2 syllables: Re, cuse. Stress on cuse.
rik-YOOZ
/ˌɹɪˈkjuz/
Recuse is pronounced rik-YOOZ (/ˌɹɪˈkjuz/). It has two syllables (Re-cuse), with the stress on "cuse". Recuse is a verb meaning to remove oneself from participation in a decision or proceeding due to a potential conflict of interest or impartiality concerns. It implies voluntary withdrawal to avoid bias, often in legal, governmental, or formal settings. The action is taken to preserve fairness and credibility by not influencing the outcome.
verbRecuse is a verb meaning to remove oneself from participation in a decision or proceeding due to a potential conflict of interest or impartiality concerns. It implies voluntary withdrawal to avoid bias, often in legal, governmental, or formal settings. The action is taken to preserve fairness and credibility by not influencing the outcome.
How to Pronounce Recuse
"The judge chose to recuse himself after it became clear he had a personal stake in the case."
"During the investigation, the attorney recused himself to prevent any appearance of improper influence."
"The committee asked the chair to recuse from the vote since his firm represented the opposing party."
Pronounce as /rəˈkjuːs/ in US and UK dictionaries. The stress is on the second syllable: re-CUSE. Start with a schwa /ə/ or near-schwa, then a light /r/ with a soft initial, followed by /ˈkj/ (the /k/ plus a palatal glide /j/), and end with /uːs/. Tip: keep the /r/ non-rhotic in UK accents, more rhotic in US. Audio reference: you can compare with pronunciations on Pronounce or Cambridge Diction. Mouth position: relaxed lips, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for the /r/ (US), then a close-front unrounded vowel for /juː/ before the final /s/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (e.g., re-CUSE), pronouncing the second syllable as /ˈkjuːz/ with a /z/ instead of /s/, and over-articulating the /r/ in non-rhotic variants. Correct by keeping the /r/ light or silent (UK), ensuring the /juː/ is a single glide with the /k/ onset, and ending with a clear /s/ rather than z. Practice the sequence /rə/ + /ˈkjuz/ with gentle lip rounding for /uː/ and a crisp /s/ at the end.
In US English, /rəˈkjuz/ with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /juː/ following the /k/. UK English tends toward /rəˈkjuːs/, with a non-rhotic /r/ and longer /juː/ diphthong; Australian English is similar to UK, often with a clearer /uː/ and a slightly flatter intonation. Across accents, the main differences are rhoticity (US vs UK/AU) and vowel quality of /juː/ and final /s/ vs /z/ in connected speech.
The difficulty comes from the cluster /kj/ after a schwa, the palatal glide /j/ following /k/, and transitioning into a tense /juː/ vowel before the final /s/. The sequence requires tight tongue positioning: a light /r/ or vowel onset, then a strong palatal /j/ glide into /uː/. In connected speech, the final /s/ can be devoiced or voiced depending on context, which can cause confusion with nearby words like 'refuse'. Awareness of the two-syllable stress pattern helps avoid mispronunciation.
No. In standard pronunciations, the second syllable nucleus is /juː/ (a /j/ glide into a long /uː/), but it is part of a single syllable with primary stress on the second syllable. The word remains two syllables: /rə/ + /ˈkjuz/ in US, with the second syllable containing /kjuz/ rather than a separate vowel nucleus /ɪ/ or /eɪ/. Emphasize the /ˈkjuz/ unit to avoid parasite schwa sounds.
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US vs UK vs AU: • US: rhotic /ɹ/ in initial, the second syllable with /kjuz/; final /s/ is often voiceless in careful speech. Vowel length in /uː/ tends to be longer and more rounded. • UK: non-rhotic /r/, so /ə/ is central; /juː/ is a tight, nearly pure vowel; final /s/ clearly voiceless; slight longer consonant duration before /s/. • AU: similar to UK, but vowel qualities can be broader; /juː/ may be realized with a slightly more centralized tongue position and a glided release. IPA references: US /rəˈkjuz/, UK /rəˈkjuːs/, AU /rəˈkjuːs/.
Recuse comes from the Latin recūsāre, meaning 'to refuse' or 'to reject'. The Latin prefix re- (again, back) combined with cusāre (to court, to care for) evolved in medieval Latin into recūsāre, meaning to refuse or deny. In English, recuse first appeared in the late 17th to early 18th century, gaining prominence in legal discourse as judges or officials needed to withdraw from cases where impartiality could be questioned. The sense broadened over time to any formal withdrawal due to conflict of interest, not solely limited to legal proceedings. The pronunciation and spelling stabilized as English adopted the word with the stress pattern re-CUSE, aligning with typical two-syllable verb forms where the second syllable bears primary stress. “Recuse” is often confused with “refuse” due to similar spelling and shared initial phonemes, but the former centers on withdrawal from involvement, while the latter means to decline something offered. The word’s usage reflects the balance between duty and fairness in governance and law, preserving the integrity of processes by ensuring participants aren’t biased or compromised. First known uses appear in English court records and legal commentary from the 1700s onward, with continued relevance in contemporary jurisprudence and administrative procedures.
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Words that rhyme with "Recuse"
-use sounds
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