teen
/tin/
teen is pronounced teen (/tin/). Teen refers to a person between thirteen and nineteen years old; as an adjective it denotes anything associated with that age group. In linguistics, the word is a single-syllable, vowel-heavy term that often functions as a noun or modifier in casual speech. The core meaning centers on a specific age range and social identity tied to adolescence.
Teen refers to a person between thirteen and nineteen years old; as an adjective it denotes anything associated with that age group. In linguistics, the word is a single-syllable, vowel-heavy term that often functions as a noun or modifier in casual speech. The core meaning centers on a specific age range and social identity tied to adolescence.
- Mispronounce as /tən/ or /tɪn/ due to vowel reduction in rapid speech; fix by sustaining /iː/ and ensuring a clear /n/. - Insert extra vowel: /tiːən/ or /tiən/; correct by cutting the vowel length to a single pure /iː/ and finishing with a crisp /n/. - Flatten the vowel: reduce it to a lax /ɪ/ or schwa; correct by practicing with a mirror to feel the tongue high and forward and lengthen the vowel to /iː/.
"My brother is a teen and loves skateboarding."
"Teen slang evolves quickly, especially on social media."
"The teen choir performed beautifully at the event."
Pronounce it as /tiːn/. It’s a single stressed syllable vowel-dominant word. Start with a long high-front tense vowel /iː/ (as in see), then end with the alveolar nasal /n/. Mouth: keep the tongue high, jaw relatively closed, lips unrounded, and release into a clean /n/ with a quick, clipped finish. IPA guidance: US/UK/AU all share /tiːn/. Audio reference: use any standard dictionary audio for /tiːn/.
Common errors include shortening the vowel to a lax /ɪ/ (like ‘tin’) and not fully closing the /iː/ vowel, producing a mid or clipped /tiən/ or /tin/. Another mistake is adding an extra syllable, pronouncing it as /tiːən/. To correct: keep the vowel tense and long, hold it for the full duration, and finish with a crisp /n/. Practice with minimal pairs: teen vs tin; teen vs term.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /tiːn/ vowel remains long and tense, but rhotic influence and vowel quality vary slightly. In US, /tiːn/ tends to be tenser with a slightly longer duration; in many UK accents, the /iː/ is also long, but may sound a touch more centralized in some regions. Australian tends to be non-rhotic and may meld vowels slightly, yet /tiːn/ remains a characteristic long /iː/ with a crisp /n/ ending.
The difficulty lies in sustaining the long high-front vowel /iː/ without tensing the jaw excessively and in transitioning cleanly into the alveolar nasal /n/. Some speakers naturally reduce the vowel to /i/ or misarticulate the /t/ by gliding into /d/ or /ɹ/ in connected speech, even though the word is visually simple. Focus on jaw relaxation, controlled vowel duration, and a precise alveolar closure for /n/.
No silent letters in teen. The word carries primary stress on the only syllable: /tiːn/. It’s a one-syllable word, so stress is inherent; there is no secondary stress. The challenge is not stress assignment but vowel quality and nasal onset/offset. Ensure the long /iː/ is not reduced and the final /n/ is released crisply.
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- US: /tiːn/, maintain tenser, longer /iː/, avoid lowering the tongue. - UK: /tiːn/ but watch non-rhotic tendencies in some phrases; ensure crisp /n/ with strong alveolar closure. - AU: /tiːn/ with slightly more centralized vowel quality in some speakers; keep vowel height high and rounded lips minimal. IPA notes: all share /tiːn/.
The word teen derives from the Old English suffix -tien or from the 18th–19th century English practice of forming numbers in the -teen range (thirteen through nineteen). The root concept is the digit 'ten' with the prefix indicating a quantity more specifically high teens. Early English usage appears in the 14th century as part of larger number-name formations, but it became semantically linked to adolescence in the 20th century as a social category—where the term “teenager” and associated adjectives gained currency. The
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "teen" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "teen" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "teen" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "teen"
-een sounds
-ean sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
