4 syllables: Se, le, na Go, mez. Stress on le.
suh-lee-nuh-goh-MEZ
/səˈliːnə ɡoʊˈmɛz/
Selena Gomez is pronounced suh-lee-nuh-goh-MEZ (/səˈliːnə ɡoʊˈmɛz/). It has four syllables (Se-le-na Go-mez), with the stress on "le". Selena Gomez refers to the American singer-actress Selena Marie Gomez. The name is commonly pronounced in American English as a two-name sequence, with the given name Selena and the surname Gomez. It is used to identify the public figure in entertainment contexts and media coverage, often elided slightly in rapid speech.
nounSelena Gomez refers to the American singer-actress Selena Marie Gomez. The name is commonly pronounced in American English as a two-name sequence, with the given name Selena and the surname Gomez. It is used to identify the public figure in entertainment contexts and media coverage, often elided slightly in rapid speech.
"Selena Gomez released a new album last week and fans are streaming it nonstop."
"During the interview, Selena Gomez discussed her charity work and upcoming projects."
"The Selena Gomez documentary offers insights into her early career and personal challenges."
You pronounce it as sə-LEE-nuh GOH-məz in General American. Stress falls on the second syllable of Selena and the first syllable of Gomez. IPA: US /səˈliːnə ˈɡoʊˌmɛz/ or /səˈliːnə ˈɡoʊmɛz/. For UK speakers, it’s similar: /səˈliːnə ˈɡəʊmɛz/ with a slightly crisper GOH- sound. In Australian speech you’ll hear /səˈliːnə ˈɡəʊmɛz/ as well, with non-rhotic linkage impacting r-less pronunciation. Mouth position: start with lips relaxed, glide into a clear, high-front vowel on ‘Lee,’ then a clean ‘na’; Gomez begins with a hard G, followed by a schwa in the second syllable, and a clear final z.
Common errors include misplacing stress (putting emphasis on Selena’s first syllable or Gomez’s second), pronouncing Selena as se-LE-na with wrong vowel quality, and flattening Gomez’s vowel so it sounds like ‘gom-ess.’ Correction tips: say Selena with a strong /ˈliː/ and Gomez as /ˈɡoʊˌmɛz/ or /ˈɡoʊmɛz/; practice linking softly between names: sə-ˈliːnə ˈɡoʊ-məz. Practice the final z by voicing it clearly to avoid a d or s-like ending.
In US English, Selena is /səˈliːnə/ and Gomez /ˈɡoʊˌmɛz/ with rhotic influence and a clear final z. UK English tends to use /səˈliːnə ˈɡəʊmɛz/, with a more rounded GO-mez and less rhoticity impacting the ending, while Australia mirrors US patterns with slightly flatter /ə/ vowels and a non-rhotic tendency in some speakers. The key difference lies in Gomez’s vowel quality and the treatment of the final consonant: US often has /z/, UK can be closer to /z/ but with a shorter vowel before, AU may reduce the final vowel slightly.
The challenge is blending two distinct name origins and stress patterns: the Americanized Selena with two 'e' sounds in a row and the Spanish surname Gomez with a strong initial G and a final, voiced z. The combination requires precise vowel quality in /ˈliː/ and a clear /ˈɡoʊ/ or /ˈɡəʊ/ onset for Gomez, plus maintaining the final /z/. Quick speech often compresses the vowels or shifts the stress, leading to mispronunciations.
Does the 'Gomez' syllable ever sound like 'go-masz' in rapid speech? In careful pronunciation, no: it is /ˈɡɔːmɛz/ or /ˈɡoʊmɛz/ with a two-consonant onset on 'Goe-' and a voiced final /z/. In rapid speech you might hear a slightly reduced vowel in the second syllable, but the stress on Gomez remains the first syllable, not shifting to 'me' or causing a misaccent.
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Selena Gomez’s name combines a given name of Greek origin with a Hispanic surname. Selena derives from the Greek name Selene (Σελήνη), meaning ‘moon,’ historically associated with the goddess Selene in Greek mythology. The feminine given name Selena appears in Latinized forms in early modern Latin records and gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the 19th and 20th centuries, often associated with celestial imagery. Gomez is a Spanish surname meaning ‘son of Gome’ or ‘man from the region of Gome’ and is common across Latin American communities; it originated in the Iberian Peninsula and became widespread in the Americas through colonization and migration. The combination as a stage name rose to global prominence in contemporary pop culture due to the artist’s public persona, with pronunciation stabilized in North American media usage by the late 2000s. First known use as a widely recognized public figure predates social media, with media coverage increasing in the 2000s as she became a mainstream celebrity and brand ambassador.
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Words that rhyme with "Selena Gomez"
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