Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

balkans

/ˈbɔl.kənz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.25 in modern English

Syllables
balka-ns
IPA
/ˈbɔl.kənz/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A cultural region and peninsula in Southeastern Europe, roughly equivalent to the area covered by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, sometimes including Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovenia, and European Turkey.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Of Turkic origin; compare Turkish balkan (“wooded mountain range”). Probably unrelated to balk (“ridge of land”).

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈbɔl.kənz/
  • British English: /ˈbɔːl.kənz/

Inflected Forms

the Balkans (canonical, plural) Balcans (alternative, dated)

Derived Forms

Balkan Balkanism Balkanize Balkanization

Phrases

Paleo-Balkan

Frequently Paired Words

Balkanic Balkanian Paleo-Balkan

Synonyms

Balkan Peninsula

Questions

How do you pronounce balkans?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɔl.kənz/.
What does balkans mean?
A cultural region and peninsula in Southeastern Europe, roughly equivalent to the area covered by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, sometimes including Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovenia, and European Turkey.
Where does balkans come from?
Of Turkic origin; compare Turkish balkan (“wooded mountain range”). Probably unrelated to balk (“ridge of land”).

How to pronounce balkans

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “balkans”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɔl.kənz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “balkans”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “balkans” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.