Arcs refers to curved segments or portions of a circle or other curve, particularly the parts of a circle between two points. In geometry and navigation, arcs describe the curved path connecting endpoints, distinct from chords. The plural form often appears in mathematical, meteorological, and design contexts to indicate multiple curved sections or trajectories.
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- Common Mistake 1: pronouncing the word as /ark/ or /ɑːk/ by dropping the /s/. Solution: keep the final /s/ sound as part of a /ks/ cluster, without inserting a separate vowel. Practice saying /ɑːɹks/ with a quick transition to /z/ in connected speech. - Common Mistake 2: weakening the /ɹ/ or turning it into a non-rhotic vowel; you may say /ɑːks/ in non-rhotic contexts. Solution: maintain a smooth rhotic release: /ɑːɹks/ in US/UK careful speech, ensure the tongue approaches the alveolar ridge for /ɹ/. - Common Mistake 3: hyper-sibilant /s/ at the end; some say /ks/ too forcefully, creating an extra syllable. Solution: end with a crisp /k/ then a short /s/, like a single syllable ending /ks/; avoid a long sibilant hold.
- US: keep a strong rhotic /ɹ/, a clearer /ɑː/ and a concise /ks/ cluster; mouth opens less than in UK, but you retain rhotic. IPA references: /ɑːɹks/. - UK: potential non-rhotic tendencies; the /ɹ/ may be dropped in rapid speech; practice as /ɑːks/ or /ɑːk s/ with a quick, clipped /s/. - AU: often rhotic with aspirated vowel; practice as /ɑːɹks/ with slightly longer vowel; maintain clear /k/ and /s/ without extra vowel. Emphasize vowel length before rhotic or non-rhotic context.
"The arcs of the compass rose indicate various directions."
"She traced the arcs on the graph to show the trajectory."
"The book discussed the arcs of the galaxy in its diagram."
"Engineers measured the arcs to ensure the track maintained a smooth curvature."
The word arcs derives from the Latin arcus, meaning a bow or arch, which itself comes from the Greek archos (chief, principal) and arkhē (arc, bend, rule). The sense evolved from the notion of a curved line or bow to a mathematical term for a portion of a circle. In English, arc appeared in the 14th century with geometric usage and broadened to describe curved segments in various fields. The plural arcs follows standard English pluralization. Over time, arc has produced related forms such as arc-length, arced, and arches, though those differ semantically. The term has remained a stable fixture in geometry and applied disciplines, signifying a defined, curved section of a circle or any curved path. First known use in English attested in medieval mathematical texts; many scientific translations from Latin and Greek preserved the geometric sense of a curved part, distinct from chords or tangents.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "arcs" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "arcs" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "arcs"
-rks sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Arcs is pronounced with a single syllable: /ɑːrks/ in UK and US English, and /ɑːks/ in Australian English. The initial vowel is open and back; the /r/ is rhotic in US and UK accents, typically realized as a rhotacized vowel followed by an /r/ or a linking /ɹ/ depending on dialect. The final /z/ is a voiced sibilant, so you’ll hear a soft z-like ending. Pay attention to the mouth shape opening for /ɑ/ and then finishing with a crisp /ks/ cluster.
Two common errors: (1) turning the final /ks/ into a stop or a /k/ only, producing /ɑrk/; (2) treating the /r/ as non-rhotic in US/UK variants, leading to a weak or omitted rhotic sound. To correct: ensure you glide from /ɑː/ into a clear /ɹ/ (where rhotic), then finish with /ks/ without inserting a vowel between /k/ and /s/. Practice by saying /ɑːɹks/ in careful enunciation, then speed up while maintaining the cluster.
US/UK rhotic norms yield /ɑːɹks/ or /ɑːɹk/ with a pronounced rhotic; UK non-rhotic variants may have fricated or reduced /r/ or link to /ə/ in rapid speech, giving something like /ɑːks/ in some dialects. Australian tends toward a clear /ɹ/ in careful speech, approximating /ɑːɹks/ as well but with slightly broader vowel quality and flapped or tapped approximants less common. The main difference is rhotic realization and vowel length before /ɹ/ or /k/.
The challenge lies in producing a tight /ks/ cluster after a tense open back vowel while sustaining a short, crisp vowel quality for /ɑː/. Some speakers insert a schwa before the /k/ or soften the /ɹ/ in rhotic varieties, which dulls the arching feel. Additionally, keeping the tongue high for the /ɹ/ region and then quickly transitioning to the /ks/ requires precise timing to avoid a vowel-length mismatch.
No; every sound is pronounced. You articulate /ɑː/ (or /ɑ/ depending on accent), /ɹ/ (where rhotic), and the /ks/ consonant cluster. The final /s/ is not silent; it participates in the /z/ voiced sound when a plural marker attaches in connected speech, though in careful speech you can distinguish /ks/ as a single affricate cluster.
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- Shadowing: listen to native recordings of 'arcs' and repeat with similar speed; focus on keeping the /ks/ cluster tight. - Minimal pairs: arcs vs arches (/ɑːrks/ vs /ɑːtʃɪz/) not ideal because meaning differs; better pairings: arcs vs arcsin? Instead practice arc vs ark to isolate final cluster; arc vs arse would be different word; but use pair sets that isolate /ɹ/ and /ks/ transitions. - Rhythm: practice phrases like 'the arcs of the circle', 'arc length is long', 'she drew curved arcs'. - Stress: keep monosyllable with strong, clean onset and coda; rate control practice. - Recording: record your own attempts and compare to reference. - Context sentences: 2 given. - Syllable drills: focus on the /ɑː/ vowel length and the rapid /ks/ sequence.
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