3 syllables: a, gen, das. Stress on gen.
uh-JEN-duhz
/əˈdʒɛndəz/
agendas is pronounced uh-JEN-duhz (/əˈdʒɛndəz/). It has three syllables (a-gen-das), with the stress on "gen". Agendas refers to lists or plans of items to be discussed or acted upon in meetings or events. It can also describe a hidden motive or plan guiding actions. In general use, it denotes scheduled topics or targets, and in political language, it may imply a set of aims or priorities.
Agendas refers to lists or plans of items to be discussed or acted upon in meetings or events. It can also describe a hidden motive or plan guiding actions. In general use, it denotes scheduled topics or targets, and in political language, it may imply a set of aims or priorities.
- Misplacing stress: place primary stress on the second syllable (a-GEN-das) instead of the second; correct is /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/. - Final cluster reduction: avoid pronouncing as /-dæz/ or /-dæz/; use a weak, schwa-like center and voicing for /z/. - Confusing /dʒ/ with /j/ or /tʃ/: keep a clear /dʒ/ sound; practice with minimal pairs focusing on the voicing and place of articulation. - Junction issues: add a light pause between syllables in careful speech to prevent running together; practice linking but not slurring.
"We reviewed the meeting agendas before we began."
"Her personal agenda seemed suspicious to the committee."
"The conference included agendas for workshops, panels, and breaks."
Pronounce as /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/ (US) or /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dəz/ (UK). The first syllable is schwa or short a, with the main stress on the second syllable 'JEN'. The final 'das' is reduced to /dəz/. Mouth: start with a relaxed diphthong in the first syllable, then lift the middle of the tongue for /dʒ/ and /n/ before a light /d/ and /əz/ at the end. Listen to native examples to hear the subtle /dʒ/ and final z-like /z/ vs /s/ in different talkers.
Common errors: (1) stressing the wrong syllable by saying /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dæz/ or /əˈdʒɛn.dæs/—correct is /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/ or /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dəz/. (2) Overpronouncing the final -as as /æz/; instead use a weak final /dəz/ or /dəz/. (3) Mixing up /dʒ/ with /tʃ/ in the first syllable; keep the /dʒ/ sound. Practice: anchor the 'jen' with a clear /dʒ/ sound, then relax the final syllable into /dəz/.
In US English, you typically hear /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/ with a shwa on the first syllable and a clear /ɪ/ in /dʒɛn/. UK often uses /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dəz/ with slightly sharper vowel in the first syllable and non-rhotic r behavior; AU tends toward /ædʒˈɛn.dəz/ with a more even vowel length and reduced final consonant. All three maintain the /dʒ/ in the second segment and a final /dəz/; differences are mainly vowel quality and stress placement.
Two main challenges: the /dʒ/ cluster is a voiced palato-alveolar affricate that can blur with /j/ or /tʃ/ if not articulated; and the final /dz/ tends to reduce to /dəz/ in connected speech, which can be elided or confused with /dæz/. Also, several speakers misplace stress between the second syllable and the first; practice with minimal pairs and IPA guidance helps lock the position and sound.
In careful speech you hear a syllabic ending with a neutral vowel in the final syllable, realized as /dəz/. The ending is not a pure /z/ or /s/; the 'a' contributes to the /əz/ sound, with a very light vowel between the /d/ and the /z/. In rapid speech, you may hear /dɪz/ or /dəz/ depending on speaker, but standard careful pronunciation stays /dəz/.
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- US: /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/ with a mid-back vowel in the first syllable and a clear /dʒ/; non-rhotic tendency is not a factor here since /dʒ/ is in a stressed syllable. - UK: /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dəz/ with /æ/ in the first syllable and slightly crisper consonants; keep the final /dəz/ intact. - AU: /ædʒˈɛn.dəz/ with a flatter vowel and less dramatic pitch; maintain the /dʒ/ and final /dəz/. IPA references help: US /əˈdʒɛn.dəz/, UK /ˈædʒ.ɛn.dəz/, AU /ædʒˈɛn.dəz/.
Agenda comes from Latin plural of agendum, meaning ‘things to be done’, from agere ‘to do, drive, act’. In English, agenda entered as a plural noun in the 16th century, originally referring to matters to be discussed or acted on in meetings; over time it adopted a singular sense in certain contexts (the agenda). The term expanded into political and organizational usage, often implying prioritized items or tasks to be completed. The word’s usage stabilized in modern English to denote a list of items to discuss or accomplish. The Latin root ag- (to do) underpins related terms such as agent, active, and action. The shift from concrete “things to be done” to abstract “topics for discussion or aims” reflects its evolution in bureaucratic and organizational discourse, including business meetings, conferences, and legislative settings. First known English usage traces to early modern administrative texts, with popularization occurring through organizational manuals and minutes where agendas structured proceedings. In contemporary usage, agendas are both explicit schedules and indicators of intention or motive, depending on context.
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Words that rhyme with "agendas"
-das sounds
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