2 syllables: bod, ies. Stress on bod.
BAH-deez
/ˈbɑdiz/
bodies is pronounced BAH-deez (/ˈbɑdiz/). It has two syllables (bod-ies), with the stress on "bod". Bodies (plural noun) refers to physical forms of living beings; also used metaphorically to mean groups of people or a mass of material. It denotes tangible corporeal form or units in a collection. In plural usage, it often contrasts with attributes, or emphasizes the individuals or material making up something.
Bodies (plural noun) refers to physical forms of living beings; also used metaphorically to mean groups of people or a mass of material. It denotes tangible corporeal form or units in a collection. In plural usage, it often contrasts with attributes, or emphasizes the individuals or material making up something.
"The scientists examined the bodies recovered from the crash site."
"She donated three bodies to science, and the hospital prepared them for study."
"The gym's posters featured healthy, athletic bodies in motion."
Pronounce as /ˈbɒd.iz/ in US English and /ˈbɒ.diːz/ in UK/AU variants. The first syllable carries primary stress: 'BOD' with a short o as in 'hot', followed by a voiced z-sound in the final syllable. Think of a quick, light schwa-like vowel in the second syllable in some US accents, but in UK/AU it tends to a clearer /iː/ or /i/ vowel. Keep the /d/ as a clean alveolar stop, not a flap.
Two common errors: (1) pronouncing the second syllable with a reduced or blurred vowel, e.g., /ˈbɒd.ɪz/ instead of /ˈbɒ.diz/. (2) Slurring the /d/ and /z/, producing a combined /d͡z/ that sounds rushed. Correction: clearly separate the /d/ and /z/ with a brief release on /d/ and a crisp /z/ voicing. Ensure the first syllable uses a short /ɒ/ and stress on the first syllable. Practicing slow double-tap drills helps.
In US English, /ˈbɒ.diz/ or /ˈbɑː.diz/ depending on dialect; some speakers use a flattened /a/ or /ɒ/ before /d/. UK/AU commonly use /ˈbɒ.diːz/ or /ˈbɒd.iz/ with a longer second vowel in some British varieties. The final /z/ is voiced; some Glasgow or Dublin consonantal variations may alter the exact sibilant quality. Overall, primary stress remains on the first syllable, with only subtle vowel length differences across regions.
The difficulty lies in the two-posture transition: moving from /ɒ/ to /d/ requires precise tongue tip contact and a rapid, clean voicing into /z/. Some speakers coalesce /d/ and /z/ into a single affricate, which muddies the ending. Also, unstressed vowel reductions can blur the second syllable. Practice with separate, deliberate articulation of /d/ and /z/ and maintain clear vowel sounds in both syllables.
A distinctive feature is the vowel in the first syllable coupled with a crisp d-to-z transition. You’ll hear a quick release after /d/ before voicing /z/. The plural -ies behaves as /-iz/ in many dialects; in some speakers it may drift toward /-s/ or /-z/ depending on the preceding consonant’s voicing. The two-syllable pattern with primary stress on the first syllable is key to natural rhythm.
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US: rhotic, sometimes darker /ɒ/; UK/AU: more precise /ɒ/ with longer second vowel; AU often has a slightly drawn-out second vowel in careful speech. IPA references: US /ˈbɒ.diz/, UK /ˈbɒ.diːz/, AU /ˈbɒ.diːz/. Vowel quality: US may use a shorter second vowel; UK/AU may lengthen slightly and shift toward /iː/ or /i/ in careful speech. Consonants: ensure /d/ is alveolar tap only in rapid speech if influenced by connected speech; otherwise keep a full /d/.
Bodies comes from Old English bodig, meaning ‘body, trunk, torso,’ and Proto-Germanic *budgō- with related forms in Dutch lichaam and German Körper. The singular body path fused with the plural -s to indicate more than one physical form. The root relates to the concept of a person’s corporal form rather than essence or spirit. In Middle English, forms like bodi remained in use, and over time -ies or -s forms were added to denote pluralization. The semantic expansion included metaphorical uses (bodies of work, bodies of evidence), reflecting the idea of a collective mass that retains a physical referent. The earliest attestations surface in law and medical writings where ‘body’ referred to a person’s physical presence and integrity, later broadening to non-human bodies and abstract aggregates. By the modern era, ‘bodies’ appears in general discourse to indicate multiple physical individuals or instances, with standard pronunciation and pluralization established in dictionaries by the 18th–19th centuries. The term retains strong associations with corporeality, but also appears in idiomatic phrases such as “body of evidence” or “body politic,” illustrating a shift from literal to figurative usage over centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "bodies"
-ies sounds
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