Limousine is a long, luxury passenger vehicle driven by a chauffeur, often stretching to accommodate several people. It denotes a high-end transport service and a formally styled car, typically with partitioned rear seating and premium comforts. The term implies elegance, privacy, and ceremonial or special-occasion use.
"The wedding party arrived in a black limousine."
"She hired a limousine for the airport transfer to avoid delays."
"A stretch limousine pulled up to the red carpet event."
"Limousine service is popular for corporate travel and high-profile guests."
Limousine derives from the French word limousin, associated with the Limousin region of France, where cloaks were donned by limousine bearers or livery in the Middle Ages. The term initially referred to a type of cloak or hooded robe worn by drivers in the Limousin area, then broadened in 19th-century France to refer to a type of carriage or coach drawn by horses, especially those with enclosed cabins. In English, limousine evolved to mean a luxurious, enclosed carriage—often chauffeured—that accommodated passengers in a separate, private compartment. The modern sense of a long, chauffeur-driven luxury car emerged in the 20th century as automotive design allowed extended wheelbases and partitioned interiors, with “limousine” becoming widely used in the taxi and hire-vehicle industry. First known use in English appears in the late 19th to early 20th century, with early references tying the term to regal or ceremonial transport before shifting to commercial use.
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Words that rhyme with "Limousine"
-ine sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as lɪˈmuːziːn. The stress falls on the second syllable: Li–MU–sine. In US/UK/AU, the final -ine is pronounced as a long ee-n sound, ending with n. A natural break is between mi- and -lou- segments; ensure the /m/ and /z/ are distinct, not blending with the preceding /uː/ sound. You can think of it like: li-MOO-zeen, with a soft final n.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (LI-moo-seen) instead of the second (li-MO-si-ne); 2) Slurring the /z/ into the preceding /uː/ making /mjuː/; 3) Not finishing with a clear /n/, leading to a nasalized or dropped ending. Corrections: emphasize the middle syllable with a crisp /ˈmuː/ and articulate the final /n/ distinctly after the /iː/ vowel. Practice the sequence li-MOO-zee-n, then li-MOO-si-ne with final crisp consonant closure.
US: /lɪˈmuːziːn/ with rhotic r? No; limousine is non-rhotic. UK: /lɪˈmuːziːn/ similarly, but the /uː/ quality and vowel length can be slightly more clipped. AU: /lɪˈmuːsiːn/ similar to US/UK, with a more centralized final vowel for some speakers. Overall, the main differences involve vowel length, r-dropping is not relevant here, and the final -ine usually maintained as /iːn/; some speakers may flatten the /iː/ to /i/ depending on tempo and formality.
Yes, due to 1) the /l/ onset followed by a high back vowel /ɪ/ transitioning to a long /uː/ and then a complex /z/ cluster before a final /iːn/, which can cause tongue-tension and jaw adjustment; 2) the secondary stress quality on the middle syllable; 3) the final blend leading to a tendency to soft or omit the /n/ in rapid speech. Focus on clear /z/ and the final /n/ for precise pronunciation.
Limousine challenges include steady /l/ onset, a precise /m/ followed by the long /uː/ vowel, the voiced alveolar /z/ before /iːn/, and maintaining final alveolar nasal /n/ after a long vowel. The rhythm is li-MOO-zi-ne with a strong second-beat emphasis, and ensure the final /n/ is audible even in connected speech. Mnemonic: 'LI-MOO-zine' keeps the middle stressed and the end crisp.
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