2 syllables: jew, ish. Stress on jew.
JOO-ish
/ˈdʒuɪʃ/
jewish is pronounced JOO-ish (/ˈdʒuɪʃ/). It has two syllables (jew-ish), with the stress on "jew". A (usually) attributive adjective and noun referring to Judaism or Jewish people/symbols, or to something related to Jews. In contemporary usage it often describes culture, religion, or identity. The term is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable and features a light, unstressed second vowel.
A (usually) attributive adjective and noun referring to Judaism or Jewish people/symbols, or to something related to Jews. In contemporary usage it often describes culture, religion, or identity. The term is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable and features a light, unstressed second vowel.
- Common phonetic challenges include misplacing the glide between /dʒ/ and /uː/ and lengthening or misplacing the /ɪ/ vowel. - Correction tips: practice with careful timing: /dʒ/ onset quickly followed by a pure /uː/ before the brief /ɪ/. Do not insert a full vowel between /uː/ and /ɪ/. Use minimal pairs to stabilize the glide, e.g., 'duke' vs 'Jewish' to feel the /dʒ/ + /uː/ combination. - Record yourself and compare with native samples; aim for a crisp /dʒ/ onset and a compact /uː/ that doesn’t dip into /ju/.”
"- He studied Jewish history and culture at university."
"- The Jewish community gathered for the holiday celebration."
"- She wore a pendant with a Star of David to honor her Jewish heritage."
Pronounce as JOO-ish, with stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈdʒuːɪʃ/. The first syllable combines /dʒ/ (as in judge), a long /uː/ vowel, and the second syllable uses a short /ɪ/ followed by /ʃ/. The /w/ is not pronounced as a separate consonant; the /uː/ vowel lengthened before the /ɪ/ glide. Tip: keep the /dʒ/ single onset and avoid adding an extra vowel between syllables. Audio references: compare pronunciations on Forvo or Cambridge; you’ll hear the same stressed first syllable followed by a clipped /ɪʃ/.
Common errors include saying it as two syllables with a separate /w/ sound (ju-wish) or flattening the /juː/ into a short /u/ sound. Another mistake is misplacing stress or merging the second vowel into a longer, unstable vowel (e.g., /ˈdʒuː.ɪʒ/). Correction: keep /dʒ/ as an affricate onset, use a clear /uː/ crest for the first vowel, then a short /ɪ/ before /ʃ/. Practice with minimal pairs like 'tube' and 'Jewish' to stabilize the glide.
In US/UK/AU, the onset remains /dʒ/ and the primary vowel is /uː/. Variations appear in rhoticity and the length of the vowel: US tends to have a slightly longer, tenser /uː/ and can show mild rhotic influence, while non-rhotic UK varieties may have a lighter /r/ influence and closer to /ˈdʒuːɪʃ/. Australian accents typically mirror US vowel quality but with subtle vowel height differences and faster flaps. Overall, the main differences lie in vowel length and vowel quality rather than consonant identity.
Because it blends a strong initial affricate /dʒ/ with a long high back vowel /uː/ followed by a short /ɪ/ before /ʃ/. The transition between /uː/ and /ɪ/ is a quick glide, which can be tricky for learners who are not comfortable with fronting the tongue for the /ɪ/ after a rounded vowel. The /ʃ/ at the end is straightforward, but the short /ɪ/ can be mispronounced as /iː/ or /ɪ/ prolonged. IPA reminders help anchor the sounds: /ˈdʒuːɪʃ/.
The key unique feature is maintaining a clean, rounded /uː/ nucleus in the first vowel without inserting an extra vowel or breaking the glide into two syllables. Keep the vowel compact and avoid pronouncing /ju/ as /jə/ or /juːə/. The accurate sequence is /dʒ/ + /uː/ + /ɪ/ + /ʃ/; ensure the /ɪ/ is short and not colored by the preceding /uː/.
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The term Jewish derives from the Latin Iudaeus, borrowed from Greek Ioudaios, which itself traces to the Hebrew Yehudi, meaning a member of the Tribe of Judah or a resident of the Kingdom of Judah. In English, Jewish emerges in the 14th–15th centuries, initially referring to people of the tribe or region of Judah within the ancient Hebrew kingdoms and later encompassing religious and cultural identity tied to Judaism. The shift from tribal/regional designation to broader cultural/ethnic identity mirrors broader medieval and early modern trends in naming groups by place and faith. Over time, Jewish acquired expansive usage to describe people whose religion, culture, or ethnicity aligns with Judaism, not limited to geographic origin. The word’s semantic scope broadened with Jewish communities' growth in diaspora contexts, phraseology in law and policy, and in modern identity politics. First known English attestations surface in Middle English writings, with more precise religious and cultural connotations solidifying in the early modern period as Jewish communities integrated into wider English-speaking societies.
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Words that rhyme with "jewish"
-ish sounds
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