3 syllables: as, sem, blies. Stress on sem.
uh-SEM-bleez
/əˈsɛmbliz/
assemblies is pronounced uh-SEM-bleez (/əˈsɛmbliz/). It has three syllables (as-sem-blies), with the stress on "sem". Assemblies refers to groups gathered for a common purpose, such as a school assembly or a meeting of a legislative or organizational body. The term can also denote the process of putting components together. In plural form, it typically emphasizes multiple gatherings or the various components already assembled.
Assemblies refers to groups gathered for a common purpose, such as a school assembly or a meeting of a legislative or organizational body. The term can also denote the process of putting components together. In plural form, it typically emphasizes multiple gatherings or the various components already assembled.
"The school held several assemblies to discuss the new safety procedures."
"City assemblies debated council proposals before voting."
"The electronics kit includes the assemblies required for the project."
Pronounce as ə-SEM-bliz with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US əˈsɛmbliz, UK əˈsɛmbliz, AU əˈsɛmbliz. Begin with a schwa, then a clear short “sem” as in ‘seminal,’ then a voiced ‘bliz’ ending. Tip: keep the ‘z’ voiced and avoid tensing the jaw at the end.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable (AS-sem-blies) and mispronouncing the middle vowel as “ay” instead of a short “e” as in ‘bed.’ Another pitfall is finalizing with a voiceless ‘s’ instead of the voiced ‘z’ in -blies. Corrections: place primary stress on -sem-, use a lax, short /e/ in the second syllable, and finish with /z/ for a natural plural ending.
US and AU tend to clear the second syllable with a crisp /ˈsɛm/ and a voiced /z/ ending; UK often keeps a similar pattern but may have a shorter /ɪ/ in the coda and less vowel lengthening in the first syllable. Global variants may show subtle vowel qual differences; still, primary stress remains on the second syllable across these accents.
The difficulty lies in the non-syllabic cluster /bl/ followed by a voiced /z/. Many speakers misplace stress onto the first syllable or merge /sɛm/ with an elongated vowel. Focusing on the mid-vowel /e/ short quality and maintaining the /z/ voicing after /bl/ helps stabilize the ending.
The word contains a three-syllable sequence with a mid-stress pattern and a final voiced consonant cluster. People often ask about the /bl/ blend’s articulation and how to keep the -ies ending voiced rather than devoiced in rapid speech. Paying attention to a clean /bl/ and a final /z/ helps preserve natural rhythm.
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The word assemblies comes from Middle English assemble, from Old French assembler, from Latin ad- (toward) + simulare (to imitate, copy), from simul (together, at the same time). The noun form assemblies emerged to denote gatherings or the act of assembling, with early senses in the 14th–15th centuries referring to legislative or church gatherings. Over time, the sense broadened to include any organized meeting of people and, more technically, the act or result of putting parts together in construction or manufacturing contexts. The plural form assemblies simply marks multiple gatherings or composite units. In modern usage, assemblies can refer to a formal group in schools or organizations, or to the set of assembled components binnen a product line. The term maintains a core sense of bringing parts or people together, evolving from a verb-adjacent lineage into a stable noun denoting both events and collected items.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "assemblies" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "assemblies" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "assemblies"
-ies sounds
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