2 syllables: Bom, bers. Stress on Bom.
BAH-murz
/ˈbɑmɚz/
Bombers is pronounced BAH-murz (/ˈbɑmɚz/). It has two syllables (Bom-bers), with the stress on "Bom". Bombers is a plural noun referring to aircraft designed or used for bombing missions, or informally, people or things that 'bomb' in sports or competition contexts. The word emphasizes aggression or force, typically in a military or competitive sense. In everyday usage, it can also describe large-scale failures or heavy hitters in a given field when used metaphorically.
nounBombers is a plural noun referring to aircraft designed or used for bombing missions, or informally, people or things that 'bomb' in sports or competition contexts. The word emphasizes aggression or force, typically in a military or competitive sense. In everyday usage, it can also describe large-scale failures or heavy hitters in a given field when used metaphorically.
- Common Mistake 1: Letting the first syllable lax or too short, producing /ˈbɒm/ rather than the strong /ˈbɒm/. Correction: hold the vowel a touch longer and ensure a sharp release into the second syllable. - Common Mistake 2: Not articulating the final /-əz/ or /-ərz/ clearly; learners may say a simple /-z/ ending. Correction: clearly articulate the schwa and add the light /r/ if your accent is rhotic; feel the tongue relax before the final z sound. - Common Mistake 3: Overemphasizing the second syllable, making it sound like /ˈbom.ɚz/ with a heavy middle vowel. Correction: keep the second syllable light, short, and almost unstressed; focus on a quick transition from /m/ to /ə/ and then to /z/ or /ərz/. - Practical tip: practice with minimal pairs (Bom-ber vs Bom-ber) and rhythm drills to lock the timing between syllables. - You’ll often hear learners confuse /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ in the first syllable; choose the variant that matches your target accent and practice with mapping to IPA.
"The air force deployed two squadrons of bombers on the strategic mission."
"Fans cheered as the team’s bombers scored three goals in the final minutes."
"The term ‘bombers’ was used to describe the fast, high-scoring offense."
Pronounce as /ˈbɒm·əz/ in UK English and /ˈbɑːm·ərz/ in US English; AU is similar to US with /ˈbɒməz/ depending on speaker. The stress falls on the first syllable. Start with a short “bom” as in bomb, then a light, sch- sound for the second syllable, and add the plural suffix -ers /-ərz/ or /-əz/ depending on accent. For most learners, listening to native speech and mimicking the opening strong syllable helps. Audio cues: “BOM” (closed front lip position, quick release) + “-bers” (schwa + r-colored vowel in rhotic accents).
Common mistakes: 1) Dropping the second syllable’s vowel too much, making it feel like ‘bomb-ers’ with an unclear middle sound. 2) Misplacing stress, sometimes saying ‘bom-bers’ with weak first syllable. 3) Not finishing the final -ers as a distinct /-əz/ or /-ərz/; learners often use a pure /z/ or /s/ ending. Correction: keep the first syllable strong: /ˈbɒm/ or /ˈbɑːm/; use a short, subdued but present second syllable: /-əz/ or /-ərz/ with a light, quick vowel. Practice with word-family contrasts to reinforce the rhythm.
US English: /ˈbɑːmərz/ or /ˈbɒmərz/ with rhotic r; UK English: /ˈbɒməz/ or /ˈbɒməz/ with non-rhotic r in many dialects; AU English: typically /ˈbɒməz/ or /ˈbɒmərz/ with a slight American-like rhoticity in some speakers. The main differences are vowel quality in the first syllable (American /ɑː/ vs British /ɒ/) and the rhoticity of the second syllable’s r in US/ AU accents. Also, the ending can vary between /-əz/ and /-ərz/ depending on dialect and how clearly the r is pronounced.
Difficulties stem from the vowel sounds in the first syllable and the short, unstressed second syllable. The /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ distinction in British vs American variants can confuse learners; plus the final /ərz/ vs /əz/ endings require precise, quick articulation to avoid turning it into ‘bombers’ without a proper vowel. Additionally, coordinating lip rounding and tongue position for the /m/ and the following schwa-heavy segment can be challenging in fast speech. Focusing on consistent first-syllable stress and crisp final syllable can mitigate this.
The unique feature is the contrast between a strong initial syllable with a back open vowel and a clipped, reduced second syllable containing a rhotacized or non-rhotacized ending depending on accent. This makes the transition from /ˈbɒm/ to /ərz/ or /əz/ be a key cue for listeners to identify the word as ‘bombers,’ especially in rapid speech. Listening for the length and fullness of the first syllable while ensuring the second syllable remains light and quick helps PIN down the correct form across accents.
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- US accent: rhotic r in the second syllable; ensure /ər/ is pronounced with a clear schwa + r coloring; /ɑː/ in the first vowel can sound heavy. - UK accent: shorter, clipped second syllable; often non-rhotic, so the final /r/ is minimized or silent; the first syllable uses /ɒ/ (like 'lot'). - AU accent: generally non-rhotic to some degree but with noticeable rhoticity in many speakers; vowel /ɒ/ closer to /ɒ/ but often centralized. - IPA references: US /ˈbɑː.mərz/ or /ˈbɑː.məz/, UK /ˈbɒ.məz/ or /ˈbɒ.məz/, AU /ˈbɒ.məz/; focus on final /-ərz/ vs /-əz/ depending on speaker. - Tips: practice with mouth relaxed, jaw slightly dropped for /ɑː/ or /ɒ/, ensure the tongue tip sits behind the upper teeth for /m/ closure, then quick release into the reduced vowel for the second syllable.
Bombers derives from the noun bomber, meaning one that bombs, historically tied to military aircraft equipped to drop bombs. The root is the verb bomb (to drop bombs), from early 17th century English, with possible earlier influences from French bombarder and Italian bombardare, both indicating bombardment. In the 20th century, especially around World War II, “bomber” emerged as a standard name for long-range heavy aircraft whose primary mission was bombing enemy targets. The term evolved to include specific aircraft models (e.g., B-17, B-29) and then broadened colloquially to describe aggressive players or teams in sports metaphorically. By mid-20th century, “bombers” was common in military journalism and later in popular media, sometimes used figuratively to describe something that fails spectacularly (as in “box office bombers” for big financial disappointments). The word’s sense broadened with mass media, enabling figurative uses alongside literal aircraft descriptions; today it commonly appears in both military and colloquial contexts, retaining the core meaning related to bombing capability and perceived power or impact.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bombers" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bombers"
-ers sounds
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