TEE-nay-jurz
/ˈtiˌneɪdʒɚz/
teenagers is pronounced TEE-nay-jurz (/ˈtiˌneɪdʒɚz/). Teenagers refers to people aged approximately 13 to 19, or to a phase of adolescence characterized by rapid physical, emotional, and social changes. The term commonly describes youth who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, often marked by evolving identity, independence, and peer influence. The word emphasizes age range rather than maturity, with usage spanning education, media, and social contexts.
Teenagers refers to people aged approximately 13 to 19, or to a phase of adolescence characterized by rapid physical, emotional, and social changes. The term commonly describes youth who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, often marked by evolving identity, independence, and peer influence. The word emphasizes age range rather than maturity, with usage spanning education, media, and social contexts.
"The teenagers at the summer program organized a volunteer project."
"A group of teenagers were debating curfews and school rules."
"The survey targeted teenagers to understand their media habits."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈtiː.neɪ.dʒɚz/ in US and /ˈtiː.neɪ.dʒəz/ in UK/AU. Primary stress is on TEEN, the second syllable carries a secondary stress in careful speech, but in rapid speech it often blends: /ˈtiː.neɪ.dʒəz/. Start with a clear long 'ee' in TEEN, then a strong -ate- like /neɪ/ as in 'neigh' followed by /dʒ/ as in 'judge', and end with /ɚ/ or /əz/ depending on accent. Visualize the mouth: lips unrounded for TEEN, slight smile; tongue raises to approximate /iː/; for /neɪ/ raise the tongue to mid-high with a diphthong; the /dʒ/ is a Palato-alveolar affricate produced by a quick combination of /d/ and /ʒ/. Audio references: consult pronunciation dictionaries and native speaker audio for exact nuance.
Common errors: flattening the /iː/ to a short /ɪ/ or reducing /neɪ/ to /næ/ leading to /ˈtɪn.ɡɚz/; mispronouncing /dʒ/ as /ʒ/ or /tʃ/ (e.g., teena-zhers); losing the final /z/ or adding an extra /ɪə/ vowel before the final /z/. Correction: hold the long /iː/ in TEEN, glide clearly into /neɪ/ with a strong diphthong, ensure /dʒ/ is a single, quick affricate, and end with a crisp /z/; in non-rhotic accents, maintain the final /z/ quality rather than an /s/ or vowel.” ,
In US English, the ending is typically /-ɚz/ with rhotic r color, making the ending sound like z-rhotic; in most UK accents, /-əz/ or /-əz/ can be less rhotic with a schwa-like ending; Australian often aligns with UK rhotic tendencies but with a slightly closer /ɪ/ quality in the first syllable and a more open /ɜː/ or /ɚ/ depending on speaker. The primary TEEN and the /neɪ/ diphthong are similar, but the final cluster /dʒɚz/ (US) vs /dʒəz/ (UK/AU) yields subtle vowel and rhotic differences.” ,
The difficulty lies in the multi-phoneme cluster at the end: /dʒ/ followed by /ɚ/ or /ə/ and final /z/. The /dʒ/ requires precise palato-alveolar placement, the /ɚ/ in rhotic accents can blur with schwa, and the final /z/ must stay voiceless and clipped in careful speech. Beginners often merge the /dʒ/ with /ʒ/ or insert an extra syllable, producing /ˈtin.ɪ.dʒərz/. Focus on cleanly releasing the affricate and keeping the final sibilant crisp.
A unique consideration is the liaison between /n/ and /dʒ/ in fast connected speech, where you may hear an audible /d/ release before the /ʒ/ due to rapid tongue movement across the palate. Practice with slow-to-fast transitions and ensure the /n/ does not bleed into /dʒ/. Also, in some rapid pronunciations, the ending may reduce to /-əz/ or /-ərz/ depending on the speaker’s rhythm and the following word.
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Teenager is a compound of teen, derived from teenage, which itself comes from teen (short for ‘ten’ in Old English? Not exactly—‘teen’ stems from the suffix in numbers ending in -teen, from Old English tæne, teāne? The modern sense of teenager developed in the early 20th century to describe a distinct life stage between childhood and adulthood. The earliest uses appeared in American English in the 1940s as social scientists and journalists began labeling the “teen” years (thirteen through nineteen) as a definable group. The term teenager, with its -er suffix denoting a person associated with a category, crystallized as media and education sectors recognized adolescence as a unique demographic. Over time, “teenager” expanded beyond biological age to capture the cultural experience of adolescence, including fashion, music, and social behavior associated with that age bracket. The word’s meaning continues to evolve with shifting norms around adolescence, education, and youth culture, but its core rests on a 13-19 age range and a unique set of developmental traits. First known use cites mid-20th century American journalism and sociological discourse, though informal usage predates formal labeling.
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Words that rhyme with "teenagers"
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