Usury is the practice of lending money at a legally or culturally prohibitive interest rate. Historically associated with exploitative lending, it denotes charging excessively high interest, often beyond prevailing norms or caps. The term carries negative ethical connotations in most contexts, reflecting concerns about fairness and financial coercion.
- • Mix 2-3 key phonetic challenges: 1) Misplacing stress (try YOU-zoo-ree vs you-SURE-ee). 2) Incorrect /zj/ blend, making it plain /z/ or /zh/. 3) Vowel length in the final syllable; avoid dragging into a long 'ee'. - Correction tips: 1) Practice with a stress-tuneline: map syllables and mark the first syllable as stressed. 2) Drill the /zj/ cluster by saying 'zj' as 'z' + a quick 'y' glide. 3) Shorten the final vowel; end crisp and quick. 4) Use minimal pairs to highlight differences: 'you' vs 'yew', 'zhu' vs 'z ur'. 5) Record and compare with a native, adjust mouth posture as needed.
- US: rhotic r; more pronounced linking “YOU-zher-ee” with vertical tongue behind top teeth. - UK: non-rhotic; final /ri/ still short, 'you-zhoor-ee' with a clearer schwa in middle. - AU: vowel quality midway between US/UK; often a relaxed /ə/ in middle syllable and light /ɹ/ depending on context. Use IPA as reference: US /ˈjuː.zjə.ɹi/; UK /ˈjuː.zjə.ri/; AU /ˈjuː.zjə.ɹi/.
"The medieval church condemned usury as a sin, capping interest rates for lenders."
"Modern finance forbids usury in many jurisdictions, but high-rate payday lenders are still scrutinized as predatory."
"Some argued the usury laws protected borrowers, while others claimed they merely restricted legitimate lending."
"Academic debates often distinguish between usury and legitimate interest based on rate ceilings and consumer vulnerability."
Usury derives from the Old French word usure, which itself comes from the Latin on the brink of vesura? The actual Latin term is usura, meaning
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Usury" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Usury" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Usury" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Usury"
-ury 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.
Usury is pronounced /ˈjuː.zjə.ri/ in many varieties of English. The primary stress is on the first syllable: YOU-zhu-ree, with the middle syllable a reduced schwa-like sound. The /zj/ sequence is a soft consonant blend, often realized as a palatalized 'zh' + 'uh' transition before the final 'ri'. In IPA terms: US: /ˈjuː.zɪəri/? Let's anchor: standard US/UK common rendering is /ˈjuːr.i/? The precise teaching form is /ˈjuː.zjʊə.ɹi/ (US: /ˈjuː.zɚ.i/ around). For clarity, listen to a speaker: you’ll hear a two-consonant onset 'zj' cluster; avoid breaking into 'you-sure-ee'. Consider saying “YOU-zhoo-ree” with a light y-sound before 'u'. Audio reference: Pronounce resource and Forvo sample.
Common errors include: 1) Misplacing stress, saying you-SUR-ee; correct by stressing the first syllable: YOU-zoo-ree. 2) Slurring the /zj/ cluster into a simple /z/ or /zh/ sound; practice by isolating the /zj/ with a quick 'z' + 'y' blend as in 'azure'. 3) Vowel quality in the middle syllable; avoid a strong 'uh' or 'ee'—keep a neutral schwa in the middle before the final /ri/. 4) Final 'ry' pronounced as /ri/ rather than /riː/; keep it concise and shorten the final vowel. 5) Neglecting the initial 'u' sound; begin with a clear 'YOU' onset, not 'yoo-'.
In US, UK, and AU, the word starts with a 'YOU' onset and a /zj/ blend; the main differences are in vowel length and rhoticity. US speakers often produce a rhotacized /ˈjuːˌzjɚ.i/ with a clearer r-coloration before the final vowel. UK speakers typically have a non-rhotic realization in careful speech, rendering as /ˈjuː.zjə.ri/ with less emphasis on r before the final syllable. Australian accents tend toward a more clipped intermediate vowel and a light /r/ depending on linked speech, often /ˈjuː.zjə.ɹi/ with a mild rhotic quality. Practicing across accents helps neutrality but aim for a consistent /juː/ initial and the /zj/ blend.
The difficulty comes from the unique initial cluster /ˈjuː.zjə/ where the /zj/ blends two consonants and a y-sound. Additionally, the middle vowel can drift between /ə/ and /ə/ (schwa), which can trip speakers who expect a crisp vowel. The final /ri/ requires a light, short vowel before the /i/; many learners elongate it. Finally, non-native speakers often misplace stress or apply the wrong vowel length in the second syllable. Mastery comes from isolating the /zj/ sequence and practicing smooth, quick transitions between syllables.
Is the 'u' in usury pronounced as a long 'u' or as a schwa in the middle syllable? The answer: the first syllable has a long 'u' sound, as in 'you', /juː/. The second syllable centers on a reduced vowel, typically a schwa /ə/ in careful speech or a reduced /ɪ/ or /ɚ/ in some accents. The overall pattern is heavy first syllable with a short, unstressed second syllable, and a final /ri/ with a light vowel. This mix is why many learners call it 'YOU-zuh-ree' or 'YOU-zu-ree' depending on speed and accent.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Usury"!
- Shadowing: listen to 2-3 native examples; repeat in sync under 60 seconds, focusing on the /ˈjuː/ onset and /zj/ cluster. - Minimal pairs: practice 'you' vs 'yoo' (long vs short vowels) and 'zha' vs 'zhuh' to feel /zj/ cluster. - Rhythm: stress-timed; practice 1-2 slower iterations then quick, keeping final syllable crisp. - Stress: place primary stress on the first syllable; ensure secondary stress not too strong on middle syllable. - Recording: use a smartphone; compare with a native; adjust jaw laxness. - Context practice: declare sentences like ‘The usury laws cap high rates’ to embed rhythm in discourse.
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