2 syllables: Kib, butz. Stress on butz.
kib-UUTS
/kɪˈbʊts/
Kibbutz is pronounced kib-UUTS (/kɪˈbʊts/). It has two syllables (Kib-butz), with the stress on "butz". Kibbutz is a Hebrew-founded collective community, typically agricultural, where residents share work and resources. It functions as a self-contained social and economic unit with communal living practices. The term also denotes the cultural and geographic cluster surrounding such communities, commonly associated with Israel and its early Zionist settlement movement.
nounKibbutz is a Hebrew-founded collective community, typically agricultural, where residents share work and resources. It functions as a self-contained social and economic unit with communal living practices. The term also denotes the cultural and geographic cluster surrounding such communities, commonly associated with Israel and its early Zionist settlement movement.
"The kibbutz produced fresh vegetables for nearby cities and welcomed volunteers from abroad."
"She grew up on a kibbutz and learned to share chores from a young age."
"Several kibbutzim have modernized their economies while preserving communal traditions."
Pronounce as /kɪbˈtuts/ in US and UK. Start with a hard K, then a short 'i' as in kit, followed by a light 'b' and a syllabic 't' onset of the second syllable, ending with a short 'oo' (as in 'put' for many speakers) but with a crisp final /ts/. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: ki-BUTZ. You can listen to models on Pronounce or Forvo for native nuance.
Common errors include pronouncing the final /ts/ as /z/ or /s/ without voicing, and misplacing stress by saying ki-BOOTZ or ki-BOOts. Another error is a overly long 'i' or a too-strong b that blunts the lightness of the native consonant cluster. To correct: keep /t/ as a crisp stop before /s/, maintain short /ɪ/ in the first syllable, and place primary stress on the second syllable. Use a quick release into /t/ before the /s/.
In US, UK, and AU, the vowel in the first syllable remains short /ɪ/. The main difference lies in the onset and voicing of the final cluster; some speakers reduce /t/ or elide /s/ slightly in casual speech. US speakers often have a slightly stronger /ɪ/ and a crisper /t/ before the /s/, UK speakers may exhibit a lighter /t/ and slightly rounded /u/ in the second syllable, and AU speakers typically maintain a very clear /t/ and pronounced final /s/. The primary stress remains on the second syllable across all three.
The difficulty centers on the final /ts/ cluster, which combines a voiceless alveolar stop /t/ with a voiceless alveolar fricative /s/. Non-native speakers often voice the /t/ or merge the clusters, producing /tuz/ or /təs/. The word also has a multi-syllabic rhythm with secondary stress tendencies in non-native speech. Mastery requires precise tongue placement for /t/ and /s/ and keeping the second syllable strong while not over-aspirating the initial /k/.
The combination /-bˈtuts/ features a bilabial /b/ immediately followed by an alveolar stop /t/ and an alveolar fricative /s/. This tight consonant cluster challenges non-native speakers, who often insert a vowel or slow the pace between /b/ and /t/. The correct articulation is to transition smoothly from /b/ to /t/ with a quick release into the final /ts/—keeping the tongue blade at the alveolar ridge for /t/ and producing a crisp /s/.
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Kibbutz derives from Hebrew word קיבוץ (kibbutz), formed from the root ק-ב-ץ (Q-B-TS), meaning 'to gather' or 'to collect'. The term emerged in the early 20th century with the Zionist movement’s kibbutz experiment as a form of agricultural commune. The concept embodies collective farming, shared resources, and egalitarian social structure. The word entered English through Hebrew speakers and academic discourse on modern Hebrew society. Early usage in English texts around the 1910s–1920s reflected anthropological and sociological interest in communal settlement as a model for cooperative rural life. Over time, kibbutz has become synonymous with a distinctive Israeli rural-social model; while its economic arrangements have evolved, the term still signals a historically rooted collective settlement.
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Words that rhyme with "Kibbutz"
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