zouk, n.

zouk
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zouk_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2021

# zouknoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zouk mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zouk. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zouk?

About 0.02occurrences per million words in modern written English

2017 | 0.015
2018 | 0.018
2019 | 0.017
2020 | 0.017
2021 | 0.018
2022 | 0.015
2023 | 0.012
2024 | 0.012

### How is the noun zouk pronounced?

#### British English

/zuːk/
zook

#### U.S. English

/zuk/
zook

#### Caribbean English

/zuːk/

### Where does the noun zouk come from?

Earliest known use

1980s

The earliest known use of the noun zouk is in the 1980s.

OED's earliest evidence for zouk is from 1986, in Reggae & Afr. Beat.

zouk is a borrowing from Antilles Creole.

Etymons: Antilles Creole zouk.

### Nearby entries

1. Zoroastrianize, v. 1891–
2. Zoroastric, adj. a1739–
3. Zoroastrism, n. 1819–
4. zorrino, n. 1885–
5. zorro, n. 1838–
6. zos-grass, n. 1937–
7. zoster, n. 1601–
8. zostera, n. 1819–
9. zosterops, n. 1867–
10. Zouave, n. 1848–
11. zouk, n.1986–
12. zounds, v. 1680
13. zounds, int. a1593–
14. Zou-Zou, n. 1860–
15. zowie, int. 1902–
16. zoysia, n. 1965–
17. ZPG, n. 1970–
18. Zr, n. 1814–
19. zubr, n. 1763–
20. zubrowka, n. 1916–
21. zucarine, adj. a1425

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Antilles Creole.
Etymon: Antilles Creole zouk.
< Antilles Creole zouk, denoting a style of dance music and the associated dance, extended uses of zouk, denoting a kind of dance party, of unknown origin.

## Meaning & use

1. 1986–
   A style of popular dance music combining Caribbean (esp. French Antillean) and Western elements, and characterized by a strong fast beat derived from traditional Antillean drumming. Also: a style of dancing associated with this music.
   Popularized by the group Kassav' (formed in 1979).
   1. 1986

      > Zouk is hot stuff, a blending of Haitian compas and cadence rhythms with traditional elements of the Antilles like the ti bois and gwo ka rhythms.

      Reggae & Afr. Beat No. 4. 27/2
   2. 1992

      > West Indian culture is highly visible here. No politicians, but superstars like the zouk bands Kassav and Malavoi.

      Caribbean Week April 8/2
   3. 2003

      > Dancing the zouk in a Fort-de-France nightclub.

      Daily Telegraph (Australia) (Nexis) 9 November i11
   4. 2011

      > Zouk's rise in popularity across the globe gave a rise in status for Martinicans, Guadeloupeans, and other Creole-speaking islanders.

