Annoyance refers to a feeling of mild anger or irritation caused by something irritating or bothersome. It can also describe the thing that provokes this discomfort. The term conveys a low-intensity, persistent displeasure rather than explosive anger, and is commonly used in everyday conversations and written text to express a nuisance or bother. (2–4 sentences, ~60–70 words)
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- Mistake 1: Flattening the /ɔɪ/ into an /ɔ/ or /oʊ/; fix by exaggerating the diphthong’s glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/ and keep the /ɪ/ toward the end of the diphthong. - Mistake 2: Misplacing stress on the first syllable: practice with slower, syllable-timed practice to anchor the stressed second syllable. - Mistake 3: Slurring the final -ance into /ns/, making it /ɪns/ or /næns/. Correction: keep the /ə/ light but distinct before /ns/. - Tip: practice with minimal pairs like 'annoy' vs 'annoyance' to lock the /ɔɪ/ sequence and the post-stress reduction. - You’ll benefit from recording and playback to hear the diphthong clarity and the final consonant cluster.
- US: rhotic, but /ɔɪ/ remains the same; keep the /ɹ/ out of the onset here, but ensure the focus is on the /ɔɪ/ glide and the post-stress schwa. - UK: less rhotic influence; the /ɔɪ/ diphthong may be slightly reduced in rapid speech; keep the glide and ensure the final /ə/ is light. - AU: non-rhotic; similar diphthong /ɔɪ/ but may be subject to vowel length differences in fast speech; keep the /ɔɪ/ prominent. - IPA anchors: /əˈnɔɪ.əns/ across varieties; practice with vowels in isolation and within phrases.
"Her constant tapping became an annoyance during the long meeting."
"The buzzing fly was a harmless annoyance, but it kept him from concentrating."
"There’s some annoyance about the new policy, though most people accept it."
"She tried to mask her annoyance with a polite smile, but her voice gave her away."
Annoyance comes from the Old French anoiier, from the Latin word inodiare meaning to make odious or hateful; over time, the Middle English form evolved to annoyen and then annoyance by adding the noun suffix -ance. The root has connections to annoyance in other Romance languages, with the sense of discomfort or vexation guiding its evolution. In English, annoyance first appeared in the 14th–15th centuries in legal and social contexts to describe the state of being displeased or irritated. The term broadened in everyday speech by the 17th century to cover persistent irritants and mild vexation, and by the 19th century it became the common everyday word for small but nagging annoyances. The word’s phonetic shape—stress on the second syllable, with a final /əns/ or /əns/ sound—stabilized in modern English, while the concept expanded to include a wide range of irritants and the emotional state they induce.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "annoyance" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "annoyance"
-nce sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as /ə-ˈnɔɪ-əns/ for standard American and British English. The first syllable is a reduced /ə/ (uh), the second carries primary stress with the diphthong /ɔɪ/ (boy-like), followed by a light /ə/ and an final /ns/. Practically: say ‘uh-NOY-ance,’ ensuring the /ɔɪ/ glides and the final /n/ blends into the /s/. Audio reference: try listening to native audio on Pronounce, Cambridge, or Forvo for -oy- in the stressed syllable.
Common errors include reducing the second syllable too much (leading to /ə-ˈnoː-ns/ or /ə-ˈɑːn/), or slurring the /ɔɪ/ diphthong into a monophthong. Some speakers misplace the stress as /ˌæˈnɔɪ.əns/ or /əˈnɔː.jəns/. Correction: maintain the /ɔɪ/ diphthong with a clear glide into the final /əns/ and stress the second syllable: /ə-ˈnɔɪ-əns/; practice with minimal pairs and slow repetition.
In US/UK, the primary stress is on the second syllable with /ɔɪ/. US speakers often reduce the first syllable to /ə/, UK speakers retain a crisp /ə/ too, but some varieties articulate /ɒ/ in the /ɔɪ/ portion more prominently. Australian speakers align closely with non-rhotic tendencies, but the /ɔɪ/ diphthong remains prominent; rhoticity is less pronounced in many Australian varieties. Overall, /əˈnɔɪ.əns/ remains stable with small vowel shifts.
The difficulty centers on the /ɔɪ/ diphthong within the stressed second syllable and the rapid transition to the final /əns/. Beginners often mispronounce /ɔɪ/ as /aɪ/ or /oʊ/ and fail to link the /ɪ/ or /ə/ before /ns/. Focusing on the glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/ and keeping the final /əns/ crisp helps stabilize the word’s rhythm and prevents mis-stressing the syllable.
No major vowel length changes; the final -ance is phonetically /əns/ with a short schwa-like vowel before the final consonant cluster. The critical feature is secondary-connective stress: the voice naturally boosts the second syllable with /ɔɪ/ while the final -ance remains unstressed. You ensure the /ɔɪ/ is clear and the /ə/ before /ns/ is quick and relaxed. IPA focus: /əˈnɔɪ.əns/ with a light schwa before /ns/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "annoyance"!
- Shadowing: repeat after native speaker with a 1-second lag; focus on second-syllable stress and /ɔɪ/ glide. - Minimal pairs: annoy / annoyance; employ pairs with other similar-ending nouns (e.g., distance, nuisance) to tune final /ns/ and /ə/ transitions. - Rhythm practice: aim for a short, crisp second syllable; count syllables (3). Practice at slow, normal, and fast speeds to lock timing. - Intonation: keep neutral mid-level intonation on declaratives; use slight fall in final phrase when stating an annoyance. - Stress practice: mark the second syllable as primary; use tapping or clapping to experience the beat. - Recording: use phone or laptop; record, compare with native references; track improvements every week.
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