assays

US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on two syllables: a-SAYS. IPA: US /əˈseɪz/; UK /əˈsɑːz/; AU /əˈsæz/. Put stress on the second syllable and make the vowel in that syllable a clear long 'a' as in 'say' for US, but UK and AU may have a longer open-mid vowel in the second syllable. Keep the first syllable unstressed and softer. End with a z sound. You’ll want the final consonant to be a crisp voiced sibilant: /z/. Audio references: try listening to standard Cambridge/Oxford pronunciations and mimic the rhythm: weak-STRONG syllable pattern, two phonemes in the second syllable /seɪz/.

Common errors include stretching the second syllable into three or misplacing the stress. People sometimes say /ˈæseɪz/ with the first syllable stressed, which sounds off in technical contexts. Others may pronounce as /əˈæsɪz/ or confuse with ‘assess’ due to similarity. Correct form uses secondary unstressed first syllable and a clear /eɪ/ vowel in the second syllable, ending with /z/. Practice by isolating the second syllable: /seɪz/ and ensure the tongue relaxes into the following /z/ without voicing an extra consonant.

In US English, /əˈseɪz/ with a tense mid-to-high front vowel in the second syllable and a clear /z/ at the end. UK English commonly renders the second syllable as /sɑːz/, with a longer 'a' and a less diphthongal quality; the final /z/ remains. Australian tends toward /əˈsæz/ or /əˈsays/ with a flatter vowel in the second syllable and a crisp /z/. The rhoticity is less of a factor here, but vowel quality and duration shift slightly; listen for length and rounding near the nucleus.

The challenge lies in the stress pattern and the diphthong in the second syllable: /seɪ/ requires precise lip rounding and tongue height to achieve the correct glide from /s/ to /eɪ/. The final /z/ should be crisp but not hissy, requiring steady voicing. Some speakers inadvertently reduce the second syllable or merge with ‘assay’ singular. Keep the second syllable distinct, maintain a brief pause between, and avoid a rounded or overly closed vowel in the nucleus. IPA cues: /əˈseɪz/ (US) with clear /eɪ/ glide.

The plural form shares the same pronunciation as the singular when spoken in rapid technical speech, so you’ll hear /əˈseɪz/ consistently for both. No extra syllable is added; the pluralization is orthographic only in writing. In transcription, ensure the stem remains /seɪ/ and ends with /z/. The key is maintaining the second-syllable vowel as a stable /eɪ/ or quality close to it, not devolving into /æ/ or a schwa in most contexts.