      Y. Daniel, Caribbean & Atlantic Diaspora v. 94
   popular music
   1. a cappella 1905–
      A cappella singing, now esp. (chiefly U.S.) regarded as a genre of popular music. Also: a musical piece sung a cappella.
   2. soundclash 1925–
      Originally: an incompatibility or tension between contrasting (esp. musical) sounds, dissonance. Now: spec. a piece of popular music that contains…
   3. marabi 1933–
      A type of working-class culture originating in the townships of Pretoria during the 1930s; a drinking and dancing party characteristic of this…
   4. easy listening 1939–
      (A genre of) popular music that is softly melodious, undemanding, and unobtrusive.
   5. filk 1959–
      Among science fiction and fantasy fans: a type of popular music, commonly performed at fan conventions, characterized by the use of familiar or…
   6. Tex-Mex 1962–
      A broad genre of folk and popular music associated with Mexican American inhabitants of Texas, characterized by use of the accordion and guitar, and…
   7. folk-rock 1963–
      Short for folk-music, n. So folk-rock, folk-music with a strong beat; folk club, etc.
   8. Liverpool sound 1963–
      The melodic popular music associated with the Beatles and other Liverpool bands, esp. of the 1960s. Cf. Mersey sound at Mersey, n.
   9. Mersey beat 1963–
      attributive. Designating or relating to the catchy, melodic popular music associated with the Beatles and other Merseyside bands, esp. of the 1960s…
   10. Mersey sound 1963–
       attributive. Designating or relating to the catchy, melodic popular music associated with the Beatles and other Merseyside bands, esp. of the 1960s…
   11. surf music 1963–
       A style of popular music originating in southern California in the early 1960s, associated with surfing and surf culture; spec. (a) a style of…
   12. malombo 1964–
       A style of music combining elements of the music performed in traditional malombo ceremonies, esp. the drums and drumming style, with elements taken…
   13. mbaqanga 1964–
       A style of jazz-influenced popular music, esp. influenced by traditional southern African forms, originating in the townships of Johannesburg in…
   14. disco music 1966–
       (Originally) music for dancing of a type typically played at a disco; (later frequently spec.) = disco, n.¹ 1b.
   15. freak-out 1966–
       As a modifier, designating a style of popular music associated with the 1960s counterculture and inspired or influenced by the effects of…
   16. Motown 1966–
       Motown music. Cf. Tamla Motown, n.
   17. psychedelia 1966–
       Psychedelic articles or phenomena collectively; spec. music, art, or culture based on the experiences produced by or associated with psychedelic…
   18. boogaloo 1967–
       Also in form bugalú. A style of music developed by Spanish-speaking musicians in New York in the 1960s, fusing African American styles such as…
   19. power pop 1967–
       A style of pop music characterized by loud volume, a strong melodic line with simple rhythms, heavy use of guitars and keyboards, and often…
   20. yé-yé 1967–
       A style of light pop music originating in, and particularly associated with, France in the 1960s.
   21. agitpop 1968–
       Popular art or music characterized by the expression of radical or alternative political and social ideas; this as a genre.
   22. bubblegum 1968–
       Bubblegum music. See sense B.1.
   23. Tamla Motown 1968–
       Used attributively and absol. to designate a style of music characterized by a heavy beat and influenced by gospel music, which was made popular by…
   24. deep soul 1969–
       Any of various types of American soul music incorporating elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues, and typically characterized by a…
   25. doo-wop 1969–
       A variety of (originally American) vocal group music, usually performed acapella or with little instrumental accompaniment, so called from the use of…
   26. downtempo 1969–
       Music. Originally: music played at a slow tempo. Now usually: spec. a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a slow tempo and relaxing…
   27. taarab 1969–
       A form of music originating in Zanzibar and popular in East Africa, combining Arabic singing styles with elements of African and Indian music.
   28. thrash 1969–
       A short, energetic, usually uncomplicated piece or passage of (esp. jazz or rock) music, esp. one that is very fast and loud.
   29. world music 1969–
       Traditional local or ethnic music, esp. from the developing world; spec. a style of commercial pop music incorporating elements of such folk…
   30. deep funk 1970–
       A variety of funk music with a raw or gritty sound characterized by a heavy emphasis on rhythmic rather than melodic elements.
   31. funk 1970–
       A style of popular music of African American origin, based on elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul, and characterized by a prominent…
   32. MOR 1970–
       = middle of the road, adj. B.2.
   33. tropicalism 1970–
       = tropicalismo, n.
   34. Afrobeat 1971–
       A style of popular music incorporating elements of African music and jazz, soul, and funk.
   35. post-rock 1971–
