Pronouncing Azerbaijan: A Guide To Getting It Right

Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. There are several ways to pronounce Azerbaijan in English, depending on the accent. In the UK, it is pronounced as AZ-uh-by-JAAN and in the US, it is pronounced as Ah-zer-by-JAAN. The pronunciation of the J is similar to the Zh in Zhukov.

How to pronounce Azerbaijan in English

There are several ways to pronounce Azerbaijan in English, and the pronunciation differs depending on the accent.

In the UK, Azerbaijan is pronounced as:

• /ˌæz.ə.baɪˈdʒɑːn/
• Ázəbɑjʤɑ́ːn (Modern IPA)
• ˌæzəbaɪˈʤɑːn (Traditional IPA)

In the US, Azerbaijan is pronounced as:

• /ˌɑː.zɚ.baɪˈdʒɑːn/
• [ AH z er b ay j AH n ]
• [ae z r b ae j ae n]

To help with the pronunciation of Azerbaijan, it can be broken down into four individual sounds: "az" + "uh" + "by" + "jaan".

• Sound it out: Say each of the four sounds out loud, exaggerating them at first. Practice until you can produce them clearly and consistently.
• Self-record and review: Record yourself saying 'Azerbaijan' in sentences, then listen back to identify areas for improvement.
• Pick your accent: Choose whether you want to learn the US or UK pronunciation and stick to it to avoid confusion.
• Mimic the experts: Immerse yourself in English by listening to audiobooks, podcasts, or movies with subtitles. Try shadowing—listen to a short sentence and repeat it, mimicking the intonation and pronunciation.

How to pronounce Azerbaijan in Azeri

The Azerbaijani language, also known as Azeri, is a Turkic language. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to pronounce Azerbaijan in Azeri:

• The first syllable is "Az", pronounced like the letter a and the letter z together, as in the word "a-z-ure".
• The second syllable is "er", pronounced like the first two sounds in the word "errand".
• The third syllable is "ba", pronounced like the first two sounds in the word "bark".
• The fourth syllable is "ij", pronounced like the first two sounds in the word "inch".
• The fifth syllable is "aan", pronounced like the first two sounds in the word "aanalyst".

So, to pronounce Azerbaijan in Azeri, one would say "Az-er-ba-ij-aan". The word has five syllables and the stress falls on the second and fifth syllables, so it is important to emphasise those when pronouncing the word. The Azeri pronunciation of Azerbaijan is [ɑːzæɾbɑjˈd͡ʒɑn].

How to pronounce Azerbaijan in Turkish

The correct way to pronounce Azerbaijan in Turkish is "Azerbaycan". This is different from the English pronunciation, which is "Azərbaycan".

In Turkish, the third letter of the word is "ə" (a sound like the 'a' in the word 'bad'). Some people find this sound difficult to pronounce, which may be why the word is sometimes pronounced as "Azerbeycan" in Turkish media. However, native Turkish speakers have commented that this is incorrect, and the correct pronunciation is "Azerbaycan".

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for the English pronunciation of Azerbaijan is æzə(r)baɪˈ(d)ʒɑːn. Breaking the word down into individual sounds, it can be pronounced as "az" + "uh" + "by" + "jaan".

To improve your pronunciation of Azerbaijan in Turkish, try these tips:

• Practice saying the word slowly and clearly, exaggerating the sounds at first.
• Record yourself saying 'Azerbaycan' and listen back to identify areas for improvement.
• Search for native Turkish speakers on YouTube who can guide you on how to pronounce the word correctly.
• Immerse yourself in Turkish language content, such as audiobooks, podcasts, or movies with subtitles. Try shadowing by listening to a short sentence and repeating it immediately, mimicking the intonation and pronunciation.

How to pronounce Azerbaijan in other languages

The pronunciation of Azerbaijan differs depending on the language and accent. Here is how you can pronounce Azerbaijan in various languages and accents:

In English

The UK English pronunciation of Azerbaijan is 'æz.ə.baɪˈdʒɑːn', while the US English pronunciation is 'ɑː.zɚ.baɪˈdʒɑːn'.

In Venetian

The pronunciation of Azerbaijan in Venetian is provided by a female speaker from Italy: 'VegNob'.

In Swahili

The pronunciation of Azerbaijan in Swahili is provided by a male speaker from the United Arab Emirates: 'helmik'.

