2 syllables: Le, gume. Stress on Le.
LEG-yoom
/ˈlɛˌɡjum/
Legume is pronounced LEG-yoom (/ˈlɛˌɡjum/). It has two syllables (Le-gume), with the stress on "Le". Legume is a noun referring to a plant in the Fabaceae family that bears its seeds in pods. Legumes are notable for their protein-rich seed content and their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, making them valuable in crop rotations and diets. The term also denotes the edible seeds themselves, such as beans, lentils, and peas.
nounLegume is a noun referring to a plant in the Fabaceae family that bears its seeds in pods. Legumes are notable for their protein-rich seed content and their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, making them valuable in crop rotations and diets. The term also denotes the edible seeds themselves, such as beans, lentils, and peas.
How to Pronounce Legume
"The farmer rotated legumes with cereals to improve soil fertility."
"Lentils are a popular legume in soups and stews across many cultures."
"She added chickpeas, a common legume, to the salad for extra protein."
Pronounced /ˈlɛɡjuːm/ in US and UK variants, with the first syllable stressed. Break it as LEG-yo͞om: the tensed short vowel in the first syllable, followed by a light 'y' glide before the long 'oom' vowel. In phonetic detail: /ˈlɛɡ.juːm/. The 'g' is a hard plosive, and the second syllable begins with a consonant cluster transition into /juː/; avoid pronouncing a separate 'e' sound between the g and the yumi vowel.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing the stress, saying /ˈlɛɡjuːm/ with reduced first syllable. (2) Turning 'g' into a soft 'j' sound as in 'legion', producing /ˈlɛdʒuːm/. (3) Slurring the second syllable to /juː/ or dropping the /juː/ entirely. Corrections: keep the short /ɛ/ in the first syllable, pronounce the 'g' as a hard /ɡ/, and clearly articulate the vowel sequence /juː/ before /m/. Practice with careful chunking: /ˈlɛɡ.juːm/.
In General American and Received Pronunciation, the word ends with /-juːm/ and is typically rhotic or non-rhotic in articulation per accent; the main difference lies in the quality of the /ɡ/ and the diphthong /juː/. US speakers may slightly coalesce the /juː/ into a tighter glide, UK speakers may pronounce a clearer /j/ before the /uː/ with less vowel shifting. Australian tends to a similar US/UK pattern but with a more centralized vowel in the /juː/ glide. Overall rhyme remains with /-juːm/ in all three.
Legume challenges include the vowel sequence in the first syllable, /ɛ/ as a lax mid-front vowel, and the transition between /ɡ/ and /j/ before /uː/; many learners also misplace the primary stress or insert an extra vowel between /ɡ/ and /j/. The combination of a plosive followed by a semivowel /j/ and a long high back vowel /uː/ can cause tongue and jaw adjustments that feel counterintuitive, especially for speakers whose L1 lacks a similar /j/ + /uː/ cluster.
Legume features a two-syllable structure with primary stress on the first syllable and a 'g' that should remain hard rather than softening into /dʒ/ or /j/. The second syllable begins with a /j/ glide into /uː/ followed by /m/. Paying attention to the glide between /ɡ/ and /juː/ helps avoid slurring. Also, ensure the ending /m/ is clearly articulated, not nasalized into the preceding vowel.
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Legume comes from the Latin legumen, from legere meaning 'to pick or gather,' related to the legumen that refers to a pod, shell, or shellfish in some classical uses. The plant sense arose in Latin as leguminosae or legumen, distinguishing plants of the pod-bearing family Fabaceae. In English, the word evolved by the late medieval period to refer specifically to plants producing pods with edible seeds. The sense of a seed itself emerged as culinary usage expanded, especially with staple foods such as beans, lentils, and peas. The term has retained agricultural and botanical precision while entering everyday discourse about diet, nutrition, and crop science. First known use in English attested in the 15th century, tied to Latin roots, and later reinforced by botanical classifications as Linnaeus grouped many pod-bearing species under Leguminosae (Fabaceae). The evolution reflects both taxonomy and cuisine: a formal botanical term that also names common foods across diverse cultures, underscoring legumes' significance in agriculture and nutrition.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Legume" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Legume"
-ume sounds
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