       Any type of popular music composed or performed in a style markedly different from (and frequently representing a conscious reaction to) that of…
   36. Tropicalia 1971–
       An artistic and cultural movement that arose in Brazil in the late 1960s, characterized by the fusion of traditional Brazilian culture with foreign…
   37. tropicalismo 1971–
       = Tropicalia, n.
   38. Krautrock 1972–
       Any of various experimental styles of popular music associated with German groups of the 1970s, generally characterized by an improvisatory…
   39. Tejano 1972–
       Any of various styles of music associated with the Mexican American inhabitants of Texas; esp. a traditional form of this music, played by small…
   40. ghetto 1973–
       As a modifier, designating a style or genre of music, esp. electronic music with a steady, consistent beat and repetitive lyrics, originating in…
   41. schlager 1973–
       A genre of popular music characterized by sentimental and undemanding lyrics, simple upbeat melodies, and (in later use usually) synthesized…
   42. Afropop 1974–
       Any style of African pop music; frequently attributive.
   43. punk funk 1974–
       Any of various styles of music incorporating elements of punk and funk; cf. funk, n.² 3.
   44. disco 1975–
       A genre of strongly rhythmical pop music mainly intended for dancing in nightclubs and particularly popular in the mid to late 1970s. Cf. earlier…
   45. disco funk 1975–
       A type of music which combines elements of disco and funk.
   46. Europop 1976–
       Pop music performed by musicians from continental Europe; esp. (occasionally mildly disparaging) that which is largely synthesized, with simple…
   47. mgqashiyo 1976–
       A style of popular music featuring close-harmony singing (usually by a three- or four-woman group) of traditional or neo-traditional African (esp…
   48. P-funk 1976–
       Music. A style of music which combines elements of funk, rap, and psychedelic rock.
   49. funkadelia 1977–
       Funkadelic music (see funkadelic, adj. 1). Also occasionally in extended use: funky or funkadelic things collectively.
   50. karaoke music 1977–
       A form of entertainment, originating in Japan, in which a person sings the vocal line of a popular song to the accompaniment of a pre-recorded…
   51. alternative music 1978–
       Popular music which is considered to be unorthodox or outside of the mainstream; spec. = alternative rock, n.
   52. hardcore 1978–
       Originally North American. Any of various forms of popular music (often a variety of an established genre) regarded as particularly uncompromising…
   53. nueva trova 1978–
       A genre of popular music that developed in Cuba following the Cuban revolution (1953–9), combining elements of traditional Cuban folk music with…
   54. psychobilly 1978–
       A style of popular music blending characteristics of rockabilly with the raw, aggressive performance style of punk rock, and typically having…
   55. punkabilly 1978–
       A performer or fan of a style of popular music blending characteristics of rockabilly with the raw, aggressive performance style of punk rock; this…
   56. R&B 1978–
       Any of various styles of popular music of African American origin, typically drawing on elements of soul, funk, disco, and hip-hop and featuring…
   57. cowpunk 1979–
       A performer of a type of popular music combining elements of country and western with those of punk rock; this type of music; (also) the culture…
   58. dangdut 1979–
       A style of popular music, originating in Indonesia, which combines Arab and Malay folk elements with contemporary international musical styles, and…
   59. Eurodisco 1979–
       A form of disco music associated with producers from continental Europe in the late 1970s and early 1980s, characterized by a predominantly or wholly…
   60. hip-hop 1979–
       A genre of popular music originating among young African Americans in New York City in the late 1970s, typically performed by DJs and MCs, and…
   61. Northern Soul 1979–
       Any of various types of American soul music associated with this movement, often characterized by an energetic tempo and strong brass orchestration…
   62. rap 1979–
       Music (originally U.S. colloquial). A performance in which lyrics (typically rhyming and sometimes improvised) are spoken rhythmically over a strong…
   63. rapping 1979–
       Originally U.S. The performance of rap music; rhythmic speaking or recitation of lyrics in the style associated with this. Cf. rap, v.² II.8d.
   64. jit 1980–
       A style of popular music originating in Zimbabwe, combining elements of traditional African music with a fast dance rhythm and a prominent…
   65. trance 1980–
       Any of various types of music characterized by rhythms and sounds which are intended to be hypnotic or trance-inducing; spec. a type of electronic…
   66. benga 1981–
       A style of popular music originating in Kenya, influenced by traditional Kenyan music and characterized by fast-paced rhythms and the melodic…
   67. New Romanticism 1981–
       spec. (chiefly British). The subculture, or the related music or fashions, of the New Romantic movement (see New Romantic, adj. A.2).
