2 syllables: blis, ters. Stress on blis.
/ˈblɪstərz/
Say it backBlisters refers to small raised pockets on the skin formed by fluid buildup, typically caused by friction or burns. As a word, it also functions as the present tense third-person singular of blister, meaning to form blisters. The term can discuss health contexts (skin injury) or mild metaphorical usage (e.g., “your hands blistered from work”). It’s pronounced with two syllables, stressing the first: BLIS-ters.
- Not reducing the second syllable: In fast speech you might say BLIS-tərs with a strong schwa; correct by shortening the second vowel to a relaxed schwa /ɚ/ or /əz/ depending on accent. - Blurring the final /z/ into a /s/ or /dz/; keep the voice on for /z/ by ensuring the preceding alveolar is followed by a voiced termination. - Over-enunciating the ending: some learners insert an extra vowel or separate the syllable too much; keep it tight and natural. - Misplacing the stress when the word appears in compounds (e.g., ‘blister-proof’); retain primary stress on the first syllable. - Mispronouncing the -ts- as /t/ or /d/ + /z/; treat as the small cluster /stɚ/ and keep /z/ immediately after the /ɚ/.
"Her hands developed painful blisters after hours of keyboard work."
"The boots rubbed her heels raw, and she got several blisters."
"He warned that improper footwear could blister the soles of your feet."
Say BLIS-tɚz, with the primary stress on BLIS. The first syllable uses the short I /ɪ/ as in sit, followed by the unstressed -ters ending; the final z is voiced. In American English you’ll hear /ˈblɪs.tɚz/. In careful UK pronunciation it slightly skews toward /ˈblɪs.təz/ with a lighter, schwa-like ending. Listen for the quick, crisp /s/ at the end before the voiced /z/.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as /ə/ only when using a strong accent, resulting in BLIS-ters with an overly open ending, or turning the ending into /ɪz/ or /ɪnz/ in rapid speech. Correct by keeping the second syllable as a reduced schwa /ɚ/ in US speech or a light /əz/ in UK/AU. Ensure the /s/ is clearly heard, then voice the final /z/ crisply.
US: /ˈblɪs.tɚz/ with rhotacized /ɚ/ and clear /z/. UK/AU: /ˈblɪs.təz/ or /ˈblɪs.təz/ with non-rhoticity in some speakers; the ending can be a light /ə/ plus /z/. The final consonant remains voiced /z/ across regions. Vowel quality is similar in all, but rhoticity influences the central vowel color in the second syllable in US speakers.
Two tricky parts: the unstressed second syllable vowel in many accents reduces to a weak vowel or schwa, which can blur with the following /t/ or /d/ transition, and the final /z/ must be voiced after a syllable-final alveolar /s/. Maintain clear tongue tip contact for the /s/ before the voiced /z/, and practice the quick, light vowel reduction in the second syllable.
The plural’s ending can cause last-consonant assimilation in rapid speech: listeners may hear /-dz/ or /-z/ depending on the preceding sound. Practice with sentences that end on ‘blisters’ after words ending in a tense consonant (e.g., ‘friction blisters’). Emphasize the /z/ in careful speech and ensure the second syllable remains distinctly short yet not fully reduced to /ə/ only.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ influence makes second syllable color more central; keep /ɚ/ with slight voweled wiggle. - UK: weaker rhotacization; second syllable ends closer to /əz/ or /əz/; keep a light schwa. - AU: tends toward non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; final /z/ remains voiced but the preceding vowel is more clipped; aim for /ˈblɪstəz/ in casual speech. - General IPA anchors: /ˈblɪs.tɚz/ (US), /ˈblɪs.təz/ (UK/AU). Focus on crisp /s/ before the voiced /z/ and short /ɪ/ in the first syllable.
Blister comes from Middle English blistre, likely from Old Norse blister, with cognates in several Germanic languages. The etymology tracks the sense evolution from a blistered lesion on the skin to a general term for any raised swelling or swelling-like feature. The root form entered English by the early medieval period, with early senses tied to a blistering, burning sensation and later narrowed to dermatological meaning. By the 16th–17th centuries, ‘blister’ began also to describe a swelling or bubble on plant or animal tissue, and by the modern era it extended to verbs meaning to form blisters or to irritate skin through friction. The plural form ‘blisters’ appeared as the fluid-filled lesions regularly discussed in medical and everyday contexts. The semantic field broadened to metaphorical uses (to blister someone with bullets or heat) in idioms and literature, but in dermatology the noun and verb senses remain dominant. First known written uses appear in medical texts, glossaries, and traveler anecdotes addressing skin injuries from intense activity or harsh conditions.
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Words that rhyme with "blisters"
-ers sounds
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