Macadamia is a noun for a small tropical evergreen tree and its edible, creamy white nut with a hard shell. The term also refers to the nut meat commonly used in confections and cooking. In pronunciation, the emphasis falls on the second syllable, yielding a smooth, syllable-timed rhythm typical of borrowed botanical names.
"I sprinkled macadamia nuts on top of the salad for extra crunch."
"The macadamia tree thrives in warm, humid climates and produces prized kernels."
"She bakes macadamia cookies with white chocolate for a rich, nutty flavor."
"Whole macadamia nuts are delicious roasted and salted as a snack."
Macadamia originates from the of the genus Macadamia, named after Scottish horticulturist Dr. John Macadam, a contemporary of botanists in the early 1800s who explored Australian flora. The word Macadamia was first used to describe the genus in the late 19th century, with the edible nuts recognized as a culinary commodity by the mid-20th century. The term’s evolution reflects the botanical naming conventions (Latinized, often honoring individuals or places) and later commercial adoption as agricultural crops from Australia became globally traded, especially after the mid-20th century. The pronunciation follows the anglicized form, with stress typically on the second syllable and a long a in mac-a-DA-mia.
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Words that rhyme with "Macadamia"
-te) sounds
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Macadamia is typically pronounced mə-KAD-uh-MEE-uh with primary stress on the third syllable. IPA (US/UK): /ˌmæ.kəˈdæ.mi.ə/ or /ˌmæk.əˈdæ.mi.ə/ depending on speaker; for more common US speech you’ll hear /ˌmæ.kəˈdæ.mi.ə/ with the stress shifting to the second or third syllable in some varieties. Think: ma-ku-DA-mee-ah. Audio cues: begin with a light schwa in the first syllable, then a strong “dad” flavor in the second, finishing with a clear “mee-uh.” For audible reference, you can compare to “maka-DAH-mee-uh.”
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable (placing primary stress on first or second syllable), pronouncing the middle syllable as /-dæ-/ with a heavy vowel instead of a reduced /ə/ in the second syllable, and mispronouncing the ending as /-mia/ instead of /-miə/ or /-mi.ə/. To correct, keep stress on the third syllable: mac-a-DA-mee-a, use a short, unstressed middle syllable /ə/ or /ə/ and end with a crisp /ə/ sound, not a hard /ə/ or /iɑ/ in rapid speech.
In US English, the syllable structure often emphasizes the second or third syllable depending on region, with a rhotic r-like influence in connected speech. In UK English, you may hear a slightly shorter first two syllables and clearer articulation of the final /ə/. Australian pronunciation tends to be less rhotic and may have a more rounded /ɪ/ or /iə/ quality in the final vowel. Overall, the core is /ˌmæ.kəˈdæ.mi.ə/, /ˌmæk.əˈdæ.mi.ə/ with minor vowel shifts and syllable timing differences.
Two main challenges are the multi-syllabic rhythm and the final unstressed vowel. The sequence /mæ.kəˈdæ.mi.ə/ has three open vowels and a light final vowel that often reduces in casual speech, making it easy to swallow or shorten. Additionally, the second syllable’s /ə/ can be reduced, causing the word to sound like /ˌmæ.kəˈdæˌmiə/ if not careful. Slower pronunciation with careful emphasis on the third syllable helps clarity and natural rhythm.
Yes. The initial 'Mac' fragment in Macadamia typically uses a short, crisp /mæ/ or /mæk/ depending on speaker preference. In fluent speech you’ll often hear /mə-/ or /ˌmæ-/ with a light neutral schwa in the first syllable, but for clarity some speakers keep the /æ/ sound more pronounced, especially in careful enunciation. The important cue is that the primary stress lands on the third syllable, so ensure the an initial /æ/ doesn’t dominate the flow of the word.
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