One syllable: new.
noo
/nu/
new is pronounced noo (/nu/). It has one syllable (new), with the stress on "new". New is an adjective used to indicate recent origin, freshness, or newly acquired status, as well as a noun in some phrases (e.g., “the new” referring to newcomers). It also serves as an adverb in certain constructions, meaning recently or just now. In everyday usage, it often contrasts with old, traditional, or existing. The word commonly signals change, novelty, or updated information.
adjectiveNew is an adjective used to indicate recent origin, freshness, or newly acquired status, as well as a noun in some phrases (e.g., “the new” referring to newcomers). It also serves as an adverb in certain constructions, meaning recently or just now. In everyday usage, it often contrasts with old, traditional, or existing. The word commonly signals change, novelty, or updated information.
"We bought a new car last week."
"She started a new job in the city."
"The new policy takes effect tomorrow."
US: /nuː/ with a long, tense vowel; lips unrounded and spread, tongue high and back; no syllable break. UK: /njuː/ often with a slight y- glide after the initial n; AU: /njuː/ similar to UK but with a more rhotic-friendly vowel in some regions. Audio resources: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries for native speaker audio; your own practice should mimic that steady /n/ onset, then a long /uː/ vowel.
Common errors: 1) Slurring to /nu/ as a short vowel; ensure you maintain /uː/ length. 2) Dropping the onset consonant cluster by starting with a glottal stop; keep a clean /n/ onset. 3) Substituting /juː/ with a simple /uː/ for some speakers; the optional /j/ gliding can appear, especially before /ə/ in rapid speech. Practice by isolating /n/ + /uː/ while keeping jaw relaxed and lips rounded slightly at the /uː/.
In US English, /nuː/ with strong rhotic influence on surrounding vowels; the /n/ is clear and the vowel is tense. In UK English, /njuː/ often shows a lightweight /j/ onset, merging toward /njuː/; some regions may have a shorter /uː/ and slightly understated /j/ sound. In Australian English, /njuː/ is common, with vowel quality slightly broader and less rhoticity in some speakers; the /j/ remains a feature in many varieties. IPA references help tune subtle rhoticity and glide use.
The challenge lies in sustaining the long /uː/ vowel while smoothly transitioning from the alveolar nasal /n/ and, in some accents, the optional /j/ glide before /uː/. Fast speech can compress the vowel or reduce the /j/; learners often over- or under-articulate the /j/ sound, leading to /n-juː/ versus /nuː/. Focus on maintaining a crisp /n/, a steady, tense /uː/, and a natural gliding transition if pronouncing /njuː/.
'New' is monosyllabic with primary stress as a standalone word, though in compounds (e.g., ‘newborn’) the stress pattern shifts to the second element. The word itself carries no tone contour in isolation, but in phrases, stress is influenced by emphasis: emphasize the word to signal recency (e.g., 'The NEW policy'), or de-emphasize in continuous speech to blend with surrounding words. IPA remains /nuː/ or /njuː/ depending on accent.
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US: emphasize the pure /nuː/ with strong rhoticity around surrounding words; UK: practice /njuː/ with a light /j/ and longer vowel; AU: /njuː/ with slightly broader vowel and more rounded lips in some dialects. IPA references: US /nuː/, UK /njuː/, AU /njuː/. Note vowel quality: keep vowel high and back for /uː/; lips rounded just slightly.
New comes from the Old English neowe, which is related to the Old High German nū, and Gothic niuþs, all tracing back to the Proto-Germanic *newiz, from the Proto-Indo-European root *new- meaning “new, newness, fresh.” The sense evolution began with literal freshness or recent origin and broadened over time to denote modern or recent in a more abstract sense. In Middle English, neuwe/ newe appeared in texts describing recently created or discovered things, as well as people who had entered a new state (e.g., “new man”). By Early Modern English, the adjective acquired broader collocation with nouns like “technology,” “policy,” and “generation,” while retaining its core sense of recentness. The word also migrated into idiomatic expressions (e.g., “brand-new,” “new and improved,” “new to me”). Today, “new” remains one of the most versatile words in the lexicon, frequently used in both literal and figurative senses to denote recency, novelty, or transition from old to something else.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "new" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "new"
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