2 syllables: mus, lims. Stress on mus.
MUHZ-luhmz
/ˈmʌzləmz/
muslims is pronounced MUHZ-luhmz (/ˈmʌzləmz/). It has two syllables (mus-lims), with the stress on "mus". Muslims are followers of Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic faith. The term refers to people who practice or identify with Islam, often used in plural form. It denotes a religious group rather than a nationality, emphasizing shared beliefs, rituals, and community across diverse cultures.
Muslims are followers of Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic faith. The term refers to people who practice or identify with Islam, often used in plural form. It denotes a religious group rather than a nationality, emphasizing shared beliefs, rituals, and community across diverse cultures.
- Incorrect vowel quality in the first syllable: aim for a short, lax /ʌ/ rather than /ɜ/ or /ə/. Practice with paired words that use /ʌ/ and /ɜ/ to train distinction. - Overarticulating the second syllable; keep /lɪmz/ light and quick to preserve natural rhythm. - Fusing /z/ and /l/ too abruptly; practice the transitional body movements to keep /z/ and /l/ distinct but connected.
"The Muslims in that city celebrate Ramadan together."
"She met Muslims from several countries at the interfaith conference."
"Muslims observe the five daily prayers and dietary guidelines."
Phonetic form: /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ (US). In many accents you’ll hear a light secondary link between the two syllables. Primary stress on the first syllable: 'MUZ-lims'. Mouth position: start with an open back unrounded /ɐ/ vowel in the first syllable, then move to a reduced /ɪ/ in the second half of the first word, and finish with /mz/ cluster. For clarity: /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ in US; small vowel shift in non-rhotic UK varieties can yield /ˈmʊz.lɪmz/ or /ˈmjuːz.lɪmz/ in some speakers; listening to native samples helps calibrate the exact vowel heights.
Common errors: (1) conflating the 'mus' with 'müs' or misplacing the rime by producing /mjuːz/ instead of /mʌz/. (2) Overemphasizing a long second syllable; keep it light, with /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/. (3) Vocalic reduction: avoid reducing the first syllable to a schwa; maintain /ʌ/ rather than /ə/. Correction tips: practice with minimal pairs like 'mush' vs 'muș'; anchor the first vowel at mid-open /ʌ/ and keep /ɪ/ for the second syllable vowel. Record yourself and compare to a listening sample to adjust timing and vowel quality.
US tends to show clear /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ with a distinct /ʌ/ in the first vowel and a light /ɪ/ in the second. UK often features a slightly tighter /ɒ/ or /ʌ/ depending on the speaker, and in non-rhotic English you might hear a little less pronounced /r/ influence on the following sound. Australian English commonly yields /ˈmjuːz.lɪmz/ or /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ depending on speaker, with a tendency toward a higher first vowel and a more centralized /ɜ/ in some regions. In all cases, the final /mz/ cluster remains stable; avoid anglicizing as a long /iː/ or /i/ vowel at the end.
Two core challenges: consonant cluster at the end (/mz/) can be tricky for non-native speakers, requiring voice onset timing to fuse /m/ and voiced /z/. The transition from /z/ to /l/ can produce a perceptual blur if tempo is too fast. The first syllable /mʌz/ hinges on a strong but short /ʌ/; many learners substitute /ʊ/ or /ə/. Practice by isolating the cluster, then building speed with linked syllables, ensuring the tongue tip meets the alveolar ridge for /z/ and /l/ clearly positioning.
A key feature is maintaining two short syllables with a crisp, lightly stressed first syllable and an unstressed but audible second syllable. Pay attention to the /z/ noise before the /l/; ensure voicing continues into /l/ without a gap. The final /mz/ should be a seamless, voiced consonant blend rather than two separate sounds. Visualize /z/ as a buzzing sound and /l/ as the tongue blade lightly touching the alveolar ridge.
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- US: rhoticity less influential on vowel length; keep /ɪ/ in second syllable crisp. - UK: non-rhotic influence can reduce noticeable /r/ coloring; tune for more clipped /ɪ/ and even /ʌ/. - AU: more centralized vowel tendencies; may hear /juː/ or /ɜː/ depending on region; keep /ɪ/ stable. IPA references: US /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/, UK /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ or /ˈmɜː.lɪmz/ in some cases, AU /ˈmjuː.zlɪmz/ or /ˈmʌz.lɪmz/ depending on speaker.
Muslims derives from the Arabic word Muslim, meaning one who submits (to God). The root أ-س-ل (A-S-L) relates to surrender or submission, paired with the active participle form -iyn/-iin in Arabic to denote people characterized by a trait. In English, -s marks plural usage: Muslims = plural adherents. The term entered English via medieval Islamic scholarship and translations, often appearing in discussions of the Muslim community or Muslim populations in various regions. Over time, usage broadened from theological reference to a sociological label identifying adherents of Islam worldwide, regardless of ethnicity or language. The word reflects the broader pattern of borrowing religious terminology from Arabic into English, sometimes with slight orthographic adjustments (Muslim vs. Muslims) to indicate pluralization. First known uses in English date to the 17th–19th centuries in translational and academic works, with later expansion in newspapers and encyclopedic writing as global Muslim communities became more widely studied and described in English-language media. Contemporary usage tends to be neutral or descriptive, though context can influence connotation (e.g., demographic discussions, religious tolerance discourse).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "muslims" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "muslims" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "muslims"
-mes sounds
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