2 syllables: Tar, zan. Stress on Tar.
TAHR-zan
/ˈtɑˌɹzæn/
Tarzan is pronounced TAHR-zan (/ˈtɑˌɹzæn/). It has two syllables (Tar-zan), with the stress on "Tar". Tarzan is a fictional jungle hero popularized in early 20th-century adventure fiction. As a proper noun referring to the character, the name is pronounced with two syllables and primary stress on the first. In everyday speech, it’s used as a cultural reference and in media titles, often retaining a strong, clipped first syllable and a lighter second.
nounTarzan is a fictional jungle hero popularized in early 20th-century adventure fiction. As a proper noun referring to the character, the name is pronounced with two syllables and primary stress on the first. In everyday speech, it’s used as a cultural reference and in media titles, often retaining a strong, clipped first syllable and a lighter second.
- You may flatten the first syllable into a lax /tar/ instead of a clear /tɑːr/; fix by opening the jaw wider and sustaining the vowel for about 0.15-0.20 seconds. - You might overemphasize the second syllable, turning it into /zɛn/ or /zən/ with extra length; keep it short and unstressed. Practice with a quick tap after TAR before releasing /zən/. - Some speakers misplace the /r/ or drop it in non-rhotic accents; ensure a subtle, but audible rhotic or rhotic influence where appropriate in US speech, while UK/AU may be lighter on rhoticity. - Finally, ensure there’s a crisp /z/ instead of a /s/ sound transitioning into the vowel; practice minimal pair TAR-zən versus TAR-sən to hear the difference.
"Tarzan swings into the scene, shouting his iconic yell."
"The film drew crowds eager to see a modern take on Tarzan."
"She quoted Tarzan’s line from the movie trailer for emphasis."
Tarzan is pronounced TAR-zən, with the primary stress on the first syllable. In IPA you’ll often see US: /ˈtɑːr.zən/ or /ˈtɑːrzən/ depending on transcription; UK: /ˈtɑː.zən/; AU commonly /ˈtæːrzən/ or /ˈtɑːzən/. Start with a strong, open jaw for /tɑː/ or /ˈtɑː/, then a quick, lighter /zən/ ending. Keep the syllable boundary clear: TAR - zən.
Common errors include reducing the first syllable to a quick /tarn/ or a clipped /tar-zən/ with too-short a second syllable, and misplacing the stress (pronouncing it as tar-ZAN). To correct: emphasize the first syllable with a full vowel /ɑː/ (or /ɑ/ variant) and keep the second syllable light and unstressed: TAR-zən. Practice by saying ‘TAH-rah’ with the first strong beat, then glide into /zən/.
In US English, TAR-zən with a pronounced /ɑː/ in the first vowel and a rhotic /r/ can influence the following vowel color. UK tends toward /ˈtɑː.zən/ with less rhotic influence, softer /z/ onset, and a slightly shorter second syllable. Australian often features a broader /ɐː/ or /æː/ in the first vowel and a non-rhotic or weak /r/ effect, producing /ˈtæːzən/ or /ˈtɑːzən/ depending on speaker. Overall, first syllable quality and rhoticity shift define differences.
Tarzan is challenging because of the two-syllable structure with strong initial stress and a short, unstressed second syllable, which can cause the second syllable to be swallowed. The initial vowel also varies by dialect (/ɑː/ vs /æ/), and the /z/ cluster before the final syllable can feel abrupt if the following vowel isn’t released clearly. Focus on a deliberate, open first vowel and a crisp, light /zən/ at the end.
Tarzan’s name often invites questions about the non-stressed second vowel. The key is to avoid vocal compression in the second syllable: keep /zən/ as a light, quick ending rather than a full, heavy -zen. Practice by voicing TAR, then gently release into zən with a barely audible vowel in the coda. Visualize a strong initial beat followed by a subtle finish.
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- US: Emphasize /ɑː/ in TAR with a clear rhotic influence; the /r/ is pronounced, and /z/ is voiced and clear before /ən/. IPA reference: /ˈtɑːr.zən/. - UK: Often non-rhotic; /ˈtɑː.zən/ with a crisper, shorter second syllable and less emphasis on rhotics. Maintain a clear /z/ before the final schwa, but let the final vowel be light. - AU: Varied; many speakers use /ˈtæː.zən/ or /ˈtɑːzən/, with a possibly broader first vowel and less rolling of the /r/. Keep the second syllable short and unaccented. - Across all, keep jaw relaxed but open for the first vowel, allow a quick move to the /z/ and finish with a faint /ən/.
Tarzan derives from a name created by Edgar Rice Burroughs for the wildly capable jungle hero who appears in the Tarzan of the Apes novels (first published 1912). Burroughs crafted Tarzan as a fictional noble savage raised by apes in the African jungle. The racial and cultural framing of Tarzan reflects early 20th-century adventure fiction, including colonial attitudes common to that era. The name itself is not rooted in a real language but functions as a distinctive personal name within Burroughs’s invented world; its phonology is shaped for English readers, with a two-syllable cadence and a strong initial beat. Over time, Tarzan became a global cultural icon through films, radio serials, and modern reimaginings, embedding the name into popular discourse as a shorthand for primal strength, jungle prowess, and archetypal masculinity. First popularized in print, Tarzan’s brand extended into stage adaptations, film franchises, and multiple languages, often retaining recognizable pronunciation while adapting to foreign phonologies. The evolution from Burroughs’s printed character to a worldwide media figure also influenced how the name is spoken in various dialects, but the canonical English pronunciation remains TAR-zən (US) or TARZ-ən, adapted in different accents while preserving the two-syllable rhythm and the emphasis on the first syllable.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tarzan" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Tarzan"
-zan sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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