2 syllables: Pai, ute. Stress on Pai.
PEYE-yoot
/ˈpaɪjut/
Paiute is pronounced PEYE-yoot (/ˈpaɪjut/). It has two syllables (Pai-ute), with the stress on "Pai". Paiute is a noun referring to several Native American peoples or their languages of the Great Basin region of the western United States. The term is often used for the languages and cultural groups historically living in what is now Nevada, California, Oregon, and Utah. It is also used as an ethnonym for the people collectively, sometimes distinguishing distinct bands or dialect groups within the broader Paiute family.
nounPaiute is a noun referring to several Native American peoples or their languages of the Great Basin region of the western United States. The term is often used for the languages and cultural groups historically living in what is now Nevada, California, Oregon, and Utah. It is also used as an ethnonym for the people collectively, sometimes distinguishing distinct bands or dialect groups within the broader Paiute family.
- You might insert an extra vowel between /aɪ/ and /j/ (say /paɪ.juː. t/). Keep it tight as /ˈpaɪjuːt/. - Misplacing stress on the second syllable or flattening the /juː/ into /uː/ or /juː/ with a longer spread. Maintain strong initial stress: PAY-juːt. - Rushing the final /t/ or voicing it as /d/ in rapid speech. Finish with a crisp voiceless /t/. - English speakers sometimes mispronounce as /paɪjuːt/ with a reduced /juː/; ensure the /juː/ is fully realized as a glide.
How to Pronounce Paiute
"The Paiute people have a rich tradition of weaving and storytelling."
"Researchers studied the Paiute language to document its unique phonology."
"Several Paiute communities host annual gatherings that celebrate tradition and music."
Pronounced /ˈpaɪ.juːt/ in most North American contexts. Primary stress on the first syllable: PAY-yōot. Start with the sound /paɪ/ (like 'pie'), then a /juː/ glide (you), ending with /t/. In careful speech you’ll hear a light palatal onset on the 'ju', but it remains a single syllable in rapid speech: /ˈpaɪjuːt/. Audio references include pronunciation guides on major dictionaries and Native American language resources.
Common errors: treating /juː/ as two separate syllables like /j(u)/, or reducing /juː/ to /uː/ too early. Some speakers insert an extra syllable after /paɪ/ (paɪ-joo-t) instead of the natural /ˈpaɪjuːt/. Another pitfall is misplacing primary stress on the second syllable, or flattening the /ɪ/ into a schwa-like vowel. Correction: keep /paɪ/ as a strong first syllable, glide quickly into /juː/, and finish with a clean /t/; ensure the /juː/ is a single, smooth glide rather than separate vowels.
US pronunciations typically use /ˈpaɪjuːt/ with clear /ɪ/ in the first syllable as a diphthong /aɪ/. UK: /ˈpaɪjuːt/ with similar diphthong; non-rhotic influence does not change the final /t/. Australian: /ˈpaɪjuːt/ with possibly shorter vowel duration and slight vowel flattening, but the core diphthong remains. The main differences arise in the smoothness of the /juː/ glide and the strength of the final /t/. In all variants, stress remains on the first syllable.
Two main challenges: the /ɪ/ vs /juː/ sequence and the fast glide from /aɪ/ into /juː/. The tongue has to move quickly from the low, front position for /aɪ/ to the high, back-palatal /j/ onset for /juː/. Also, English speakers often misinterpret /juː/ as /ju/ or split it into /j/ + /uː/, adding an unintended syllable. Practice saying /paɪjuːt/ as a single unit with a tight jaw and forward tongue position to stabilize the glide.
A key trait is the tight transition from the diphthong /aɪ/ to the palatal glide /j/ that yields /paɪjuːt/ without inserting a vowel between /ɪ/ and /j/. Focus on attaching the /j/ to the end of the /aɪ/ without creating an intervening syllable. This yields a smooth, compact first syllable, which is essential for natural-sounding Paiute pronunciation.
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US: clear, rhotic pronunciation with a crisp /t/; emphasize the /juː/ glide smoothly. UK: similar to US; non-rhotic influence appears in connected speech but the word itself remains /ˈpaɪjuːt/. AU: often shorter vowel durations; maintain the diphthong /aɪ/ and the glide into /juː/ with light, forward tongue position. IPA remains /ˈpaɪjuːt/ across accents; focus on consistent /t/ release.
Paiute derives from the autonym Páyútə or Pyoot, used by some speakers to refer to themselves. The term has been recorded by English speakers since at least the 18th and 19th centuries, often in the form Paiute or Piute. It is a member of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, closely related to languages spoken by other Great Basin groups like the Ute and Goshute. The ethnonym reflects a broad group identity rather than a single, uniform language; historically, Paiute peoples comprise several related dialects/languages (Northern, Southern, and Owens Valley) with distinct phonologies and vocabularies. Over time, the spelling Paiute became standardized in English-language sources, though some communities prefer Nahuwà or other endonyms in native-language contexts. First known written attestations appear in colonial-era ethnographies and missionary records, with formal linguistics and ethnology expanding in the late 19th and 20th centuries as fieldwork catalogued the branch’s internal variation and social structure.
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Words that rhyme with "Paiute"
-ute sounds
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