   68. post-punk 1981–
       Post-punk music. Cf. New Wave, n. A.2c.
   69. rap music 1981–
       = rap, n.² III.8c.
   70. scratch 1982–
       A technique, frequently used in rap music, in which a record is briefly interrupted during play and manually rotated backwards and forwards to…
   71. scratch-music 1982–
       (Senses additions, additions) scratch band, scratch-music, scratch-record, scratch-tape, scratch technique, etc.
   72. synth-pop 1982–
       A primarily British genre of popular music originating in the early 1980s and featuring heavy use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments…
   73. electro 1983–
       A style of dance music characterized by the use of a synthesized backing track and electronically created beat.
   74. garage 1983–
       The style of pop music played by or associated with garage bands (see sense additions).
   75. Latin 1983–
       A style of popular music, originating in Latin America (esp. among Afro-Americans of Cuba and Brazil), characterized by its dance rhythms and by…
   76. Philly 1983–
       A type of soul music associated with Philadelphia; = Philly soul at sense B
   77. New Age 1984–
       As a mass noun: that which belongs to or is characteristic of the New Age; spec. New Age philosophy or culture; New Age music.
   78. world beat 1984–
       A style of popular music incorporating elements of traditional (esp. non-Western) local or ethnic music; cf. world music, n.
   79. contemporary R&B 1985–
       Any of various styles of popular music of African American origin, typically drawing on elements of soul, funk, disco, hip hop, and electronic dance…
   80. New Age music 1985–
       A style of modern music influenced by New Age ideas, which characteristically seeks to develop a mood of relaxation in the listener by reproducing…
   81. ambient 1986–
       A type of largely instrumental, electronic music, characterized by the absence of a persistent beat, typically slow, soothing, and unobtrusive in…
   82. Britpop 1986–
       British pop music; (now usually) spec. the music of a number of British guitar-led groups, first popular in the early to mid 1990s, drawing on…
   83. chamber pop 1986–
       A style of popular music which incorporates elements of classical music, esp. by utilizing string and wind instruments.
   84. gangster rap 1986–
       = gangsta rap, n.
   85. house 1986–
       A type of electronic dance music, influenced by funk and disco and typically featuring the use of drum machines, sequencers, sampled sound…
   86. house music 1986–
       = house, n.³.
   87. mbalax 1986–
       A type of Senegalese rhythm, used as the basis of much Senegalese popular music; (also) music incorporating this rhythm, in which all instruments…
   88. rai 1986–
       A style of Algerian popular music which combines Arabic and Algerian folk elements with contemporary international musical styles, and whose…
   89. trot 1986–
       A genre of Korean popular music characterized by repetitive rhythms and emotional lyrics, combining a traditional Korean singing style with…
   90. zouk 1986–
       A style of popular dance music combining Caribbean (esp. French Antillean) and Western elements, and characterized by a strong fast beat derived…
   91. bhangra 1987–
       A type of popular music originating in the Asian community in Britain and incorporating elements of both Punjabi folk and Western dance music.
   92. dance music 1987–
       A style of popular electronic music characterized by having a strong repetitive beat and few or no lyrics, which frequently incorporates sound…
   93. garage 1987–
       A New York variety of house music, influenced by soul, and with powerful vocals and a strong emphasis on the lyrics.
   94. hip-house 1987–
       A blend of hip-hop and house music, usually consisting of a spoken rap over a house backing track.
   95. indie 1987–
       Music not affiliated with or backed by a major record label, or which shares the typical characteristics of music produced by independent labels…
   96. new school 1987–
       Also new skool. = nu skool, n.
   97. old school 1987–
       A style or genre of popular music regarded as relatively traditional, old-fashioned, or uninfluenced by newer styles; spec. (also old skool), rap…
   98. thrashcore 1987–
       An extremely fast variant of hardcore punk music, typically characterized by very brief song structures.
   99. acid 1988–
       = acid house, n.
   100. acid house 1988–
        A type of house music popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, characterized by a fast beat, a spare, hypnotic, synthesized sound, and a…
   101. acid jazz 1988–
        A genre of dance music, first popular within the United Kingdom club subculture of the late 1980s, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, soul, and…
   102. ambience 1988–
        A type of largely instrumental, electronic music, that is typically slow, soothing, and unobtrusive in style, characterized by the absence of a…
   103. Cantopop 1988–
        A form of popular music originating in Hong Kong, which combines Western-style pop music with Cantonese lyrics.
   104. dance 1988–
