Learn How to Pronounce coups
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The Expert's Take
Meaning and Context
A coup, or more precisely a coup d'état, is a sudden, decisive, and often violent action by which a faction within a state's apparatus, typically the military, illegally seizes control of the government. The plural form, coups, is central to discussions of political instability, regime change, and authoritarianism, particularly in regions with a history of military intervention and political turmoil. Analyzing a series of coups throughout history—from Latin America in the Cold War era to West Africa's so-called "coup belt" in the 21st century—reveals patterns of power grabs that destabilize democracies, disrupt governance, and have profound impacts on geopolitical alliances and human rights. Scholars of political science often study the causes and consequences of successful coups and failed coup attempts to understand the fragile nature of state institutions and the conditions that lead to such violent seizures of power.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The primary term "coups" is the standard and correct plural form of "coup." The most frequent error arises from the silent 'p' and the final 's,' leading to common misspellings such as "coup's" (incorrectly using an apostrophe to form a plural) or "coupes." The latter error conflates the political term with the French word for a type of car or a champagne glass, pronounced with a hard 'p' sound. Another occasional typo is "coupse," adding an erroneous 'e.' In pronunciation, the silent 'p' must be observed; the word is pronounced identically to "coo," with an 's' sound added for the plural: "coos." Non-native speakers and those unfamiliar with French loanwords may mistakenly pronounce the 'p,' saying "koops," which is incorrect.
Example Sentences
The historian's lecture detailed how the frequency of coups in the region created a persistent climate of uncertainty for foreign investors.
Following the announcement, analysts debated whether the twin coups in neighboring countries represented a coordinated trend or isolated incidents of discontent.
A successful career in certain nations' militaries has sometimes been built not on external defense but on plotting and executing coups.
The political science textbook included a sobering chart plotting the number of attempted coups per decade against measures of democratic backsliding.
She argued that while the latest coup made headlines, one must study the preceding coups to fully understand the deep-rooted institutional weaknesses.
Sources and References
I checked the standard definition and plural form on Wiktionary and Wikipedia. Forvo provided a clear audio pronunciation. To hear the word used in political and historical analysis, I searched YouGlish for clips from news programs and documentaries.
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coups
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coups
- https://forvo.com/word/coups/
- https://youglish.com/pronounce/coups/english
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