4 syllables: na, tion, al, ist. Stress on na.
NASH-uh-nuh-luhst
/ˈnæʃənələst/
nationalist is pronounced NASH-uh-nuh-luhst (/ˈnæʃənələst/). It has four syllables (na-tion-al-ist), with the stress on "na". A person who advocates or supports a national identity, sovereignty, or interests, often with a strong emphasis on pride in one's nation. The term can carry pejorative or neutral connotations depending on context and usage. In political discourse, it typically signals a focus on national unity, loyalty, and sometimes exclusionary policies.
A person who advocates or supports a national identity, sovereignty, or interests, often with a strong emphasis on pride in one's nation. The term can carry pejorative or neutral connotations depending on context and usage. In political discourse, it typically signals a focus on national unity, loyalty, and sometimes exclusionary policies.
- You might drop or weaken the first syllable stress, saying /ˌnæʃəˈnɪst/ or /ˌnæʃəˈnælɪst/. Fix: force the initial primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈnæʃənəlɪst/. - Misplacing the /ʃ/ blend or turning /næʃə/ into /neɪʃə/; keep the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/ crisp and unvoiced until the schwa, then glide into /nəl/. - Final cluster /lɪst/ can be spoken as /lɪst/ without a light /l/ release; ensure the tongue touches the alveolar ridge for /l/ and release into /ɪst/ clearly. - In rapid speech you may assimilate /næʃənəlɪst/ into /næʃənəlɪst/ with reduced vowels; practice with slow speed first and then speed up to preserve the four distinct phonemes.
"The nationalist movement gained momentum after the election, emphasizing cultural preservation and national pride."
"Critics argued that the nationalist rhetoric excluded minority groups and undermined democratic principles."
"Economic nationalism and nationalist sentiment shaped the government’s trade policies."
Pronounce as /ˈnæʃənəlɪst/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: NA-tion-al-ist. Break it into four morae: /ˈnæ/ - /ʃə/ - /nə/ - /lɪst/. The middle schwa is quick and reduced. Lip rounding is minimal, tongue relaxed mid-to-high for /æ/ and /ə/ in the unstressed syllables. Listen for the final -ist consonant cluster: a clear /l/ before /ɪst/, with the /st/ released. Audio reference: try listening to native speakers on pronunciation platforms to feel the four-beat rhythm.
Two common errors are: 1) de-stressing the first syllable, turning /ˈnæ/ into /ni/ or /næ/ without strong emphasis, weakening the word’s identity; 2) mispronouncing the middle /ʃə/ as a hard /ʃo/ or splitting the syllables improperly. To correct: keep the /æ/ crisp, ensure the /ʃ/ is a smooth velar-alveolar blend, and maintain the schwa /ə/ in the second syllable with a light, quick vowel. End with an audible /lɪst/ rather than /lɪst/ with a lapsed /ɪ/.
US: strong initial stress with clear /æ/; rhotic influence may color the /næ-ʃən-/ sequence slightly. UK: similar stress, but stream may be more clipped; /t/ in final cluster often aspirated lightly; AU: often with a slightly broader vowel quality in /æ/ and a more relaxed final syllable. All share /ˈnæʃənəlɪst/; differences are subtle in vowel quality and consonant release timing.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the central /ʃə/ cluster, which requires smooth articulation across adjacent vowels. The rapid transition through the schwa in /næʃəˈnæl-ɪst/ can tempt speakers to reduce or misplace the /ʃə/ or to blur the boundary between /næʃə/ and /nəl/; practice sustaining the /ʃə/ sound at a controlled pace helps. Also, the final /lɪst/ demands a precise light /l/ and crisp /st/ onset.
In nationalist, the 'ional' portion is part of the second and third syllables (‑tion‑al). The stress remains on the first syllable, so the /ɪ/ in the second syllable is typically reduced as /ə/ (schwa) in fast speech. Vowel length is not phonemic here; vowels in unstressed syllables are typically shorter and less distinctly enunciated, but the first syllable retains full vowel quality /æ/.
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- US: emphasize the first syllable with a clear /æ/; keep /ʃə/ as a quick, unobtrusive syllable; final /lɪst/ should be crisp, not rushed. IPA: /ˈnæ ʃə n ə l ɪ s t/. - UK: similar to US, but softer rhotic influence; ensure /l/ is light and the /ə/ in /ʃə/ is a mid-central vowel; avoid adding extra vowel length in the second syllable. IPA: /ˈnæ ʃ ə n ə l ɪ s t/. - AU: broader vowel for /æ/ and more relaxed /ə/; keep the final /lɪst/ compact but not clipped; maintain three-to-four-velocity rhythm. IPA: /ˈnæ ʃ ə n ə l ɪ s t/.
Nationalist derives from national (from Latin natus/national, from nasci ‘to be born’) with the agentive suffix -ist, which denotes a person who adheres to a principle or doctrine. The word national originates in Latin nationalis ‘of a nation,’ from nasci ‘to be born,’ with early senses tied to belonging to a nation. In English, nationalist first appeared in the 19th century amid rising romantic nationalism and nation-building movements in Europe. The sense evolved through political usage as groups sought to assert sovereignty, cultural identity, and political solidarity around a unified nation. By the 20th century, nationalist was entrenched in political rhetoric, often carrying pejorative connotations when used to criticize exclusionary or aggressive policies. First known usage in print traces to nationalist in the 1830s in political contexts, but the agent noun form nationalist appeared with broader ideological implication later in the century. Across languages, cognates exist in French nationaliste, German Nationalist, Spanish nacionalista, each closely tied to the concept of loyalty to the nation and the political movement surrounding it.
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Words that rhyme with "nationalist"
-ist sounds
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