        = dance music, n. 2. Frequently attributive.
   105. deep house 1988–
        A variety of house music with a comparatively relaxed and mellow sound influenced by soul, gospel, and blues, and characterized by powerful vocals…
   106. industrial 1988–
        A genre of harsh, uncompromising rock music characterized by the incorporation of sounds resembling those produced by machinery used in large-scale…
   107. swingbeat 1988–
        A form of dance music combining elements of rhythm and blues, soul, hip-hop, and rap music.
   108. techno 1988–
        A style of popular music characterized by the use of synthesized sounds and having a fast, repetitive dance beat, with few or no vocals. Cf. techno-…
   109. dream pop 1989–
        A style of popular music, usually featuring layered guitar effects and quiet or breathy vocals, in which the creation of an atmospheric, textured…
   110. Euro-house 1989–
        House music from continental Europe, esp. a form characterized by simple and repetitive melodies and lyrics, often sung in English; cf. Europop, n.
   111. gangsta rap 1989–
        A style of rap music, originating in south-central Los Angeles, featuring aggressive and confrontational lyrics centring on the violence of gang…
   112. J-pop 1989–
        Japanese pop music.
   113. multiculti 1989–
        a. = multiculturalism, n. b. spec. A form of popular music incorporating disparate ethnic melodic or rhythmic styles, instrumentation, etc.
   114. new jack swing 1989–
        A form of music combining elements of rhythm and blues, soul, and rap music; cf. swingbeat, n.
   115. noise-pop 1989–
        A type of popular music characterized by loud, distorted, or fuzzy guitar, but retaining a strong emphasis on melody; cf. noise, n. I.1b.
   116. rave 1989–
        A large (often illicit) party or event at which electronic dance music is played, usually held in a warehouse or open field and frequently…
   117. baggy 1990–
        Originally and chiefly British. A form of British popular music of the late 1980s and early 1990s, combining the guitar-based melodies of indie pop…
   118. chill-out 1990–
        chill-out adj. slang (phr.) designed to induce or enhance a relaxed mood, esp. in chill-out music. chill-out room n. an area in a nightclub, usually…
   119. new jack 1990–
        Originally U.S. = new jack swing, n. Also: a performer or fan of this music.
   120. new jill swing 1990–
        New jack swing as performed by women.
   121. noisecore 1990–
        A type of popular music derived from hardcore punk music, characterized by the use of dissonance or inharmonious noise, esp. loud distorted guitar…
   122. seggae 1990–
        A style of popular music originating in Mauritius, combining characteristic elements of sega (typically the strong, syncopated beats, percussion…
   123. drum and bass 1991–
        Popular electronic dance music characterized by a combination of often highly syncopated rhythms, fast breakbeats, and a heavy, usually slower…
   124. EBM 1991–
        Electronic body music, a genre of music arising in the late 1970s which mixed electronic dance music (see EDM, n.) with some of the more physical…
   125. gangsta 1991–
        Short for gangsta rap, n.
   126. handbag house 1991–
        More fully handbag house. A form of electronic dance music derived from house, characterized by its highly commercial appeal, catchy melodies, and…
   127. hip-pop 1991–
        Music that combines elements of hip-hop and pop.
   128. loungecore 1991–
        Any of a variety of musical styles which combine elements of lounge music and hardcore. Also (humorously): lounge music (cf. lounge, n.), typically…
   129. psychedelic trance 1991–
        A variety of popular music characterized by the use of electronic synthesizers and psychedelic effects or sounds; esp. a variety of electronic…
   130. shoegazing 1991–
        A style of popular music originating in Britain at the start of the 1990s, featuring a sound in which the distinctions between separate…
   131. slowcore 1991–
        A genre of popular music characterized by slow tempos, a sombre, atmospheric, sometimes densely textured sound, and quiet, forlorn vocals…
   132. techno-house 1991–
        Prefixed to the names of styles of popular music (as techno-pop, techno-rock, techno-house, etc.) to denote music incorporating sounds generated…
   133. breakbeat 1992–
        Music characterized by the use of breakbeats (sense A.1); esp. a type of electronic dance music featuring heavy breakbeats. Cf. break, n. III.26b.ii.
   134. broken beat 1992–
        A disjointed or heavily syncopated beat; (also) music with such a beat, spec. a subgenre of electronic music characterized by staccato sounds and…
   135. gabba 1992–
        A harsh, aggressive type of house music originating in Rotterdam, characterized by an extremely fast dance beat.
   136. jungle 1992–
        A genre of dance music, originating in Britain in the early 1990s, which incorporates elements of ragga, hip-hop, and techno, and is…
   137. sadcore 1992–
        A genre of popular music characterized by sparse, often acoustic instrumentation, very slow tempos, and bleak or melancholy lyrics; (also…
   138. UK garage 1992–
