2 syllables: je, sus. Stress on je.
JEE-zuhs
/ˈdʒizəs/
jesus is pronounced JEE-zuhs (/ˈdʒizəs/). It has two syllables (je-sus), with the stress on "je". Jesus is a historical and religious name referring to the central figure of Christianity, traditionally regarded as the Son of God and savior. In everyday language, it also appears as a respectful proper noun and, less commonly, as an exclamation. The term carries deep cultural and linguistic nuance across contexts and languages.
Jesus is a historical and religious name referring to the central figure of Christianity, traditionally regarded as the Son of God and savior. In everyday language, it also appears as a respectful proper noun and, less commonly, as an exclamation. The term carries deep cultural and linguistic nuance across contexts and languages.
"Many scholars discuss the historical Jesus in the context of first-century Judaean society."
"In church services, the name Jesus is used in prayers, hymns, and liturgy."
"Some modern translations render verses with ‘Jesus’ in place of longer titles like ‘Jesus Christ.’"
Pronounce it as /ˈdʒiː.zəs/ in most dialects of English. The first syllable carries primary stress, the vowel is a long 'ee' as in 'see,' and the second syllable is unstressed with a schwa /ə/ or /ɪ/ quality, depending on the speaker. Mouth position: start with the lips relaxed, raise the tongue blade for the voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/ and release, then glide into a long /iː/ and finish with a relaxed /zəs/ ending. You’ll hear the same pattern in US, UK, and AU accents, with minor vowel length adjustments.
Common errors include saying a short /i/ in the first syllable instead of /iː/ and turning the second syllable into /ˌiːəs/ or /zɪs/ instead of a neutral schwa. Another pitfall is misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable (jes-ÙS-es). Focus on a clear /dʒ/ onset, a sustained /iː/ in the first syllable, and a light, unstressed second syllable /zəs/. Practicing with a held vowel in the first syllable helps flatten the second syllable more naturally.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈdʒiː.zəs/ stays consistent: initial /dʒ/ and /iː/ in the first syllable, followed by a reduced /zəs/. The differences lie in vowel length and quality. US often has a slightly longer /iː/ and a less clipped second syllable; UK may feature a crisper /z/ and a clipped, quick /əs/ ending; AU tends toward a centralized /ə/ in the second syllable and a softer /z/ due to vowel indexing. All maintain rhotics loosely in connected speech but not as strongly as /ˈdʒiːzəs/ without the rhotic vowel.
The difficulty is primarily the two-syllable structure with a stressed first syllable and a reduced second syllable, plus the /dʒ/ onset and delicate /zəs/ coda. Non-native speakers may attempt an easier single-syllable form or mispronounce the long /iː/ as /ɪ/. Focus on the distinct affricate onset /dʒ/, the lengthened /iː/ vowel, and the unstressed, schwa-like end that lands neatly in connected speech.
A common unique query is whether to pronounce the final 's' as /z/ or an /s/ sound. In most English dialects, the final is a voiced alveolar sibilant /z/ in connected speech when the following sound is voiced; otherwise it often stays as a voiceless /s/ in isolation. The natural form is /ˈdʒiː.zəs/ with a voiced /z/ in the middle-to-end position, followed by a weak, reduced /əs/ in casual speech.
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The proper name Jesus derives from the Latin Iesus, which in turn comes from the Greek Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς). The Greek form is a rendering of the Hebrew Yeshua (ישוע), a shortened form of Yahushua or Yehoshua, meaning ‘Yahweh is salvation.’ In the Hebrew Bible, the name Joshua is closely related but distinct; both share the same linguistic root. In early Christian usage, Jesus was often contrasted with titles such as Christ or Lord, emphasizing his perceived role as savior. The Latin church fathers Latinized Iēsous as Iesus, which then entered vernaculars across Europe. In English, the name appears in Middle English as Iesus or Jesus by the 14th–15th centuries, with the modern spelling and capitalization solidifying in Early Modern English. Over time, the pronunciation shifted through the influence of Latin, Greek, and vernacular phonologies, with the US, UK, and AU varieties yielding distinct vowel qualities and consonant articulations while maintaining the same root. In religious contexts, the name carries theological significance, and its pronunciation can be sensitive in liturgical settings or casual speech depending on cultural norms and dialect.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "jesus" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "jesus"
- us sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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