3 syllables: as, sess, es. Stress on sess.
uh-SES-iz
/əˈsɛsɪz/
assesses is pronounced uh-SES-iz (/əˈsɛsɪz/). It has three syllables (as-sess-es), with the stress on "sess". Assesses is a verb form meaning to evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, or importance of something. In everyday use it often appears as a third-person singular verb or as the plural noun form in certain contexts, but here we treat it as the present-tense verb used with he/she/it or plural subjects. The pronunciation centers on two syllables with a stress on the second syllable in typical American usage when forms like 'assesses' are used as verbs.
Assesses is a verb form meaning to evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, or importance of something. In everyday use it often appears as a third-person singular verb or as the plural noun form in certain contexts, but here we treat it as the present-tense verb used with he/she/it or plural subjects. The pronunciation centers on two syllables with a stress on the second syllable in typical American usage when forms like 'assesses' are used as verbs.
- When speaking quickly, you may merge the middle /s/ with the following /s/ producing a elongated sibilant cluster; pause slightly between the two /s/ to maintain clarity. - Another error is pronouncing the ending as /iːz/ or /iːzɪz/ rather than the short /ɪz/ or /əz/ sound; keep it light, unstressed, and voiced. - A third mistake is misplacing primary stress on the first syllable (as-SES- es), which can make the word sound like a noun; fix by reinforced practice of the second-syllable stress. - Keep the first syllable reduced to schwa /ə/ rather than a full vowel, which helps balance the rhythm and avoids a clipped initial sound. - In rapid speech you may drop the final -es entirely; ensure you vocalize the final /z/ with breath support and crisp release.
"The committee assesses the risks before approving the project."
"She assesses her options carefully before making a decision."
"Teachers assess students’ progress at the end of each term."
Pronounce as·sess·es as ə-ˈsɛ-səz (US). The key is two syllables of primary stress on the second syllable: as·SES·es. Start with a neutral schwa in the first syllable, then a clear, stressed 'ses' with a short e as in 'set,' followed by a light 'iz' or 'əz' ending. IPA: US: əˈsɛsɪz. UK: əˈsesɪz. AU: əˈsesɪz. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, tongue high for /s/ but not too spread; the /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative; the /ɪ/ in the penultimate is a short, lax vowel. You’ll hear a crisp plural-sibilant ending.
Two common mistakes: misplacing stress (say as-SES-es with wrong stress) and mispronouncing the final -es as /i:z/ or /iz/ with extra vowel. Correct by ensuring the second syllable carries primary stress and that the ending is a short, unstressed -ɪz/ or -əz, not a long vowel. Practice by saying ə-ˈsɛ-sɪz slowly, then gradually speed up, keeping the vowel short and the final /z/ clearly voiced.
In US and UK accents, the stress remains on the second syllable: ə-ˈsɛs-ɪz. The vowel in the second syllable is typically a short ɛ as in 'dress'. In Australian English, vowels can be slightly more centralized, and you may hear a marginally longer or more centralized /ɪ/ in the final syllable, but the rhythm and stress pattern stay similar. The final -əs is broadly /əs/ or /ɪz/ depending on speed, with the /z/ always voiced.
Two factors make it tricky: the shift of stress from the first syllable, and the consonant cluster at the end. The sequence -sses- can blur in rapid speech; you must keep the /s/ sounds distinct and avoid turning the ending into a longer vowel like /iː/. Practice isolating the second syllable, releasing a crisp /sɛs/ before a quick, light /ɪz/ or /əz/.
A distinctive feature is the medial -ss- combination that produces two adjacent sibilants within a short span. You need to prevent assimilating the middle /s/ into a single longer /s/ sound by briefly separating the two /s/ segments: ə-ˈsɛ-sɪz. This helps preserve the natural two-syllable rhythm and avoids a monosyllabic, elongated ending.
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- US: Stress stays on the second syllable with a clear /ɛ/ vowel; ensure rhoticity does not distort the vowel in the second syllable. AU: Slightly more centralized vowels; maintain the /ɪ/ or /i/ quality at the end; UK: Crisp avoided lengthened vowels; keep the final /z/ precise. - Vowel quality: /æ/ vs /ɛ/ differences are notable in the second syllable; practice with a mirror and minimal pairs to refine the /ɛ/ sound. - Consonants: The sequence -ss- is two sibilants; ensure you articulate each /s/ distinctly rather than coalescing them.
Assess comes from the Old French assesser (to provide an assessment) from Late Latin assēssāre, a frequentative form of assēsāre (to sit beside or to estimate, appraise). The root concept in Latin is assēre, which is linked to sitting beside as a metaphor for weighing or evaluating. In medieval and early modern English, assess developed the specialized sense of determining the value or amount owed, often for taxes or duties. Over time, the sense broadened to “evaluate” in general usage. The suffix -es comes from standard English verb inflection in the present tense with third-person singular, while the -es- inflection occurs in several forms to mark third-person singular or for regular plural noun forms in other contexts. The word entered English from Norman-French influence and solidified its pronunciation and spelling in Early Modern English, aligning with other -sess words like assesses, assesses, and possesses in form and sound changes. First known use as a verb in the 15th–16th centuries, with receipts in legal and administrative contexts shaping its evolution into modern general usage for evaluation and judgment.
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Words that rhyme with "assesses"
-ses sounds
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