One syllable: Memes.
memz
/mɛmz/
Memes is pronounced memz (/mɛmz/). It has one syllable (Memes), with the stress on "Memes". Memes are units of cultural information—usually humorous images or videos with captions—that spread rapidly online. They function like jokes or ideas, hitching a ride on social platforms and evolving as people remix them. The term nowadays also denotes the phenomenon of rapid, meme-driven communication across communities and generations.
nounMemes are units of cultural information—usually humorous images or videos with captions—that spread rapidly online. They function like jokes or ideas, hitching a ride on social platforms and evolving as people remix them. The term nowadays also denotes the phenomenon of rapid, meme-driven communication across communities and generations.
- Mispronounce the vowel: many learners say /ɪ/ as in ‘bit’ instead of the long /iː/ in me- words. Fix: elongate the vowel, hold it for a beat before /m/. - Devoice the final /z/ → /s/. Ensure your vocal cords vibrate; feel a buzzing sensation as you end with /z/. - Add an extra, silent vowel before the final consonant due to over-enunciation: avoid inserting a schwa between /iː/ and /m/. Practice with slow articulation, then speed up. - Final consonant slur or omit: keep the /z/ crisp, not a soft ending; push air through the lips with voice. – You’ll hear a clear final z only when you place the tongue behind your upper teeth and vibrate the vocal cords.
"The classroom discussion turned into a meme-sharing session after a funny clip circulated online."
"She created a meme about procrastination, and it instantly resonated with students."
"Memes often rely on a recognizable image paired with a witty caption to land the joke."
Pronounce as /miːmz/. The first syllable rhymes with “beam” and carries a prolonged /iː/ vowel. The final consonant is a voiced /z/. Stress lands on the only syllable (monosyllabic here). Mouth: allow a wide, relaxed jaw with a slight lip closure, then vocalize a crisp z as you release the final /z/. Listen for the lengthened /iː/ before the /m/ and /z/ sequence. For reference, you can compare with “meems” in a calm, even tempo.
Common mistakes include shortening the /iː/ to a short /ɪ/ as in ‘men’, and misarticulating the final /z/ as /s/ (a voiceless s). To correct: keep the long /iː/ before the /m/ and ensure the vocal cords vibrate for the final /z/. Another error is inserting an extra vowel or glottal stop between /iː/ and /m/. Practice by saying /miːmz/ slowly, then at natural speed, ensuring a smooth transition from /iː/ to /m/ and then /z/.
In US, UK, and AU, /miːmz/ remains stable; differences show in rhoticity and vowel length in surrounding words more than in the target word. US often has more rhotic pressure in surrounding vowels, while UK may present slightly crisper /m/ release and a less prominent vowel length contrast in connected speech. Australian pronunciation remains /miːmz/ but with subtle vowel centralization in fast speech. Pay attention to final z sound and avoid devoicing in casual speech.
The challenge lies in sustaining the long /iː/ before a tight /m/ cluster and the voiced /z/ at the end in fast speech. English learners often slip to /m/ or /ɪ/ and replace /z/ with /s/ in rapid utterances. Tip: practice a deliberate chain: /m/ after /iː/, keep lips rounded lightly for the /m/, then bring voice into /z/. Slow practice with a drone of /iː/ helps build muscle memory.
This word embodies a concise, culturally loaded unit with a straightforward phonology: a long vowel followed by an /mz/ cluster. The pair /iː/ and /m/ are fused smoothly; the final /z/ requires clear voicing. Its simplicity doesn’t lessen its semantic weight, so precise articulation matters for intelligibility in rapid online discourse and when distinguishing it from similar-sounding words like ‘mimes’ (/ˈmaɪmz/).
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- US: Slightly more rhotics in surrounding sounds; maintain a bright, long /iː/; avoid trailing hiss on /m/. - UK: Crisp /m/ release; keep the /iː/ pure with less diphthong drift; final /z/ should be clear even in rapid speech. - AU: Similar to UK, but can show more vowel narrowing in connected speech; maintain /iː/ length and ensure final /z/ remains voiced. - General: practice with minimal pairs to confirm /miːmz/ vs /maɪmz/ to prevent confusion with 'mimes' (mime) when context is unclear. IPA references: /miːmz/ across accents.
The word meme was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. He from the Greek mimē, meaning “imitated thing,” and introduced meme as a concept analogous to genes: units of cultural transmission that replicate, mutate, and spread through imitation. Dawkins conceived memes as ideas, behaviors, or styles that propagate within a culture much like organisms in an ecosystem. The modern sense of internet memes—images, videos, or phrases that gain rapid popularity online—emerged in the 1990s and 2000s with the growth of online forums, email chains, and early social networks. The spelling Memes, pluralized like many English nouns, aligns with the general pattern of adding -es for words ending in sibilants or voiced s sounds, and pronunciation settled around /miːmz/ in English-speaking communities as usage broadened. The evolution reflects a shift from a theoretical construct to a practical shorthand for digital humor and cultural shorthand, capturing how ideas spread through networks with rapid, iterative remixing. First known published use as a coined term traces to Dawkins’ work, with the meme concept subsequently expanding into a dominant vocabulary of online communication by the 2010s, influencing marketing, media, and everyday conversation.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Memes" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Memes" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Memes"
-ams sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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