genuine miracles or genuine relics from counterfeit items was important; by the 18th and 19th centuries, it stabilized into common usage for people’s character and statements, retaining a strong moral connotation of truthfulness and reliability.
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Words that rhyme with "Genuineness"
-me) sounds
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