3 syllables: me, xi, cans. Stress on me.
MEK-sik-uhnz
/ˈmɛksɪkənz/
mexicans is pronounced MEK-sik-uhnz (/ˈmɛksɪkənz/). It has three syllables (me-xi-cans), with the stress on "me". Mexicans refers to people from Mexico, or of Mexican descent. In everyday usage, it can denote a nationality or ethnicity and is typically used as a plural noun. The term carries cultural, social, and historical associations and is commonly encountered in news, conversations, and academic contexts.
Mexicans refers to people from Mexico, or of Mexican descent. In everyday usage, it can denote a nationality or ethnicity and is typically used as a plural noun. The term carries cultural, social, and historical associations and is commonly encountered in news, conversations, and academic contexts.
"The Mexicans I spoke with were very welcoming at the festival."
"Mexicans export a rich culinary tradition, including tacos and mole."
"There are several Mexican communities throughout the southwestern United States."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on three syllables: /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkæns/ (US, UK, AU). The primary stress falls on the third syllable -cans. Pronounce as meh-KEE-can-s? Wait: actual is meh-KIS-ənz with a reduced, schwa-like second syllable: /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkæns/. The sequence: /mɛk/ (like “mek” as in “check” without r), /sɪ/ (short, unstressed), /ˈkæns/ (rhymes with “cans”). Final z is often a soft, voiced sibilant in careful speech: /z/. In rapid speech, the final /z/ may be blunted to an /s/ or even devoiced to /s/ in some dialects, but careful speech keeps /z/.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable instead of the third: say /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkæns/ to match; 2) Overpronouncing the second syllable as /ˈmɛk.sɪˈkæns/ with even stress across all syllables; maintain reduced second syllable /sɪ/; 3) Mispronouncing final consonant as /z/ when a speaker edits for speed and ends with /s/. Correction: emphasize final /z/ (in careful speech) or /z/ when paused, and keep /kæns/ final cluster tight with rounded lips for the /k/ and crisp /n/ before /s/.
US: /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkæns/ with rhotic influence minimal; UK: similar but with slightly fuller /ɪ/ in second syllable and final /z/ often devoiced to /s/ in fast speech; AU: tends to maintain clear /æ/ in final -cans and may insert slight length in first vowel; overall rhoticity is weak in UK/AU, stronger in some US dialects. All share three syllables, main stress on third, but vowel qualities shift with regional vowel shifts (LOT/STRUT in US, trap/bath differences in UK). IPA confirms /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkæns/ or /ˌmɛk.sɪˈkænz/ depending on voicing.
Three main challenges: 1) Stress pattern: the primary stress sits on the third syllable, which is unusual for English multi-syllabic nouns and can feel counterintuitive; 2) The /æ/ vs /ə/ in the final syllable; many learners default to /æ/ like 'cans' but neutralizing to /ə/ or /æ/ depending on rhythm; 3) The cluster /kæns/ followed by /s/ can cause voicing confusion; keep the /k/ crisp and the /s/ soft, with the final /z/ or /s/ depending on pace. Practicing with minimal pairs helps solidify the correct pattern.
A distinctive feature is the strong syllabic break before the final syllable: me-KI- cans? Actually the natural pronunciation emphasizes the second vowel only lightly; you should articulate /mɛk/ clearly, then barely vocalize the /sɪ/ as a quick, reduced syllable, before releasing a crisp /ˈkæns/. The final consonant is a crisp sibilant that can appear as /z/ in careful speech; this distinction affects rhythm and can signal formality. Remember the main stress: on the third syllable.
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Mexican derives from the Spanish adjective mexicano, from México, the country’s name. The etymology traces to Nahuatl metztli (moon) and xictli (navel) in some linguistic theories, but the common widely accepted origin is from the name of the country Mexico (México) itself, rooted in its pre-Columbian languages and the Mexica/Mexica-Aztec heartland. The term’s modern English form, Mexican/ Mexicans, emerged during the post-contact period as the Spanish-speaking population and the Mexican nation coalesced in the 16th–18th centuries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, migration and geopolitics shaped usage in English-speaking contexts, where “Mexican” as a demonym became standard for people from Mexico. The plural form “Mexicans” has appeared in English-language texts for centuries to reference groups or crowds of individuals from Mexico. The word’s sense extended from a strictly geographic descriptor to an ethnic-national identity as cultural nationalism and immigration debates intensified in the 20th century.
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Words that rhyme with "mexicans"
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