2 syllables: Sour, sop. Stress on Sour.
SOW-ur-sop
/ˈsaʊɚsɒp/
Soursop is pronounced SOW-ur-sop (/ˈsaʊɚsɒp/). It has two syllables (Sour-sop), with the stress on "Sour". Soursop is a tropical fruit-bearing tree (Annona muricata) whose large, heart-shaped green fruit has a prickly rind and soft, white flesh with a tart, sweet flavor. The term also refers to the fruit itself, often used in beverages and desserts. It is known for its distinctive aroma and creamy texture when ripe.
nounSoursop is a tropical fruit-bearing tree (Annona muricata) whose large, heart-shaped green fruit has a prickly rind and soft, white flesh with a tart, sweet flavor. The term also refers to the fruit itself, often used in beverages and desserts. It is known for its distinctive aroma and creamy texture when ripe.
"I bought a soursop smoothie mix from the local market for a refreshing tropical treat."
"The soursop fruit is notoriously spiky on the outside and custardy on the inside."
"She used soursop pulp to make a tart, tangy pie that dazzled her guests."
Soursop is pronounced with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈsaʊərˌsɒp/ in most US usage, which sounds like 'SO-wer-sop' with a slight reduction on the second syllable. In UK and AU variants you’ll often hear /ˈsaʊəsɒp/ and /ˈsaʊəˌsɒp/ respectively. Focus on the diphthong in the first syllable ‘sow’ (/ˈsaʊər/), then a light, quick ‘-sop’ ending. For listening reference, search for “soursop pronunciation” on pronunciation platforms or YouTube tutorials and mimic the two-beat rhythm across syllables.
Common errors include flattening the first syllable to a pure /æ/ like ‘sow-er’ rather than the diphthong /aʊə/ in English, and misplacing stress by over-emphasizing the second syllable. Some speakers also truncate the /r/ in US pronunciation, producing /ˈsaʊərsɒp/ without a strong rhotic quality. To correct, practice the /aʊ/ diphthong as in ‘now’ followed by a quiet /ɚ/ or /ə/ for the schwa-like vowel in /ər/; keep the final /p/ crisp and unreleased in American speech or released lightly in British and Australian variants.
In US English you typically hear /ˈsaʊərˌsɒp/ with an r-influenced /ər/ in the second syllable, plus rhoticity. UK English tends toward /ˈsaʊəsɒp/ with a shorter /ə/ before the /s/ and a non-rhotic stance, making the second syllable feel lighter. Australian English aligns somewhere in between, often /ˈsaʊəˌsɒp/ with a clearer rhotic-like /ə/ in the second syllable and a slightly longer first vowel. Observe the faintly rhotic influence in US and the non-rhotic tendency in UK, and aim for consistent lip rounding and jaw position across regions.
The difficulty comes from the diphthong in the first syllable (/aʊə/ or /aʊər/) blending into a rounded, weak /ər/ or /ə/ in the second syllable, and the final /p/ must be crisp without releasing into a vague consonant. The -sop cluster can subtly morph in fast speech, especially when followed by other words, creating a temporary assimilation. Practice the two-beat rhythm slowly, then gradually speed up while maintaining clear vowel quality and a precise final stop.
Pay attention to the vowel transition from /aʊ/ to /ə/ or /ər/ depending on accent. The first syllable carries the main stress, so you’ll keep the mouth open longer for /aʊ/ and then glide quickly into the mid-central vowel in the second syllable. Avoid turning /ər/ into a full /er/ vowel; aim for a soft, reduced ending before the final /p/. The result is a natural, two-beat, crisp ending that matches typical English rhythm.
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US: rhotics are pronounced; the /ər/ in the second syllable often sounds like a schwa+r, and the final /p/ is strongly released.UK: non-rhotic or weak-rhotic features; the /r/ may be reduced; /ə/ in the middle is more centralized, and the final /p/ can be unreleased. AU: tends to have a clear, crisp /ɒ/ or /ɒp/ ending, with a slightly longer /ə/ in the first syllable; emphasize the first syllable with a rounded lip position and a relaxed jaw. IPA anchors: US /ˈsaʊərˌsɒp/, UK /ˈsaʊəsɒp/, AU /ˈsaʊəˌsɒp/.
The word soursop traces its roots to the Caribbean and Pidgin/Creole adaptations of the Tupi-Guarani ‘guanábana,’ which scattered through Spanish and Portuguese colonial languages as ‘guanabana’ and ‘guanábana.’ The English adaptation likely arose from an anglicized misreading or simplification of the Spanish/Caribbean name in the 18th or 19th century, when tropical fruits made their way to European markets and the Americas. The term soursop appears in English texts by the late 18th to early 19th centuries, initially to describe the fruit before the name “guanabana” gained broader usage in Latin American culinary usage. Over time, “soursop” became the more common English vernacular in the United States and parts of the Caribbean, while “guanabana” remained prevalent in many Spanish-speaking regions. The fruit’s botanical name, Annona muricata, reflects its genus (Annona, a group of tropical fruit trees) and species descriptor (muricata, from Latin for ‘biting, biting with a bitter flavor’), emphasizing the fruit’s tart flavor profile that characterizes much of the fruit’s culinary use.
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Words that rhyme with "Soursop"
-hop sounds
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