Israeli (adj.) relating to Israel, its people, or culture. In everyday use, it often describes nationality, origin, or attributes associated with Israel. When used attributively, it precedes a noun; as a predicate, it may follow a linking verb. The term is common in political, cultural, and travel contexts, and is pronounced with attention to stress and vowel quality.
"She wore an Israeli flag pin as a nod to her heritage."
"The Israeli city of Tel Aviv is known for its beaches and nightlife."
"He spoke with an Israeli accent during the interview."
"They studied Israeli history and music in their course."
The word Israeli originates from the noun Israel, itself derived from the Hebrew term Yisra'el (יְשׂרָאֵל) meaning “struggled with God” or “God contends.” The adjective Israeli follows English practice of adding -i to national or ethnographic nouns to form demonyms (cf. Canadian, Australian). Its first English attestations date to the 20th century as Israel became a modern political entity (post-1948). The root Israel traces back to Biblical Hebrew; the name’s meaning is linked to the biblical patriarch Jacob, who was renamed Israel. Over time, Israeli as an adjective extended to people and things associated with the modern State of Israel, its geography, culture, language (Hebrew and Jewish traditions), and society. The term gained global usage with diaspora interactions, media, and academic discourse, solidifying its role as a standard demonym and cultural descriptor across politics, travel, and sociology.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Israeli" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Israeli" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Israeli"
-eli sounds
-lly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ɪzˈreɪ.li/ (US) or /ɪzˈreɪ.əl.i/ (UK/AU). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: iz-RAI-li. Start with a short, lax vowel in the first syllable, then the diphthong in the second. End with two light, quick syllables; the final 'i' is a short, clean vowel. Visualize: ihz-RAI-lee, with the 'rai' like 'rain' without the n. If you hear it said fast, it can sound like iz-RAH-lee in some fast speech.
Two frequent issues: misplacing stress (often shifting to iz-RAI-el or iz-RA-yli) and treating the second syllable as a schwa-heavy /ə/ rather than a clear /eɪ/. The fix: keep the primary stress on the second syllable and pronounce the 'rai' as a clean / reɪ / with a tight glide into the final /li/. Avoid elongating the final syllable; end more clipped: iz-RAI-lee.
In US English, /ɪzˈreɪ.li/ with a crisp /ɪ/ and a clear /eɪ/ in the second syllable. UK and Australian tends to preserve a slightly longer vowel in the second syllable, often /ɪzˈreɪ.əl.i/ or /ɪzˈreɪ.li/, with a more pronounced schwa-like mid segment before the final /li/ in rapid speech. Rhoticity is typically non-rhotic in British accents but may be pronounced as /ɪzˈreɪ.li/ in more rhotic US registers.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable-then-three-syllable rhythm with secondary vowel shifts and the /ˈreɪ/ diphthong that can bleed into a schwa in less careful speech. The combination of a stressed second syllable and a light final vowel makes the word prone to truncation or mis-stressing. Paying attention to the glide in /reɪ/ and keeping the final /i/ short helps accuracy.
Is the final 'i' pronounced as a long 'ee' in careful speech?
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