4 syllables: Je, ru, sa, lem. Stress on ru.
jur-OO-suh-luhm
/dʒɚˈusələm/
Jerusalem is pronounced jur-OO-suh-luhm (/dʒɚˈusələm/). It has four syllables (Je-ru-sa-lem), with the stress on "ru". Jerusalem is a proper noun referring to the ancient and modern city, capital of Israel, significant in multiple religious traditions. The name can denote the city itself, its people, or things associated with it. In usage, it often conveys religious, historical, political, or cultural contexts and may appear in discussions ranging from archaeology to current events.
nounJerusalem is a proper noun referring to the ancient and modern city, capital of Israel, significant in multiple religious traditions. The name can denote the city itself, its people, or things associated with it. In usage, it often conveys religious, historical, political, or cultural contexts and may appear in discussions ranging from archaeology to current events.
- You often over-smooth the second syllable, turning /ruː/ into a shorter or reduced vowel. Keep the long /uː/ quality in the second syllable and avoid a quick, abrupt transition to /sə/. - The final /ləm/ is frequently rushed or devoiced; ensure you lightly release the /l/ and keep the schwa vowel, not a full vowel. - A common error is changing US/UK/AU vowel qualities mid-sentence; maintain consistent vowel length and rhotics per speaker region.
How to Pronounce Jerusalem
"The pilgrimage to Jerusalem attracts visitors from all over the world."
"She wrote a sonnet about Jerusalem’s ancient stones and sacred sites."
"They debated the political status of Jerusalem in the peace talks."
US/UK/AU IPA: dʒəˈruː.sə.ləm. Place equal stress near the middle: yer-oo-SOO-luhm in broader common speech, but careful enunciation often renders a three-syllable structure: juh-ROO-suh-luhm. Start with a short dʒ sound, then a strong mid vowel in the second syllable, and a light schwa in the final two syllables. Emphasize the second syllable slightly more in American English. Audio references include standard dictionary recordings and native-speaker examples.
Common errors include flattening the second syllable to a reduced schwa without proper vowel quality (dʒə-ru-ləm) and misplacing stress as jdʒə- rʊ-SEL-əm; another is truncating the final two syllables into a quick ‘-lem’ or mispronouncing the second syllable as a long ‘oo’ without the right duration. Correction: target three syllables with a clear /ruː/ in the second syllable and a light, unstressed final /ləm/; practice by chunking Yer-u-suh-lum with deliberate vowel quality and controlled pace.
In US English you’ll hear /dʒəˈruː.sə.ləm/ with a rhotic initial vowel and a slightly stronger second syllable; UK English often reduces the second vowel to a schwa, "/dʒəˈruː.səl.əm/" with less emphasis on the final syllable; Australian tends toward /dʒəˈɹuː.sə.ləm/ with a clipped final /m/ and a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable. Note rhoticity varies; the core three-syllable structure remains, but vowel quality and stress can shift subtly by region.
It combines a multi-syllabic, three-stress pattern with a long mid-vowel in the second syllable and a trailing unstressed cluster. The sequence /ruː/ followed by /sə/ can trip the tongue, and final /ləm/ requires a light, syllabic closure that often gets reduced. Incremental practice focusing on the second syllable’s length and the final /ləm/ clarity will help you stabilize the overall rhythm.
Jerusalem features a mid-to-high back rounded second syllable /ruː/ that should be held a touch longer than the surrounding vowels, while the final syllable /ləm/ stays light and quick. Use a three-beat rhythm: dʒə-ROO-sə-ləm, keeping the primary stress on the second syllable. In connected speech, you can reduce the final to /ləm/ without vowel loss, but preserve the l-voice for clarity.
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Jerusalem derives from ancient Semitic terms associated with the city’s religious significance and its long history. The earliest forms appear in Mesopotamian and Canaanite contexts, evolving through Hebrew and Aramaic into later Greek and Latin renderings. The name likely combines elements meaning ‘city of peace’ or ‘foundation of the god’, though etymologies vary among scholars. In Hebrew, it is ירושלים (Yerushaláyim), often interpreted as ‘City of David’ or ‘Foundation of Peace’, with Jerusalem as the focal point of the ancient kingdoms and the central Jerusalem Temple. In Greek, the name appears as Hierosolyma or Hierosolymé (from Hieros = holy, Solymoi a people group), reflecting Christian and classical traditions. Over centuries, the word migrated into Latin (Hierusalem) and Western European languages, with English usage culminating in the modern form Jerusalem. The pronunciation shifted with regional languages, yet the stress generally resides on the third syllable in many English renditions, though some speakers place emphasis earlier in the word. First known written attestations appear in biblical Hebrew sources and ancient Near Eastern inscriptions, while the modern city’s designation has evolved through Ottoman and British Mandate periods into the contemporary geopolitical term.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Jerusalem" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Jerusalem" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Jerusalem"
-lem sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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