2 syllables: Tour, ists. Stress on Tour.
TUUR-uhsts
/ˈtʊɹəsts/
Tourists is pronounced TUUR-uhsts (/ˈtʊɹəsts/). It has two syllables (Tour-ists), with the stress on "Tour". Tourists is a plural noun referring to people who travel for pleasure or sightseeing. It denotes individuals who visit places away from their usual environment, often exploring landmarks, culture, and local amenities. In conversation, it can describe groups or individuals who are temporarily in a location for leisure, with the emphasis on their travel activity rather than residents.
nounTourists is a plural noun referring to people who travel for pleasure or sightseeing. It denotes individuals who visit places away from their usual environment, often exploring landmarks, culture, and local amenities. In conversation, it can describe groups or individuals who are temporarily in a location for leisure, with the emphasis on their travel activity rather than residents.
"We met several from abroad; the tourists lined up near the museum entrance."
"Tourists often underestimate how quiet early mornings are before the city wakes."
"The tour guides handed out maps to the curious tourists."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈtʊr.ɪsts/ in US and UK, with stress on the first syllable. Start with /t/ then the close-back rounded vowel /ʊ/ as in 'put', followed by a quick /r/ before the schwa-like /ɪ/ in the middle, and finish with /sts/ as in 'st' plus a light /s/. In Australian English, the /ɪ/ may be slightly more centralized and the final /s/ softer. Audio examples: imitate native speech from dictionaries or Pronounce to hear the exact timing and intonation.
Common errors: 1) treating it as one syllable or misplacing stress (pronouncing as /ˈtɔːrɪsts/ or /ˈtɜːrɪsts/). 2) Vowel reduction in /ʊ/ or conflating with 'tourist' pronunciation. 3) Slurring the /r/ or inserting an extra vowel between /r/ and /ɪ/. Correction: keep /t/ + /ʊ/ (like 'toot') for the first syllable, then a crisp /r/ before /ɪ/; ensure /sts/ is a clear final cluster without a extraneous vowel. Practice with minimal pairs: tour- + -ists to ensure the /r/ is retained and not merged.
US: /ˈtʊr.ɪsts/ with rhotic /r/ in all postvocalic positions; UK: /ˈtʊə.rɪsts/ or /ˈtɔː.rɪsts/ depending on region; AU: /ˈtʊə.rɪsts/ with a slightly flatter /ɪ/ and a softer /t/ onset in some areas. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel length: US maintains rhotic /r/, UK may have a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable; AU often reduces to a near-central vowel in some speakers. Compare by listening to native samples in Pronounce and YouGlish to hear all three.
Two primary challenges: the two-syllable structure with a stressed first syllable and a final consonant cluster /sts/. The /r/ sound in American and many UK accents is strongly rhotic, which can affect flow between /r/ and /ɪ/. The /ɪ/ can be quick and reduced in rapid speech, making it easy to mix with /ɪ/ in neighboring words. Focus on: crisp /r/, a short, clear /ɪ/, and a final /sts/ without inserting an extra vowel. IPA reminders help lock the timing.
There are no silent letters in Tourists; the challenge lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the strong first-syllable stress. The spelling shows -ists, but the pronunciation is /ˈtʊr.ɪsts/. Stress falls on the first syllable, which helps drive the rhythm in connected speech. Ensure the second syllable is not overly reduced; keep a short /ɪ/ and a clear /sts/ ending. This clarity helps avoid mispronouncing as /ˈtɜːrˌiːsts/.
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Tourists derives from the word tour, from Old French tour, derived from Latin tourus meaning a circle or turn. The suffix -ist identifies a person who practices or is associated with something, here “one who goes on tours.” The concept of tourism surged in the 18th and 19th centuries with the rise of leisure travel and transport networks. The term “tourist” first appeared in the mid-18th century in English writing about travel for pleasure, initially with a somewhat pejorative or humorous tone in some contexts, reflecting a new social behavior of leisure travel. Over time, the word broadened to describe any traveler who visits sights as part of a planned excursion rather than for business or permanent residence. The word’s meaning has remained stable: a person who travels to various places for recreation, cultural enrichment, and observation, often temporarily away from home. Modern usage emphasizes the spectator role of the traveler in new environments, and the term is almost universally understood in global travel contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Tourists"
-sts sounds
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