appease

Pronounce as /əˈpiːz/. The first syllable is a reduced schwa, the second bears primary stress with a long /iː/ vowel and final /z/. Think ‘uh-PEEZ’. Mouth position: start relaxed, raise the middle of the tongue to create the high-front vowel, and finish with a voiced alveolar sibilant. For reference, listen to credible pronunciations on dictionaries or Forvo.”

Common errors include misplacing stress (saying /əˈpis/ or /ˈəpiːz/ without clear emphasis on the second syllable), using a short /i/ like in ‘pease’, and voicing the final consonant too softly. Correction: ensure the second syllable has strong, tense /iː/ and end with a clear /z/. Practice with minimal pairs to distinguish /iːz/ from /ɪz/ and slow it down to feel the final voiced consonant.”

Across accents, the vowel in the stressed syllable remains a long /iː/ in US, UK, and AU, but rhoticity can affect the preceding vowel quality in connected speech; non-rhotic accents may slightly reduce the linking of the /ə/ before the stressed syllable. Generally, /əˈpiːz/ holds, with minor vowel length and consonant timing differences in fast speech across regions.”

The difficulty lies in the diphthong-like length of /iː/ and the final voiced /z/ after a stressed syllable, which requires precise voicing and tongue positioning. The preceding schwa can make the transition into the stressed vowel feel abrupt, and listeners may mispronounce as /ˈæpiːz/ or /əˈpiz/. Focusing on the clear, long /iː/ and ensuring the /z/ stays voiced helps clarity.”

A unique feature is the strong, stressed second syllable with a long /iː/ followed by a voiced /z/, producing /əˈpiːz/. Because the first syllable is unstressed and reduced to a schwa, you must keep the transition smooth into the high-front vowel and avoid over-articulating the initial vowel, which can slow you down and blur the desired rhythm.”