2 syllables: Mao, ists. Stress on Mao.
MOW-ists
/ˈmaʊɪsts/
Maoists is pronounced MOW-ists (/ˈmaʊɪsts/). It has two syllables (Mao-ists), with the stress on "Mao". Maoists are adherents of Mao Zedong's political ideology, typically referring to followers of Maoism within communist movements. The term denotes a group aligned with Maoist principles and tactics, historically tied to revolutionary movements in several countries. As a noun, it describes a political faction or ideology rather than an individual trait.
nounMaoists are adherents of Mao Zedong's political ideology, typically referring to followers of Maoism within communist movements. The term denotes a group aligned with Maoist principles and tactics, historically tied to revolutionary movements in several countries. As a noun, it describes a political faction or ideology rather than an individual trait.
- You might flatten the MAO diphthong to a pure /a/ or /æ/; keep the rising /aɪ/ diphthong and then glide into the /oʊ/ portion without delaying the following /ɪsts/. - In rapid speech, you may elide the second syllable slightly; ensure the -ists is audible: /ɪsts/ rather than /ɪs/ or /ɪst/. - Stress misplacement is common: ensure primary stress on the first syllable: MAO-ists, not mao-ISTS. Correction tips: practice slow, exaggerated MAO then fade into natural tempo, record and compare with native audio.
"The Maoists organized rural guerrilla campaigns during the upheaval."
"Scholars debated the strategies of Maoists in relation to traditional communist theory."
"The government banned the Maoists after the ceasefire collapsed."
Pronounce MAO as /maɪoʊ/ with stressed first syllable: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/ or more precisely /ˈmaɪ.ɒsts/ in some accents. The plural suffix -ists adds /ɪsts/. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/. Focus on the diphthong in MAO as a rising vowel, and keep the final s-t-s cluster clear: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/. Mouth position: lips neutral to slight rounding for MAO vowel, jaw slightly dropped for the second syllable.
Common errors include treating MAO as a pure long /eɪ/ like ‘mao’ in fish or as two separate vowels /meɪ.ɒ/ instead of the correct /maɪˈoʊ/ cluster. Also, some speakers insert an extra syllable or misplace the stress, saying /ˈmeɪ.ɒɪsts/ or /ˈmaɪə.ɪsts/. To correct: keep MAO as a single rising diphthong /maɪoʊ/ and stress the first syllable, finishing with /sts/ clearly. Practice by linking MAO to -ists with a smooth transition: /ˈmaɪoʊ.ɪsts/./keywords:[
In US English, /ˈmaɪ.oʊ.ɪsts/ with a rhotic r influence only if followed by r; there is no /r/ here, so it remains non-rhotic in many dialects. UK: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/ with a shorter second vowel and less pronounced centering in some regions. Australian: /ˈmɔːɪsts/ or /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/, depending on whether the speaker uses a broader /ɔː/ or a closer /aʊ/ diphthong. The main differences involve MAO vowel quality and the treatment of the second syllable’s vowel length.
The difficulty lies in the hiatus between MAO’s diphthong and the following /ɪsts/ sequence, plus non-phonemic alternations in different accents. Some speakers flatten the /aɪ/ into /a/ or misplace the stress, producing /ˈmaɪ.ɒsts/ or /ˈmɔɪ.ɪsts/. The guidance is to maintain the /maɪoʊ/ start, preserve the /ɪ/ in -ists, and keep the cluster /sts/ crisp at the end. Practice with slow repetition, then speed up while keeping the vowels distinct.
Do you pronounce the second syllable as a full vowel in all dialects, or can it be reduced? In careful speech, the second syllable often contains a short /ɪ/ as in -ists, not /ɪɪ/ or /iː/. In some fast speech variants, the middle vowel reduces toward a schwa /ə/ in casual speech, yielding /ˈmaɪəsts/ in very rapid delivery; but in precise articulation, maintain /maɪ.oʊ.ɪsts/ with a clear /ɪ/ before the final /sts/.
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- US: /ˈmaɪoʊ.ɪsts/ with a clear /maɪoʊ/ leading into /ɪsts/. Rhoticity isn’t relevant here; focus on the diphthongal voyage from /aɪ/ to /oʊ/. - UK: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/ or /ˈmaʊ.ɒɪsts/ depending on regional vowel shifts; shorter second vowel; keep the /ɪsts/ crisp. - AU: /ˈmaʊ.ɪsts/ or /ˈmaː.ɒɪsts/; some speakers tilt toward a broader /ɔː/ in the MAO nucleus; maintain clear /ɪsts/ ending. Use IPA references and mirror native speech patterns in context.
The term Maoist derives from Mao Zedong (1893–1976), the Chinese communist leader who founded Maoism, a variant of Marxist-Leninist theory emphasizing peasant-based revolution, continuous class struggle, and people’s war. The root is “Mao,” his surname, plus the suffix -ist to denote adherents or followers. As Mao’s influence grew in the mid-20th century, scholars and political groups adopted Maoism to describe movements inspired by his interpretation of revolutionary strategy, including rural uprisings and protracted people’s war. The word entered English usage in the mid-20th century as Maoist movements surfaced in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, often in the context of anti-imperialist struggles. First known uses appear in academic and journalistic discourse discussing Chinese politics and insurgent groups adopting Maoist doctrine. Over time, “Maoist” broadened to describe not only the Chinese-origin ideology but international groups citing Maoist principles, sometimes as a political label in conflict zones or academic analyses of leftist movements.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Maoists" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Maoists"
-sts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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