2 syllables: Joui, ssance. Stress on ssance.
joo-IS-uhns
/dʒuːˈɪsəns/
Jouissance is pronounced joo-IS-uhns (/dʒuːˈɪsəns/). It has two syllables (Joui-ssance), with the stress on "ssance". Jouissance is a noun referring to intense pleasure or enjoyment, often with a sense of exuberant or ecstatic delight. It can also denote a full, eager experience or the active pursuit of satisfaction. In literary and philosophical contexts, it sometimes contrasts with mere contentment by emphasizing exuberance and depth of feeling.
nounJouissance is a noun referring to intense pleasure or enjoyment, often with a sense of exuberant or ecstatic delight. It can also denote a full, eager experience or the active pursuit of satisfaction. In literary and philosophical contexts, it sometimes contrasts with mere contentment by emphasizing exuberance and depth of feeling.
How to Pronounce Jouissance
"She spoke with jouissance about the rare wine, savoring every note on the palate."
"The essay explored the jouissance of art, where emotion and intellect fuse seamlessly."
"Their performance delivered jouissance, a fevered intensity that moved the audience."
Pronounce as /ˌdʒuː.ɪˈsɒ̃s/ in US/UK; in careful syllable-timed speech you can hear: DJOO-ee-SOHNSS with nasalized final vowel in French-influenced contexts. Stress falls on the third syllable: joui-SSANCE, with the main emphasis on the second syllable after the initial /dʒ/ sound. Tailor the final nasal towards a light nasal schwa before the final nasal quality; in most English contexts, the final -ss- is pronounced softly as /s/ or a light /z/ depending on surrounding sounds. Audio references include standard dictionaries and French pronunciation resources for the final vowel nuance.
Common errors include softening the 'j' too much, producing /dʒuː.ɪˈsɑːns/ instead of the rounded /sɒ̃/ nasalized vowel, and misplacing the stress on the wrong syllable. Another frequent issue is not nasalizing the final vowel, leading to a dull ending. To correct: place primary stress on the third syllable (ˌdʒuː.ɪˈsɒ̃s), shape lips for a rounded vowel in the second syllable, and lightly nasalize the final /ɔ̃/ to approximate the French nasal vowel. Practice with minimal pairs emphasizing the nasal color of -sance.
In US English, the first syllable /ˌdʒuː/ is a long, rounded onset; the second syllable /ɪ/ is a short light vowel, and the final /ˈsɒ̃s/ has a nasal vowel approximating French /ɔ̃/. In UK English, you’ll hear a closer /ɒ/ before nasalization, and the r-hotness is minimal; in Australian English, the vowels tend to be flatter, with less rounding and a less pronounced nasal quality. Across accents, the main variation is in the vowel color of the central and final syllables and the treatment of the final nasal.
The difficulty lies in the nasalized final vowel and the sequence /ɪsɒ̃/ that blends into /s/. The central challenge is maintaining the precise French nasal vowel in the final syllable while preserving a strong initial /dʒ/ and the correct stress pattern on the third syllable. The word also uses a combination of a tense high front vowel followed by a mid back rounded vowel, requiring careful mouth shaping and airflow control. Practice by isolating the nasalized final and rehearse it with the preceding /ɪ/.
The word features a pronounced nasal vowel in the final syllable that carries the resonance of French -ance endings, even though many English speakers attempt to Anglicize it. The stress pattern places emphasis on the third syllable, not the first, which can be counterintuitive for English speakers who expect two-stress words. The /dʒ/ onset is immediate and must be clear, and the central 'oi' sequence is not a standalone diphthong but a clipped /u/ followed by a soft /ɪ/ leading into the nasal -sance ending.
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Jouissance derives from the French noun jouir, meaning 'to enjoy,' itself from Latin gaudēre, meaning 'to rejoice.' The noun form jouissance entered French around the 18th century to signify a state or act of enjoyment or pleasure. In philosophical and literary contexts, notably in the works of French psychoanalytic theory (e.g., Lacan), jouissance gains a layered significance: it marks a form of enjoyment that can exceed the simple, agreeable, or socially sanctioned pleasure, often with a transgressive or paradoxical edge. The term is closely associated with the tension between pleasure, ethics, and sublimation, and it is frequently deployed to discuss intensity, desire, and the limits of pleasure. In English usage, jouissance is borrowed directly from French and is most common in academic or critical writing, rarely used in everyday speech. First English attestations appear in late 19th to early 20th century translation of French philosophical texts, retaining the accent and lexical nuance of the original.
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Words that rhyme with "Jouissance"
-ess sounds
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