One syllable: jeans.
jeenz
/dʒinz/
jeans is pronounced jeenz (/dʒinz/). It has one syllable (jeans), with the stress on "jeans". Jeans are close-fitting trousers made from denim, typically worn as casual wear. The word refers to a garment style rather than fabric color or cut, and in everyday use it denotes a durable, comfortable pants option. The term is almost always used in plural form, though the singular can appear in fashion contexts.
Jeans are close-fitting trousers made from denim, typically worn as casual wear. The word refers to a garment style rather than fabric color or cut, and in everyday use it denotes a durable, comfortable pants option. The term is almost always used in plural form, though the singular can appear in fashion contexts.
"I bought a pair of classic blue jeans last weekend."
"She rolled up the cuffs of her jeans before sitting by the bonfire."
"These jeans fit a bit tight at the hips, so I might size up."
Jeans is pronounced /dʒinz/ in US, UK, and AU accents. The initial sound is the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ as in
Common errors: pronouncing the vowel as a long /iː/ (jeans → /dʒiːnz/) which elongates the diphthong unnecessarily; misplacing the tongue so the /dʒ/ sounds like /j/ or /tʃ/; omitting the final /z/ voice (jeanz). Correction: keep a short, crisp /ɪ/ or /i/ in the middle and finish with /nz/ voice. Use minimal pair practice: jeans vs jeans? (but) /dʒiːnz/ vs /dʒinz/ is subtle; aim for the ash-like short i as in
US and AU share /dʒinz/ with rhotic vowels and clear final z; UK tends to similar /dʒinz/ but with slightly tighter jaw and different vowel quality for /i/; UK can have a shorter, tenser vowel in fast speech; in some UK regional accents, the final /z/ may sound more alveolar fricative; overall the diphthong is minimal and the same consonant cluster remains intact.
The challenge lies in producing the /dʒ/ blend smoothly at onset and ensuring the final /nz/ maintains voicing without devoicing; the /i/ vowel must be short and not overextended; in rapid speech the final consonant cluster can elide or merge with following word, so you may hear a voiced /n/ with a quick, almost unseen /z/. Focus on the precise tongue blade position for /dʒ/ and the alveolar z sound.
Jeans has a stable, simple phoneme set, but the word often triggers metrical weak form integration in connected speech. A unique facet is that the plural form, Jeans, is pronounced identically to singular English words ending in s-like 'seines' in some languages, but in English it remains /dʒinz/. The key is keeping the /n/ nasal and the /z/ voiced; avoid de-voicing. Also, in rapid dialogue you may hear a slight reduction of the vowel before the /n/ leading to a nearly clipped /dʒinz/.
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The word jeans traces to the 19th century, with roots in the Italian phrase genova or genoa meaning Genoa, a port known for sturdy fabric. The fabric called jean may have originated from de Nîmes (from Nîmes, France) which gave phrase “denim” and “serge de Nîmes.” Early workwear used riveted trousers made from denim denim-like fabrics produced in Nîmes and Genoa. The modern garment known as jeans emerged in the United States in the mid-1800s, popularized by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, who used copper rivets for durability. The term jeans became common as the fabric and style spread globally through laborers and later youth countercultures. Over the 20th century, jeans evolved from rugged workwear to fashion staples, with numerous cuts (bootcut, skinny, straight) and washes (stone-washed, acid-washed). The word has remained consistently plural in common usage, with singular “jean” existing in fashion contexts to describe a single style of denim trousers. First known print usage of “jeans” appears in American catalogues and newspapers by the late 19th century, cementing the plural form as standard.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "jeans" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "jeans" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "jeans"
-ans sounds
-ens sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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