        A form of garage music (garage, n. & adj.additions) originating in the United Kingdom, retaining the emphasis on vocals but characterized by a…
   139. breakcore 1993–
        A genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast tempos, intense breakbeats, and eclectic samples.
   140. darkcore 1993–
        A form of electronic dance music characterized by aggressive, syncopated breakbeats, low-frequency bass lines, and horror-themed sampled sound…
   141. dark side 1993–
        Usually as one word. A form of electronic dance music characterized by aggressive, syncopated breakbeats, low-frequency bass lines, and…
   142. electronica 1993–
        Music. spec. Any of various popular styles of electronic music deriving from techno and rave music, esp. those having a more ambient, esoteric, or…
   143. G-funk 1993–
        A style of hip-hop combining the lyrical themes of gangsta rap with music influenced by P-funk, originating in Los Angeles in the 1990s and…
   144. sampladelia 1994–
        Sampladelic music. Cf. sampladelic, adj.
   145. trip hop 1994–
        A genre of dance music, usually slow in tempo, that combines elements of hip-hop (esp. rapping and scratching) with softer, more melodic elements…
   146. breaks 1995–
        In plural. Music characterized by the use of breakbeats; esp. a type of electronic dance music featuring heavy breakbeats. Cf. breakbeat, n. A.2.
   147. EDM 1996–
        Electronic dance music, esp. various popular genres frequently played at large-scale dance events, such as house, techno, and trance.
   148. psy-trance 1996–
        = psychedelic trance, n.
   149. nu skool 1997–
        Any of these styles of music. Cf. new school, n. 3, old school, n. A.2.
   150. two-step 1997–
        Music (originally British). Also in form 2-step. A subgenre of UK garage characterized by a syncopated rhythm track, typically featuring two…
   151. folktronica 1999–
        A style of popular music incorporating elements of folk and electronic music, typically characterized by the use of electronic rhythms and acoustic…
   152. indietronica 2000–
        A style of popular music incorporating elements of indie rock or pop and electronica (electronica, n. 1), typically having rock or pop rhythms and…
   153. bastard pop 2002–
        A type of pop music in which elements of two or more existing songs are merged, esp. the isolated vocals of one piece over the instrumental…
   154. dubstep 2002–
        A genre of (usually instrumental) dance music typically featuring a sparse, syncopated rhythm and a prominent, propulsive bassline. Cf. two-step, n.…
   155. Bongo Flava 2003–
        A style of music originating in Tanzania, combining elements of American hip-hop with influences from reggae, R&B, Afrobeat, dancehall, and…
   156. grime 2003–
        A genre of popular music originating in east London, influenced by UK garage, dancehall, and hip-hop, and typically characterized by a minimal…
   157. Bongo 2004–
        A style of hip-hop music originating in Tanzania; = Bongo Flava, n. Often as a modifier, esp. in Bongo music.
   158. bedroom pop 2006–
        A genre of pop music characterized by amateur, unpolished production, typically featuring soft vocals and a ‘dreamy’ sound quality.
   159. drill 2012–
        A style of hip-hop or rap music originating in Chicago, characterized by stark, ominous beats and synthesizer loops, and aggressive, combative…
   160. singeli 2015–
        A style of fast-paced electronic dance music originating in Tanzania, combining elements of hip-hop with influences from East African popular music…
   161. electro-pop
        Music. Forming nouns denoting varieties of (popular) music characterized by the use of electronically created sounds, as electro-beat, electro-funk, e…
   162. techno-pop
        Prefixed to the names of styles of popular music (as techno-pop, techno-rock, techno-house, etc.) to denote music incorporating sounds generated…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zuːk/
zook

### U.S. English

/zuk/
zook

### Caribbean English

/zuːk/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea, thaw
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye, thee
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used as in British and US English.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, ago
- aːpalm, bath, thought
- aː(r)start
- ɑlot, cloth
- ʌstrut, letter
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- oːgoat
- ɔːthought
- oː(r)north, force, cure
- ɜː(r)nurse
- eː(r)square, near
- aʊmouth
- ɔʊmouth
- eːface
- aipride, voice
- ɔivoice
- ãsoucouyant
- ɑ̃salon

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Frequency

zouk typically occurs about 0.02 times per million words in modern written English.

zouk is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zouk, n., 1980–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1980 | 0.022
1990 | 0.022
2000 | 0.022
2010 | 0.022

### Frequency of zouk, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.015
2018 | 0.018
2019 | 0.017
2020 | 0.017
2021 | 0.018
2022 | 0.015
2023 | 0.012
2024 | 0.012

zouk, n. was revised in September 2021.

zouk, n. was last modified in July 2023.