2 syllables: I, tunes. Stress on I.
EYE-toonz
/ˈaɪˌtunz/
Itunes is pronounced EYE-toonz (/ˈaɪˌtunz/). It has two syllables (I-tunes), with the stress on "I". Itunes is a brand-name noun referring to the former Apple media software and store, commonly written as iTunes. It denotes a multimedia platform for purchasing, organizing, and playing music, movies, and apps on Apple devices. The term is widely recognized in tech contexts and often cited in discussions of digital media ecosystems and product ecosystems.
nounItunes is a brand-name noun referring to the former Apple media software and store, commonly written as iTunes. It denotes a multimedia platform for purchasing, organizing, and playing music, movies, and apps on Apple devices. The term is widely recognized in tech contexts and often cited in discussions of digital media ecosystems and product ecosystems.
- You may misplace stress by giving too much emphasis to ‘Tunes’ or by flattening the rhythm; practice treating it as two syllables with a clear I-tyoon split. - Some learners drop the /j/ after /t/, producing /ˈtaunz/ or /ˈtaunz/. Work on the glide /juː/ after /t/ to recreate the brand’s natural sonority. - Ending cluster /nz/ can sound like a hard 'z' or be devoiced; focus on producing a voiced /z/ with nasal onset before it and avoid voiceless endings. To correct: slow the word, enunciate the /t/ release, insert a light /j/, and finish with /nz/ distinctively.
How to Pronounce Itunes
"I’m organizing my library in iTunes before syncing my iPhone."
"She downloaded the latest version of iTunes from Apple’s website."
"We used iTunes to create a custom playlist for the party."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈaɪˌtjuːnz/. Start with the long 'I' sound /aɪ/, then a light /t/ followed by /juː/ (the /j/ sound combined with a long 'oo' as in 'you'), and end with /nz/ (a voiced 'n' plus a z). The primary stress is on the first syllable, with a secondary emphasis on the second. Think 'EYE-tyoonz' but blend the 'tyoo' quickly.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress by saying /ˈaɪtjuːnz/ with heavy emphasis on 'Tunes' instead of 'I' 2) Dropping the /j/ sound leading to /ˈaɪtuːnz/ 3) Reversing the order as 'TUNE-YES' or confusing with 'iTunes' store name. Correction: Keep the /t/ immediately after the first vowel and glide into /juː/ smoothly, maintaining the /nz/ ending. Practice saying 'eye-tyoons' with a gentle 's' at the end.
US: /ˈaɪˌtjuːnz/ with a clear /j/ and rhotic 'r' absence here; UK: /ˈaɪˌtjuːnz/ similar, sometimes a slightly clearer /juː/ and less vowel reduction; AU: /ˈaɪˌtjuːnz/ with final vowel length slightly shorter and a more clipped /nz/. Overall, all three share the same syllable count and stress pattern; differences are subtle, centered on vowel quality and the duration of the final /nz/ and the exact vowel in /juː/.
The difficulty lies in the 'i' leading sound combined with an immediate /t/ and the /juː/ glide, which can blur into /tjuː/ or /tuː/ for non-native speakers. The presence of the 'j' glide after a hard consonant is tricky, and the final /nz/ consonant cluster can cause uncertainty about voicing and nasal placement. Practice focusing on the transition from /aɪ/ to /tjuː/ and keep the /n/ and /z/ distinct.
A unique aspect is the 't'-glide into /juː/ creating a /tjuː/ cluster in rapid speech; speakers sometimes reduce to /tuː/ or /tjuːn/. Keeping the /t/ release and the /j/ sound separate yields the most accurate pronunciation; ensure the final /nz/ is a voiced nasal plus voiced alveolar fricative, not /n/ alone. It's a brand-name, so precise articulation matters.
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- US: emphasize the /juː/ glide; keep rhotics neutral, with clear /ɪ/ in the initial vowel if pronounced as 'eye'. - UK: often a slightly tighter lip rounding on /juː/ and crisper /nz/; the /ɒ/ vs /ɪ/ difference is minimal in iTunes. - AU: tends to be a bit more clipped, with a quicker transition from /t/ to /juː/ and slightly higher vowel quality; maintain the two-syllable rhythm.
The term iTunes originated as a branded product name created by Apple Inc. in the early 2000s, combining the letter 'i' (a convention for Apple’s internet-connected products—think iMac, iPod) with 'Tunes,' signaling a focus on music. The initial release of iTunes (2001) consolidated music management, a digital storefront, and later device syncing, evolving into a broader media ecosystem with store and software components. The name gained prominence as Apple’s ecosystem expanded to include iPod, iPhone, and iPad integrations, reinforcing the i-prefix branding. Over time, iTunes became synonymous with digital music organization, licensing, and playback, before being restructured into separate apps on newer macOS versions and iOS ecosystems, with Services and Apple Music assuming some functions. The phrase first gained widespread public usage with early Apple marketing and software documentation in the 2000s, and it remains a recognizable brand even as its role shifts in modern media software configurations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Itunes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Itunes"
-nes sounds
-uns sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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