Jus is a noun that refers to a flavorful liquid produced by cooking meat, often used as a sauce or gravy. In culinary contexts, the term denotes the seasoned juices extracted during roasting or braising, sometimes reduced to intensify flavor. It can also appear in phrases like “jus de viande,” highlighting its French culinary roots and broad usage in food terminology.
- You nearly turn the /dʒ/ into a /j/ or a soft /d/; ensure the front of the tongue rises to create an affricate with a brief, hard release. • To fix, practice the /dʒ/ in isolation: press the middle of tongue to the hard palate, release with a light burst, not a hiss. - Rushing the /uː/ leads to /u/ or /juː/; keep rounded lips and a steady, long vowel. Use a quick transition to /s/. - Final /s/ sometimes becomes a hiss of air; practice a clean, light energy release without voicing. Use a small chunk of air and a crisp /s/.
- US: /dʒuːs/ with a slightly tighter vowel, r-less approach to the /uː/, and a brisk, non-voiced /s/. - UK: /dʒuːs/ with slightly rounded lips, more precise /dʒ/ onset, and a crisp /s/. - AU: /dʒuːs/ often with a mild centralized vowel resonance; keep lips rounded and jaw relaxed; simulate neutral vowel quality and a short, clean /s/. IPA remains /dʒuːs/ across accents, but timing and vowel quality differ.
"The chef spooned warm jus over the roast potatoes."
"A rich beef jus complemented the plate’s savory notes."
"They served the roast with a delicate onion jus."
"Leftover jus can be reduced into a glossy glaze for other dishes."
Jus originates from the French word jus, meaning ‘juice’ or ‘broth.’ The term entered English culinary vocabulary to specifically denote the flavorful liquid drawn from meat during cooking, often collected from roasting pans. Its earliest usage in English appears in cookery texts of the early modern period, where cooks described sauces and reductions derived from meat juices. The word’s semantic evolution reflects a specialization: from the generic ‘juice’ to a savory, reduced sauce component that enhances meat dishes. In many cuisines, jus can be anthropomorphized as the glossy, concentrated essence of cooked proteins, sometimes infused with wine, stock, or aromatics. Today, “jus” is widely used in haute cuisine as a refined alternative to gravy, and it has proliferated across menus and cookbooks, especially in French-influenced culinary contexts. The borrowed form has retained its French orthography while adapting to modern culinary vernacular, where it is often spelled without diacritics and used broadly beyond strictly French recipes. First known printed appearances in English culinary writing appear in the 17th to 18th centuries as French culinary terms infiltrated English kitchens, signaling the cross-cultural exchange of gastronomy between English-speaking cooks and French cuisine. The word’s continued use underscores its role as a succinct term for a savory extraction, distinct from other sauces by its focus on the meat juices themselves.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Jus" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Jus" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Jus" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Jus"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as /dʒuːs/. Start with a voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/ like in ‘judge,’ then a long /uː/ vowel as in ‘food,’ and finish with an unaspirated /s/. The word is one syllable with stress on the only syllable. Picture your mouth starting with a light, rounded lip position for the /uː/ and keep it steady through the final /s/. Audio reference: you’ll hear this in culinary videos labeled ‘jus’ or in French menus using the same spelling.
Two common errors are mispronouncing the initial /dʒ/ as a plain /j/ and shortening the /uː/ to a short /u/ as in ‘bus.’ To correct, ensure your start is a true affricate: touch the tongue behind the upper teeth, release with a brief burst, then glide into the long /uː/ with rounded lips. Avoid turning it into ‘jus’ in American English as a quick /tʃ/ or /j/ sound.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the core /dʒuːs/ is similar, with minor vowel timing differences. US tends to have a slightly tighter /uː/ and quicker transition to /s/. UK vowel quality remains compact but with marginally more precise articulation of /dʒ/. Australian tends to be a with a more centralized vowel space, sometimes producing a slightly shorter /uː/ and a crisper /s/. Overall, rhoticity is not relevant here since /r/ isn’t present. IPA remains /dʒuːs/ in all three; emphasis shifts subtly in timing.
The challenge lies in maintaining the clean affricate /dʒ/ followed by a sustained /uː/ without reducing into /juː/ or a simple /j/ + /u/. Beginners often mispronounce as /dʒəs/ with a shorter vowel or drop the final /s/. Focus on keeping a single, brisk /dʒ/ onset, a long back vowel with rounded lips, and a crisp /s/ release. Precision in tongue position and lip rounding makes the sound natural in one fluid motion.
Jus is a monosyllable, so it has primary stress by default on the only syllable. The important nuance is maintaining a clean onset and avoiding an extra syllable or vowel prolongation. In careful culinary narration, you might momentarily sharpen the initial /dʒ/ with a slightly crisper release before settling into the sustained /uː/ and final /s/. This clean one-syllable delivery supports clarity in fast kitchen talking.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Jus"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker pronouncing ‘jus’ in context (recipes, menus) and repeat in real-time. - Minimal pairs: jus vs fuss vs bus vs juice, focusing on /dʒ/ onset clarity and /uː/ duration. - Rhythm: practice the single-syllable word within longer phrases like ‘beef jus’ to maintain natural timing. - Stress & intonation: as a single word, keep level pitch; in phrases, ensure contrastive stress on the noun when needed. - Recording: use your phone to record yourself saying ‘jus’ in a sentence; listen for crisp onset and vowel length.
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