In Interlingua

The pronunciation of Azerbaijan in Interlingua is provided by a male speaker from France: 'sicerabibax'.

In other languages and accents

• Mandarin Chinese (zh)
• Algerian Arabic (arq)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (aii)
• Biblical Hebrew (hbo)
• Bitterroot Salish (fla)
• Cape Verdean Creole (kea)
• Central Atlas Tamazight (tzm)
• Central Kurdish (ckb)
• Chinook Jargon (chn)
• Cook Islands Maori (rar)
• Cypriot Arabic (acy)
• Egyptian Arabic (arz)
• Franco-Provençal (frp)
• Jamaican Patois (jam)
• Jiaoliao Mandarin (jliu)
• Jilu Mandarin (jlua)
• Karachay-Balkar (krc)
• Louisiana Creole (lou)
• Lower Yangtze Mandarin (juai)
• Mainfränkisch (vmf)
• Mayan languages (myn)
• Mennonite Low German (pdt)
• Mescalero-Chiricahua (apm)
• Mesopotamian Arabic (acm)
• Middle Chinese (ltc)
• Middle English (enm)
• Moroccan Arabic (ary)
• North Levantine Arabic (apc)
• Norwegian Nynorsk (nn)
• Ottoman Turkish (ota)
• Pennsylvania Dutch (pdc)
• Pitjantjatjara (pjt)
• Quiatoni Zapotec (zpf)
• Reunionese Creole (rcf)
• Scottish Gaelic (gd)
• Siberian Tatar (sty)
• Silesian German (sli)
• South Levantine Arabic (ajp)
• Southwestern Mandarin (xghu)
• Swabian German (swg)
• Toisanese Cantonese (tisa)
• Tunisian Arabic (aeb)
• Western Apache (apw)

Tips for pronouncing Azerbaijan in English:

• Sound it out: Break down the word 'Azerbaijan' into its individual sounds: "az" + "uh" + "by" + "jaan". Exaggerate these sounds and practice until you can produce them clearly.
• Self-record and review: Record yourself saying 'Azerbaijan' in sentences and listen back to identify areas for improvement.
• Pick your accent: Choose one accent, such as US or UK English, and stick to it for smoother learning. Avoid mixing multiple accents.
• Mimic the experts: Immerse yourself in English by listening to native speakers and trying to mimic their intonation and pronunciation.
• Train your ear: Practice distinguishing between similar sounds using minimal pairs, such as 'ship' and 'sheep'.
• Explore online resources: Utilize websites, apps, and YouTube channels dedicated to pronunciation, such as Rachel's English and English with James.

How to spell Azerbaijan in other languages

The word for Azerbaijan in different languages is often very similar to the English spelling. Here are some examples:

French

In French, Azerbaijan is spelled 'Azerbaïdjan'. The name of the country is a direct derivative of the English spelling, with the addition of an 'i' after the 'e' and an 's' after the 'b'.

German

In German, the country is spelled 'Aserbaidschan'. This is a more significant deviation from the English spelling, with the addition of an 's' after the 'b', an 'i' after the 'e', and the ending 'an' instead of 'baijan'.

Mandarin

In Mandarin, the country is known as 'Āsāibàijiāng', a very different spelling to the English name, but still recognisable.

Spanish

In European Spanish, Azerbaijan is spelled 'Azerbaiyán', with an accent over the 'i' and an 'n' at the end. In Latin American Spanish, it is 'Azerbaiyàn', with the accent over the 'i' and the 'n' maintained, but the last letter changed to an 'à'.

Other Languages

In Brazilian Portuguese, Azerbaijan is 'Azerbaijão', Croatian 'Azerbajdžan', Czech 'Ázerbájdžán', Danish 'Aserbajdsjan', Finnish 'Azerbaidzan', Greek 'Αζερμπαϊτζάν', Italian 'Azerbaigian', Japanese 'アゼルバイジャン', Korean '아제르바이잔', Norwegian 'Aserbajdsjan', Polish 'Azerbejdżan', European Portuguese 'Azerbaijão', Romanian 'Azerbaidjan', Russian 'Азербайджан', Swedish 'Azerbajdzjan', Thai 'อาเซอร์ไบจาน', Ukrainian 'Азербайджан', and Vietnamese 'nước Azerbaijan'.

Frequently asked questions