2 syllables: Bush, es. Stress on Bush.
BUUSH-uhz
/ˈbʊʃəz/
Bushes is pronounced BUUSH-uhz (/ˈbʊʃəz/). It has two syllables (Bush-es), with the stress on "Bush". Bushes (noun, plural) refers to multiple small shrubs or plants that form a hedge or dense growth. It can also describe the trimmed growth of a plant. In everyday use, ‘bushes’ contrasts with trees or grass and is common in American and British contexts.
nounBushes (noun, plural) refers to multiple small shrubs or plants that form a hedge or dense growth. It can also describe the trimmed growth of a plant. In everyday use, ‘bushes’ contrasts with trees or grass and is common in American and British contexts.
- Difficulty with the /ʊ/ vs /ʌ/ distinction before /ʃ/; you might replace /ʊ/ with a more open /ʌ/ in fast speech. Correction: practice with 'book' /bʊk/ and 'push' /pʊʃ/ to feel rounded lips and compact jaw. - Final /z/ devoicing tendency in rapid contexts (bushes -> /ˈbʊʃɪs/ or /ˈbʊʃɪz/?). Work on voicing: ensure the vocal cords vibrate for /z/. - Linking and reduction: in phrases, you might reduce /ɪ/ or connect with preceding consonants. Practice slow, then phrase it: 'the bushes are' to cement natural rhythm.
How to Pronounce Bushes
"The garden is lined with neat hedges and blooming bushes."
"You’ll find several flowering bushes along the driveway."
"The berries on those bushes attract birds in the fall."
Pronounce as BUH-shiz with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: /ˈbʊʃɪz/. Start with a short, rounded back lax vowel /ʊ/ as in 'book', then the /ʃ/ for 'sh' and end with a voiced /z/. The tongue relaxes after /ʃ/, and the final /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative. In careful speech, clearly separate the two syllables, but in fast speech they blend smoothly into /ˈbʊʃɪz/ without extra vowels.
Two frequent errors are treating the second syllable as /-ɒz/ or collapsing /ʃɪ/ into a single sound. Another mistake is pronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ or /z/ with inconsistent voicing in rapid speech. Correction: keep the /ʊ/ vowel in the first syllable, pronounce /ʃ/ clearly, then end with a voiced /z/ rather than an unvoiced /s/. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈbʊʃ/ vs /ˈbʊʃɪz/ to anchor the rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, the pronunciation remains /ˈbʊʃɪz/ with rhoticity affecting only script, not vowel quality here. US speakers may have a slightly tenser /ɪ/ vowel in rapid speech, while UK and AU accents retain a more centralized /ɪ/ and clearer /ʃ/. The main variation is vowel length and the degree of rhotic influence in surrounding syllables, not the core /bʊ/ + /ʃɪz/ structure.
The difficulty lies in producing the short, lax /ɪ/ in the second syllable after /ʃ/ and maintaining the voiced /z/ vs. an unvoiced /s/ in rapid speech. Coarticulation with neighboring sounds can blur the /ʃ/ and /ɪ/, especially in fast phrases like 'garden bushes'. Emphasize the two-syllable rhythm: /ˈbʊʃ/ + /ɪz/ and keep the final /z/ voiced. Use slow practice to stabilize articulation before speed.
A distinctive feature is maintaining the exact vowel in the first syllable /ʊ/ as in 'book', avoiding a more relaxed /ə/ or /uː/. The two-syllable rhythm should feel crisp: BUH-shiz, with clear /ʃ/ and a sonorant /z/ at the end. Memorize the sequence /ˈbʊʃɪz/ and practice with context sentences to train natural intonation.
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- US: Rhotic, keep r-like influence outside, but here not relevant. Vowel /ʊ/ is slightly more centralized; keep lips rounded. - UK: Clear /ʊ/ vowel, non-rhotic; avoid adding an r-like quality. Maintain crisp /ʃ/ and the final voiced /z/. - AU: Similar to UK but vowels can be broader; ensure /ʊ/ remains short and relaxed. IPA reminders: US /ˈbʊʃɪz/, UK /ˈbʊʃɪz/, AU /ˈbʊʃɪz/. - General: keep the /ʃ/ strong but not overemphasized; the /ɪ/ should be short and lax; the /z/ voice should be steady, not devoiced.
Bushes comes from the noun bush, meaning a cluster of plants or a thicket. The root word is Old English búsc “bush, shrub, thicket,” related to Dutch bos and German Busch. Historically, bush referred to the vegetation itself rather than a cultivated hedge. The plural suffix -es appeared in Middle English to indicate multiple items and the word gradually took on the general plural sense “several shrubs.” The semantic shift also aligns with landscaping usage in the 16th–18th centuries when garden design emphasized hedges and shrubberies. The everyday sense of pluralized shrubs remains stable in contemporary English, with “bushes” common in American and British varieties for multiple shrubs, ornamental or wild. First known uses appear in Middle English texts, with sustained usage through Early Modern English, aligning with horticultural developments and the expansion of garden culture in Europe and Britain. Over time, “bush” also came to metaphorical uses, but in this context, it retains its literal botanical meaning. Modern usage emphasizes residential and horticultural contexts, while still retaining regional pronunciation patterns.
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Words that rhyme with "Bushes"
-hes sounds
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