Glasnost is a political term meaning openness or transparency in government, popularized to describe a policy of increased transparency and freedom of information in the late Soviet era. As a noun, it refers to the policy itself or to the broader cultural climate it fostered, including media liberalization and public discourse. It is often encountered in discussions of post-Stalinist reforms and Cold War history.
"The Soviet leadership introduced glasnost to encourage public discussion about social issues."
"Critics debated whether glasnost genuinely reduced censorship or simply reshaped it."
"During the 1980s, glasnost accompanied perestroika as a push for economic and political liberalization."
"Scholars analyze glasnost as a catalyst for greater political pluralism in Eastern Europe."
Glasnost is a Russian noun formed from the root glas- meaning ‘to speak’ or ‘to publicize’ and the suffix -nost, which forms abstract nouns akin to ‘state’ or ‘quality’ (as in the English -ness). The term emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in political discourse, but it gained global prominence after Mikhail Gorbachev adopted it in the mid-1980s as part of policies promoting government transparency and open discussion. The word entered English-language news and political commentary during the late 1980s, often used in discussions of Soviet reform and Cold War diplomacy. The concept is tied to broader shifts toward information dissemination, media liberalization, and public accountability within the USSR and Eastern Europe. First known usage in English-focused reports appears in Western journalism around 1986-1987, though the term existed in Russian discourse earlier. The phonetic form in English typically renders it as /ˈɡlæs.nɒst/ or /ɡlɑːzˈnoʊst/, reflecting attempts to approximate the Russian pronunciation while fitting English phonotactics.
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Words that rhyme with "Glasnost"
-ost sounds
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You pronounce it as glahs-NOST with the primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA US: ˈɡlæˌsnɒst or ˈɡlæsˌnɒst; UK: ˈɡlɑːzˌnɒst. Start with a short, open front vowel for ‘glas’ (as in 'glad'), then a crisp s-n-t cluster at the end. You’ll want the 'sn' sequence quick but not conflated, and end with a clear 'st' without voicing. Listening to native usage helps lock the exact vowel quality in your accent. Audio references: try Pronounce or YouGlish for real usage.
Common errors: mispronouncing the first syllable as /ɡleɪ/ or /ɡlɒ/ instead of /ˈɡlæs/. The second syllable often borrows an American /oʊ/ instead of the short /ɒ/; keep it short. Another frequent issue is rushing the final /st/, producing /ɪst/ or /st/ without the preceding /n/. Correct by practicing the cluster /snɒst/ slowly, then speed up while keeping the vowel short and the /s/ and /t/ clearly released. Use minimal pairs with /æ/ vs /ɑː/ to train the correct diphthong and vowel length.
US: stress on the first syllable; vowels tend toward a short /æ/ in ‘glas’ and a rounded short /ɒ/ in ‘nost’ depending on region. UK: more rounded /ɑː/ for ‘glas’ and a clearer final /ɒ/ in ‘nost’; non-rhotic tendency can soften the r-less quality of adjacent syllables. AU: often similar to UK with a slightly broader vowel in /æ/ and more pronounced final /ɒ/; sometimes a slight reduction in /sn/ timing. In all, the main differences are vowel quality, rhoticity, and syllable-timing. IPA notes: US ˈɡlæˌsnɒst, UK ˈɡlɑːzˌnɒst, AU ˈɡlæsˌnɒst.
The difficulty arises from the Russian-origin vowel in the second syllable and the consonant cluster /sn/ before /st/. The /æ/ in the first syllable is not typical in many Anglophone words with ‘ Glas-’; English often does not have a relaxed, short /æ/ before a back vowel, so learners mispronounce. The /sn/ sequence must be quick to avoid a lingering /s/ sound or an intrusive vowel. Keeping the final /st/ crisp with a voiceless stop is essential. Practicing with IPA cues helps you map mouth positions.
In English usage, Glasnost commonly carries primary stress on the first syllable in many contexts (ˈɡlaːzˌnɒst in more careful speech), but some speakers may emphasize the second syllable in fast or branded usage (ɡlæsˈnɒst). The core is to keep the /ɡ/ before /l/ with a light onset and then clearly separate the /sn/ from /t/. Always anchor the main idea by holding a stable onset and releasing the final /st/ crisply.
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