Attaches is the verb form meaning to fasten or join something to another thing. In everyday use it refers to objects being connected or people forming attachments, as in attaching a label, attaching a file, or attaching oneself to a cause. The word carries a sense of physical connection or formal linkage, and it appears in varied contexts from manuals to descriptions of wiring or relationships. It’s pronounced with a clear syllable boundary and final -s that marks third-person singular or present tense.
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- You’ll often soften the /t/ leading into the /tʃ/ so it sounds like /dʒ/ or /tʃ/ without the crisp stop; fix by ensuring a strong alveolar stop release into /t͡ʃ/. - Final /z/ can devoice to /s) in fast speech or before voiceless consonants; practice with voicing checks and record yourself to confirm voiced ending. - Stress misplacement: many say a-TACH-es; remember the stress is on the second syllable: a-TATCH-es.
- US: /əˈtætʃɪz/; rhotics influence the preceding schwa but the word itself remains a rhotic-enabled sequence; keep the vowel in the first syllable short and lax. - UK: /əˈtæ.tʃɪz/; crisper /t/ with a more open front vowel in first syllable; watch the syllable boundary and avoid a strong American-like flapping. - AU: typically /əˈtætʃɪz/; may adopt US rhotics and vowel quality; maintain consistent /tʃ/ and final /z/ voicing, with the same stress pattern.
"She attaches the brand logo to every package."
"He attaches the document to the email before sending."
"The file attachments were too large to upload."
"The scout troops attaches themselves to local volunteer projects."
Attaches derives from the verb attach, from the Old French attache (modern French attacher) meaning to fasten, join, or bind. The English attach appeared in Middle English with senses of fastening or tying things together; by the 16th–17th centuries it broadened to include figurative bonds and relationships. The root attach traces to Latin ad- ‘to, toward’ plus tangere ‘to touch’, denoting bringing something toward something else or making contact. The -es ending is the third-person singular present tense (he attaches) and the plural noun form had/has variations historically. Over time, the word widened to encompass digital contexts (attaches a file) and legal or formal bindings (to attach someone to a contract). First known usage in English literature appears in the 14th–16th centuries in forms related to fastening objects; modern usage in computing and documentation proliferated in the late 20th century with the rise of email and file attachments.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "attaches" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "attaches" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "attaches"
-hes sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounced /əˈtætʃɪz/ (US) or /əˈtæ.tʃɪz/ (UK/AU). Stress is on the second syllable: a-TTACH-es. Start with a schwa, then a strong /tætʃ/ cluster formed with the tongue contacting the alveolar ridge for /t/, followed by /ætʃ/ and a voiced z-sound at the end. Ensure the /tʃ/ is a palato-alveolar affricate, produced with the tongue blade approaching the post-alveolar area and releasing into a short /ʃ/ element before the /ɪz/. Listen for the clean /t/ release and a crisp /z/ ending.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying a-TACH-es), treating /tæ/ as a long vowel, or mispronouncing the /tʃ/ as a simple /t/ plus /sh/ sequence. Another frequent slip is softening the final /z/ to a /s/ or skipping the inflected syllable altogether in rapid speech. To correct: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /æ/ or /æ/ quality, ensure the /tʃ/ is crisp and not decomposed into /t/ + /ʃ/, and finish with a voiced /z/ rather than a voiceless /s/.
In US English, /əˈtætʃɪz/ with clear schwa and strong /t/; the second syllable has the /æ/ as in 'cat'. UK-English /əˈtæ.tʃɪz/ tends to a slightly crisper /t/ and a more pronounced /æ/ in both syllables; AU follows US or UK patterns depending on speaker, but often leans toward US-like rhoticity with a shorter /ɪ/ in the final syllable. Across accents, the /tʃ/ remains a single affricate; the main differences are vowel quality and syllable timing.
Because of the /tʃ/ cluster following a stressed syllable and the final /z/ voiced consonant, which can deform under rapid speech. The transition from /t/ to /tʃ/ requires precise tongue positioning at the alveolar ridge and palate; the following /ɪ/ or /i/ can shift with stress, affecting perceived duration. In connected speech, the final z may assimilate to the following sound in context, causing devoicing or voicing changes. Focus on a clean palate contact for /tɪ/ then crisp /z/.
Why does 'attaches' keep a steady /t/ before the /tʃ/? The answer: the phonotactics require a release into the palato-alveolar affricate /t͡ʃ/. The /t/ is released quickly, and the following /tʃ/ is a single affricate, not a sequence of /t/ + /ʃ/. Many learners insert an extra vowel or break, but the standard pronunciation is a tight sequence: /əˈtætʃɪz/ with an immediate /t͡ʃ/ after the /t/ release. This keeps the heartbeat of the word intact.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "attaches"!
- Shadowing: listen to native speakers say the word in sentences, mimic their pace and intonation; aim for a steady beat with the /t/ release and the /t͡ʃ/ affricate. - Minimal pairs: attach vs. at-attch? No; better: attach vs. attackers; not perfect; instead contrast /tædʒ/? You can use 'attach' vs 'attach-es' in isolation: /əˈtætʃ/ vs /əˈtætʃɪz/ to feel the final /z/. - Rhythm practice: stress-timed rhythm; rehearse a sequence of 4-5 words around attaches to feel timing. - Intonation: practice rising-falling at end of phrases including attaches to match stress; record and compare. - Stress practice: place primary stress on second syllable consistently in long phrases. - Recording: use a phone or recorder; listen for crisp /t/, /t͡ʃ/, and voiced /z/; correct by adjusting tongue contact and breath support.
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