Alcoholics is a plural noun referring to individuals who struggle with or are affected by chronic alcohol use. It emphasizes a group identity tied to alcohol dependence and is often used in clinical, support, or sociocultural discussions. Pronouncing it clearly helps avoid ambiguity with related terms like alcoholics or alcoholic. It ends with a strong plural marker, -ics, pronounced /-ɪks/.
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"The counselor led a group for recovering alcoholics."
"The study compared outcomes between families of alcoholics and non-alcoholics."
"Alcoholics Anonymous meetings emphasize anonymity and mutual support."
"Public health campaigns target reducing harm among alcoholics and at-risk drinkers."
Alcoholics derives from alcohol (the intoxicating substance) + the suffix -ics to form a noun applicable to a group or category, with the -s plural marker. The root alcohol originates from the Arabic al-kuḥl (the kohl or distillation; literally ‘the distillate’). In medieval Latin and later English, the word expanded to describe any distilled or intoxicating spirit and, by the 18th–19th centuries, to refer specifically to persons who habitually drink. The usage of alcoholics as a label for people with alcohol use disorder emerged in English medical and sociological literature in the 20th century, becoming common in clinical, social-service, and support contexts. The term carries stigma; contemporary usage often favors person-first language (people who are alcohol-dependent) depending on context. The word’s progression reflects broader shifts from moralizing language to clinical and public-health framing. First known uses appear in medical and reform-era writings as “alcoholics” to identify a class of individuals with alcohol-related problems, evolving in the latter half of the 20th century into widespread, though nuanced, clinical and social discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "alcoholics" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "alcoholics" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "alcoholics"
-ick sounds
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Pronounced as /ˌæl.kəˈhɒ·lɪks/ (US) or /ˌæl.kəˈhɒ.lɪks/ (UK). The primary stress falls on the third syllable: al-co-HOL-ics; note the reduced first syllable /ˌæl.kə/ and the final /-ɪks/. Lips: begin with a light lip spreading for /æ/ in the first syllable, then a mid-back /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ depending on accent, and end with a crisp /-ɪks/. You’ll want to keep the /h/ as a light aspirate. Audio reference: imagine saying “all” + “coholics,” with emphasis on the “hol” syllable.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress by stressing the first syllable instead of the third; (2) Flattening /ɒ/ to /æ/ or mispronouncing /hɒ/ as /hoʊ/; (3) Slurring the final /-ɪks/ into /-ɪk/ or /-ɪkz/. Correction tips: practice the three-syllable rhythm with a deliberate rise on the /ɒ/ in the HOL syllable, keep /h/ as a light aspirate, and articulate the final /ɪks/ with clear /k/ closure and a short /ɪ/ before it.
US: /ˌæl.kəˈhɔː.lɪks/, rhotic, with a clear /ɹ/ sound not present in most non-rhotic contexts; UK: /ˌæl.kəˈhɒ.lɪks/, often non-rhotic, shorter /ɒ/ and less rhotic vowel influence; Australia: /ˌæl.kəˈhɒː.lɪks/ or /ˌæl.kəˈhɔː.lɪks/, with variable rhoticity and vowel height; all share stress on HOL syllable but vowel quality varies, particularly in /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/.
It combines multiple features: a stressed mid syllable (HOL) with a short, tense vowel, a consonant cluster including /l/ and /h/, and a final /-ɪks/ that ends quickly. The sequence /lə/ or /ləˈhɒ/ can cause weakening or elision, and non-native speakers often misplace the primary stress or mispronounce the final /ks/ as /s/ or /z/. Focus on the steady /k/ release before /ɪks/ and maintain the central /ə/ in the second syllable.
Is there a nuance in how the second syllable is reduced in rapid speech? In careful speech, the second syllable is /ə/ as a schwa, but in rapid speech it can approach a reduced vowel like /ə/ or even be lightly elided in casual contexts, yet the /h/ remains audible for a clearer HOL syllable. Maintain the /ˌæl.kəˈhɔː.lɪks/ pattern even when speaking faster.
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