4 syllables: Ag, on, is, es. Stress on Ag.
AG-uh-neye-ziz
/ˈæɡənˌaɪzɪz/
Agonises is pronounced AG-uh-neye-ziz (/ˈæɡənˌaɪzɪz/). It has four syllables (Ag-on-is-es), with the stress on "Ag". Agonises is a verb meaning to experience or feel intense pain or long-lasting distress; in British English it often implies a prolonged sense of pain, worry, or struggle, while in broader usage it can mean to lament or obsess over a problem. The verb form is used with third-person singular as agonises and with other subjects as agonise or agonising as the present participle. It conveys deep, emotional suffering or torment.
verbAgonises is a verb meaning to experience or feel intense pain or long-lasting distress; in British English it often implies a prolonged sense of pain, worry, or struggle, while in broader usage it can mean to lament or obsess over a problem. The verb form is used with third-person singular as agonises and with other subjects as agonise or agonising as the present participle. It conveys deep, emotional suffering or torment.
- You may stress the wrong syllable or flatten the diphthong /aɪ/; practice with emphasis on the second syllable cluster and the final /ɪz/.- Common error: pronouncing as /æɡəˈnɪzɪz/; correction: rehearse /æɡəˈnaɪzɪz/ with a clear /aɪ/ and stable /zɪz/ endings. - Another mistake: dropping the second syllable and compressing into /æɡənɪzɪz/; fix by elongating the /ə/ and ensuring the /naɪ/ is distinct and not swallowed.
"She agonises over every decision, fearing she might choose wrongly."
"He agonises about his future, unable to settle on a course of action."
"They agonise for days before making a final commitment."
US: /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzəz/; UK: /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzɪz/. Syllable break: a-GO-nis-es. The primary stress sits on the first syllable cluster and the middle “naɪ” vowel is a clear diphthong. The final -ises ends with a voiced z sound followed by schwa and z. Mouth position: start with a light front-lip rounding for the first syllable, then a tense mid-back glide on -naɪ-, and finish with a voiced s(es) and a light schwa. Audio reference: consult Pronounce or Cambridge audio dicts for native speaker examples.
Common errors: (1) Stress misplacement—people sometimes place too much emphasis on the second syllable. (2) Slurring the -naɪ- into -ni-, producing /æɡəˈnɪzɪz/. (3) Dropping or softening the final -ses into a simple /z/; maintain the final /əz/ or /ɪz/ as appropriate. Correction: rehearse the diphthong /aɪ/ clearly, keep primary stress on /ˈæɡ/ and ensure the final syllable carries a light /əz/ or /ɪz/ with proper voicing.
US: tends to reduce the first unstressed vowel to a schwa and may show slight vowel flattening; /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzəz/. UK: clear /æɡəˈnaɪzɪz/ with slight emphasis on the second syllable’s diphthong. AU: similar to UK but with more vowel height variation; /æˈɡɒnʌɪzɪz/ in some speakers depending on region. Focus on rhoticity: US is rhotic; UK/AU non-rhotic in casual speech but can retain /r/ in some dialects. Vowel qualities: /ɪ/ vs /iː/ and rhotic vowels affect rhythm and flow.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzɪz/ pattern, especially the diphthong /aɪ/ and the final unstressed /ɪz/ or /əz/. The consonant cluster /ɡ/ followed by /ə/ in the second syllable creates a slight delay in articulation, and the -nɪzɪz ending requires precise voicing and stress balance. Focus on segmenting: a-GO-nɪ-zɪz with steady air through the center.
Why does the middle 'naɪ' in Agonises carry a stronger acoustic cue than the surrounding syllables? The answer: because the /aɪ/ diphthong is a high-contrast vowel segment that often carries intonational emphasis in English, especially when spelling preserves the Greek-root sense of debate or internal struggle. Practically, emphasize /aɪ/ by slightly widening the jaw and keeping the tongue high and forward for the gliding portion.
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- US: rhotic, flatter /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ differences; focus on /æɡəˈnaɪzɪz/ with a clearer /ɪ/ sound in final syllable. - UK: non-rhotic; keep /r/ silent; stress on /ˈæɡə‑naɪ/ and a crisp /zɪz/ ending; - AU: open vowels; may raise vowel qualities slightly; keep /æɡəˈnaɪzɪz/ with a shorter /ə/; IPA references: US /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzəz/, UK /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzɪz/, AU /æˈɡəˈnaɪzɪz/.
Agonise derives from the noun agony, which comes from the Latin agonia, from Greek agonia ‘a gathering of judges, contest, struggle,’ ultimately from agonos ‘contest, struggle, pain, death struggle.’ The verb form appears in English in the 19th century, aligning with other -ise verbs borrowed from French and Latin, where the sense of experiencing intense mental or physical pain or distress is central. The word evolved from general “struggle” and “pain” concepts to a more specific psychological sense of prolonged consideration or torment about a decision or outcome. In British English, agonise is common; in American English, the spelling agonize is typical, but agonises is still recognizable in UK contexts or when quoting British usage. The earliest usage appears in medical and literary texts exploring human distress or moral dilemma, often connected to moral or existential deliberation. Over time, common phrases like “agonising over” or “agonises about” became idiomatic, emphasizing the duration and intensity of the distress rather than a quick decision. The evolution reflects the broader tendency to personify or dramatize internal conflict in narrative prose.
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Words that rhyme with "Agonises"
-ses sounds
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