3 syllables: ap, pel, lees. Stress on pel.
ap-PUHL-leez
/æpˈpəl.liːz/
appellees is pronounced ap-PUHL-leez (/æpˈpəl.liːz/). It has three syllables (ap-pel-lees), with the stress on "pel". Appellees are the parties in a legal case who have been sued or are being appealed against, typically the respondents in an appellate proceeding. The term is used to distinguish them from appellants, who initiate an appeal. In practice, appellees respond to arguments raised by appellants and may file briefs or participate in oral arguments.
Appellees are the parties in a legal case who have been sued or are being appealed against, typically the respondents in an appellate proceeding. The term is used to distinguish them from appellants, who initiate an appeal. In practice, appellees respond to arguments raised by appellants and may file briefs or participate in oral arguments.
- You may flatten the second syllable into a full /ə/ or mispronounce it as an unstressed /ɪ/; keep it as a light schwa /ə/. - Avoid turning the final /liːz/ into /lɛz/ or /lɪz/. Maintain a long /iː/ before /z/ and voicing of /z/. - Do not shift primary stress to earlier syllables; maintain tertiary stress on the third syllable. Practice by saying ap-uh-LEEZ in a flowing sequence, then slower to lock it.
"The appellees filed a motion to dismiss the appeal."
"During the appellate hearing, the appellees argued that the lower court ruling should stand."
"Counsel for the appellees highlighted new evidence that undermined the appellant's claims."
Break it as ap-ə-LEES with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌæp.əˈliːz/. Start with /æ/ then a schwa, then a long /iː/ for “lees.” The final /z/ is voiced, ensure your tongue contacts behind the upper teeth. Audio reference: think of “appell” + “ees” as in “appell” + “ees.”
Common errors: shifting the stress to the first syllable (AP-puh-lees) and mispronouncing the final /iːz/ as /ɪz/ or /iːz/ with a clipped /z/. Corrections: place primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌæ.pəˈliːz/ and elongate the /iː/ before the final /z/. Ensure the middle /ə/ is a soft, quick schwa rather than a full vowel.
In US English you’ll hear /ˌæpəˈliːz/ with a relatively reduced first syllable; UK pronunciation often retains slightly crisper final consonant and can emphasize the second syllable more (~/ˌæ.pəˈliːz/); Australian tends toward a rounded /æ/ and a clear /liːz/ with less rhoticity in surrounding words. The key is keeping the /ˈliːz/ intact across contexts.
The difficulty lies in balancing the three-syllable rhythm, ensuring the schwa after /p/ doesn’t become a full vowel, and maintaining a clear /liː/ before the final /z/. Many speakers also misplace the stress, treating it like AP-pell-ees. Focus on landing the stress on the third syllable and sustaining a long /iː/ before the final /z/.
Is the final -ees pronounced as a separate syllable or a single /iːz/ cluster? In standard American and British usage, it’s a single syllable /liːz/ via the long /iː/ + /z/, with the middle schwa serving as a bridge; the stress remains on the third syllable. So it sounds like ap-uh-LEEZ, not ap-ell-EEZ.
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- US: /ˌæp.əˈliːz/ with a clear final /iːz/; keep the rhoticity neutral outside of surrounding words. - UK: /ˌæp.əˈliːz/ similar rhythm but crisper consonants and slightly less vowel reduction in rapid speech. - AU: /ˌæp.əˈliːz/ with broader vowels and less intrusive flapping; maintain final /z/ voice and avoid devoicing. IPA references align with standard dictionaries; practice by recording and comparing.
Appellees derives from the legal term appeal + ‑ee (a person who is the recipient or beneficiary of a specified action). The root is Old French appel, from Latin appellare 'to call or name,' though in legal English it shifted to denote a party who is called to answer an appeal. The suffix ‑ee, common in English, marks a person who is the recipient or object of an action; in law, it identifies the party who is the target of an appeal. The modern legal usage appears in the 17th–18th centuries as appellate courts formalized terminology; appellee first recorded usage aligns with the development of appellate procedure in common law systems, where appellants challenge a judgment and appellees respond, typically in briefs and oral arguments.
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Words that rhyme with "appellees"
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