4 syllables: Ho, mo, phi, ly. Stress on phi.
hoh-moh-FIL-ee
/hoʊ moʊ ˈfɪ li/
Homophily is pronounced hoh-moh-FIL-ee (/hoʊ moʊ ˈfɪ li/). It has four syllables (Ho-mo-phi-ly), with the stress on "phi". Homophily is the tendency for individuals to associate with others who are similar to themselves, especially in terms of demographic or social attributes. In research and sociology, it describes networks formed through similarity, often influencing how groups form and information spreads. It is commonly discussed in contrast to heterophily, where diversity governs connections.
adverbHomophily is the tendency for individuals to associate with others who are similar to themselves, especially in terms of demographic or social attributes. In research and sociology, it describes networks formed through similarity, often influencing how groups form and information spreads. It is commonly discussed in contrast to heterophily, where diversity governs connections.
- You may tilt toward American English vowel qualities and mispronounce the first vowel as /ɒ/ instead of the proper /oʊ/ or /ɒ/ depending on accent; ensure you’re rounding the lips for the US /oʊ/ and not maintaining a flat /o/. - The /aɪ/ diphthong is often shortened. Practice a full glide from /ə/ to /aɪ/ rather than a quick /ɪ/. - Final /li/ can become /lɪ/ or be run together as /li/; keep the final /i/ crisp and clearly articulated. - Stress displacement can occur in rapid speech; maintain primary stress on the second-to-last syllable by practicing the rhythm ho-MO-phi-ly.
"Researchers study homophily in social networks to understand how friendships form among people with shared interests."
"In online communities, homophily can reinforce echo chambers by clustering users with similar viewpoints."
"Marketing strategies consider homophily when targeting audiences that share common tastes or backgrounds."
Pronounce as ho-MO-fi-ly, with primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/ (UK/AU) or /ˌhoʊməˈfaɪli/ (US). Start with a clear initial /h/ breath, then /ɒ/ (UK) or /oʊ/ (US) in ‘ho’, followed by /mə/ in the second syllable, strong /ʊ/ or /ɪ/ in the third, and a light /li/ at the end. Visualize a small lift in the jaw for the diphthong in ‘phi’ and keep the final syllable crisp.
Two frequent errors: (1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable, resulting in ho-MO-fi-ly or ho-mo-FI-ly. (2) Incorrectly pronouncing the /faɪ/ as /fiː/ or /faɪ/ with a flat vowel; keep the diphthong /aɪ/ clearly moving from /a/ to /ɪ/. Practice the sequence ho - mə - faɪ - ly with a slight emphasis on the /faɪ/ and a crisp final /li/.
US tends to use /ˌhoʊməˈfaɪli/ with a clear /oʊ/ in the first vowel and rhotics /ɹ/ absent in post-vocalic positions; UK/AU use /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/ or /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/ with short /ɒ/ and non-rhotic r, giving a softer /ɒ/ followed by /mə/ and a strong /faɪ/ diphthong. The final syllable remains /li/ in all. Accent differences primarily affect the first vowel quality and rhoticity, with US rhoticity influencing /ɹ/ after vowels in connected speech.
3 main challenges: (1) The sequence /məˈfaɪ/ includes a diphthong /aɪ/ that slides, so you need a smooth move from /ə/ to /aɪ/. (2) The secondary stress pattern places emphasis on the third syllable, which can be easy to flatten in fast speech. (3) The combination of /m/ + /f/ + /aɪ/ requires precise lip and tongue coordination to avoid mispronouncing as /məˈfɪli/ or /hoʊməˌfaɪli/. Focus on the transition between consonant clusters and the diphthong.”},{
Homophily contains a three-consonant progression /m - f - l/ at the syllable break, which can cause a subtle anticipatory lip tension and mis-ted. Keep your lips relaxed for /m/ and /f/ and glide into /aɪ/ without adding an extra vowel. Seal the /li/ with a crisp alveolar contact and avoid devoicing the /l/.
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- US: rhotic accent; emphasize the /r/ only in loan words or not at all after vowels; but for homophily, there is no /r/. Use /ˌhoʊməˈfaɪli/. - UK: non-rhotic; ensure ending /li/ remains; /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/. Vowel /ɒ/ is open back rounded; keep lips rounded for /ɒ/ and stay relaxed. - AU: similar to UK but often with slight vowel shifts; /ˌhɔːməˈfaɪli/ or /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/ depending on speaker; maintain non-rhoticity and a clear /aɪ/ diphthong. IPA references: US /ˌhoʊməˈfaɪli/, UK/AU /ˌhɒməˈfaɪli/ or /ˌhɔːməˈfaɪli/.
Homophily derives from the Greek prefix homo- meaning 'same' and philia meaning 'love' or 'affection.' The term was popularized in social science to describe the affinity among individuals based on shared attributes. The word emerged in scholarly discourse in the late 20th century as researchers formalized network theory concepts around similarity-based ties, distinguishing it from heterophily (liking of others who are different). Early usage can be traced to sociological writings exploring social networks, friend circles, and professional connections, where homophily explained why particular groups cluster and how information, norms, and opportunities propagate within them. Over time, the concept broadened to include categorical similarities like age, education, religion, politics, and cultural background, as well as shared behaviors and interests. The growing availability of social data and network analyses in the 1990s and 2000s cemented homophily as a central principle in understanding social structures, online platform dynamics, and organizational behavior. First known uses appear in sociological treatises and network science literature, where researchers formalized the idea of tie formation driven by similarity, often quantifying it through measures of node attributes and connection statistics.
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Words that rhyme with "Homophily"
-lly sounds
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