2 syllables: Tri, bune. Stress on Tri.
TRIB-yoon
/ˈtɹɪbjun/
Tribune is pronounced TRIB-yoon (/ˈtɹɪbjun/). It has two syllables (Tri-bune), with the stress on "Tri". Tribune is a noun referring to a person who speaks on behalf of an assembly or public masses, or a platform used for public speaking, especially in ancient Rome and in modern political contexts. It can denote a public advocate or spokesperson, as well as a raised area for speakers or performers in a meeting hall. The term carries historical and civic connotations of leadership, advocacy, and public discourse.
nounTribune is a noun referring to a person who speaks on behalf of an assembly or public masses, or a platform used for public speaking, especially in ancient Rome and in modern political contexts. It can denote a public advocate or spokesperson, as well as a raised area for speakers or performers in a meeting hall. The term carries historical and civic connotations of leadership, advocacy, and public discourse.
"The newspaper editor was invited to speak as the town's tribune on civic issues."
"In ancient Rome, a tribune protected the plebeians from patrician authority."
"The political party appointed a young tribune to rally support for reform."
Tribune is pronounced as /ˈtrɪb.juːn/ in US and UK English, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The vowels are a short i in the first syllable and a long uː in the second, with a gentle y glide between the syllables. Start with a crisp /t/, then /r/ with a relaxed tongue, followed by /ɪ/ as in 'kit', then /b/ and the /j/ consonant that leads into the /uː/ vowel, finishing with /n/. Imagine saying 'TRIB-yoon' with the 'yoon' part sounding like 'you-n'.
Common mistakes include flattening the second syllable to a short /u/ and misplacing stress or blending the /j/ into the /uː/ too early. Some learners say /ˈtrɪbjuːn/ with the /j/ only as a yod before the vowel, but the correct sequence is /ˈtrɪb.juːn/, with the /j/ acting as a separate consonant between /b/ and /uː/. Another pitfall is pronouncing the end as /æn/ or /ən/ instead of the long /uːn/. Focus on maintaining a clear /j/ glide and the long /uː/ vowel at the end.
In US and UK, the pronunciation is /ˈtrɪb.juːn/, with the rhoticity in linking accents affecting the preceding /r/ only in some dialects; most show a voiced /r/ in American speech but not a strong rhotic influence on the ending. Australian speakers generally mirror US pronunciation but may exhibit a slightly more relaxed /ɪ/ and a brighter /uː/ quality, with a subtle centering of the /juː/ vowel. Stress remains on the first syllable in all three, and the consonant cluster /br/ tends to be released clearly, with the /j/ as a distinct consonant before /uːn/.
Tribune challenges learners with a two-syllable structure requiring a distinct /j/ glide between /b/ and /uː/ and a long, tense /uː/ ending. The combination /bj/ can feel awkward if not timing the /j/ as a separate phoneme. Additionally, maintaining the primary stress on the first syllable while keeping the /ɪ/ in /ˈtrɪ/ crisp can be tricky when speaking quickly. Practice isolating the /j/ and length of the final vowel, then integrate into full word pronunciation for steadier articulation.
A Tribu-ne is sometimes misread with a silent e in casual speech; in careful pronunciation, the final /n/ is clearly audible and the /uː/ is long. The /j/ between /b/ and /uː/ should never fuse into /juː/ as if it were 'bjoo-n'—it's a discrete consonant /j/ followed by /uː/. Also note that the initial /t/ can be unreleased in rapid speech; keep it crisp but not aspirated too strongly. IPA: /ˈtrɪb.juːn/.
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Tribune comes from the Latin tribūnus, denoting an official authorized to protect the interests of the plebeians in ancient Rome. The root trib-, linked to similar words like tribulus and tribune in other contexts, is associated with 'to assign' or 'to allot' roles and duties within a community. The Latin tribūnus appears in classical texts around the 5th century BCE, where tribūni were elected officials who held sacral and civil authority and had the power to intervene in judicial matters. Over time, the term broadened in medieval and modern Europe to mean any public speaker or advocate who represents a group’s interests. In English, tribune retains both the political/protective sense and a more ceremonial or historical dimension (as in political or ceremonial tribune platforms). First known usage in English literature appears in the late 15th to early 16th century, often in political discourse or historical descriptions of Roman institutions. In contemporary usage, tribune can signify a public speaker or a journalist who champions civic issues, as well as a title for platforms used for broadcasting opinions or debates. The word carries a weighty, formal tone with historical gravitas, implying a role in public deliberation and advocacy.
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Words that rhyme with "Tribune"
-une sounds
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