Arrays is the plural of array, meaning a systematic arrangement or display of items. In programming, it refers specifically to a data structure that stores multiple elements in a single variable, accessible by indices. The plural form is pronounced with the final /z/ sound, and the first syllable typically receives primary stress in common usage, though in some technical contexts the compound feel can shift emphasis slightly.
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"The software sorted the arrays by length, then printed them side by side."
"She inspected arrays of lights in the display, marveling at the symmetry."
"In JavaScript, you declare an array with brackets, such as [1, 2, 3], and access elements by their indices."
"The datacenter presented arrays of data visualizations to the team."
Arrays comes from the Middle English arrayen meaning to dress, arrange, or prepare. The root is Old French arrier/arrayer, from Late Latin arremare (to array, adorn). The sense shift from “to arrange” or “to dress” toward “a systematic display or arrangement” was reinforced in English through legal and military usage (an array of troops, an array of garments). By the 16th–17th centuries, array broadened to include “an orderly group” and “an ordered display,” and in modern computing usage, popularized in part by programming languages that employ arrays as data structures. The term has retained a core sense of ordered, grouped elements, scaled up or down depending on context — from wardrobes to arrays of numbers in math, to array-like structures in software. Early printed uses in technical texts appear alongside lists and displays, reflecting its lasting association with structured organization and presentation of items.
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Words that rhyme with "arrays"
-ays sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈær.eɪz/ for US and /ˈæ.reɪz/ for UK; stress on the first syllable. The first vowel is a near-front lax /æ/ or a long /ɪə/ depending on dialect, followed by a long /eɪ/ glide in the second syllable, and finish with a voiced /z/. Mouth: begin with a relaxed open jaw for /æ/, then raise the vowel into /eɪ/ with the tongue high-mid and the lips slightly spread; end with the vocal fold vibration for /z/. Audio references: listen to native tech-speech sources or Forvo entries for arrays to hear dialectal variation.
Two typical errors: (1) Treating it as a single-syllable word (/ˈeɪz/ or /ˈæz/), and (2) misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents or flattening the glide into a pure /æ/ or /eɪ/. Correction: emphasize two-syllable structure with a clear /æ/ (or /æɪ/ in some accents) then a distinct /ɹ/ or /r/ onset for the second syllable, followed by /z/. Practice by isolating /æ/ and /eɪ/ in sequence: /æ/ + /ɹeɪ/ (or /eɪ/ depending on your dialect) + /z/.
In US: /ˈær.eɪz/ with clear /ɹ/ and a strong /eɪ/ diphthong; non-rhotic regions may soften the /r/. In UK: /ˈæ.reɪz/ with a crisper /æ/ and a stronger separation between syllables, and a less pronounced rhotic consonant. In AU: /ˈæːreɪz/ or /ˈæɹeɪz/ with a broader /æː/ vowel often closer to /æː/ and a more centralized /ɹ/ depending on speaker. IPA references: US /ˈær.eɪz/, UK /ˈæ.reɪz/, AU /ˈæːreɪz/.
For many, the challenge lies in maintaining two syllables with a smooth glide between /æ/ and /eɪ/, and in producing a final /z/ after a voiced vowel cluster without de-voicing the preceding vowel. The /r/ in many dialects adds another layer, since the rhotic vs non-rhotic distinction affects tongue position and lip rounding. Also, the transition between /æ/ and /eɪ/ requires precise mouth shaping to keep the glide distinct without elongating the first vowel excessively.
Stress is fixed on the first syllable in most contexts, giving two-syllable rhythm: ARRAYs. Unlike some longer computational terms, the plural adds only a voiced /z/ at the end; there is no extra stress on the second syllable unless the phrase places emphasis elsewhere. A subtle nuance is the potential slight lengthening of the second syllable in careful or technical speech, but in everyday use, it remains a quick, clean /eɪz/ ending.
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