BREK-fuhsts
/ˈbɹɛkfəsts/
Breakfasts is pronounced BREK-fuhsts (/ˈbɹɛkfəsts/). Breakfasts is the plural form of breakfast, referring to multiple morning meals or instances of breakfast. It denotes a collection of breakfasts rather than a single meal. Usage can be plural in discussions of multiple breakfasts, or metaphorically to mean early meals in different contexts.
nounBreakfasts is the plural form of breakfast, referring to multiple morning meals or instances of breakfast. It denotes a collection of breakfasts rather than a single meal. Usage can be plural in discussions of multiple breakfasts, or metaphorically to mean early meals in different contexts.
- Misplacing stress on the second syllable, saying broken-park without emphasis on the first syllable; ensure primary stress on the first syllable. - Omitting the vowel distinction in /ˈbrek/ vs /ˈbrek/; keep crisp /brek/ with a clear /e/ as in 'bed' for many accents. - Dropping the /t/ before /s/ or coalescing to /-st/; practice /t/ release before /s/ to maintain the plural clarity. - In fast speech, the final /ts/ can reduce toward /t/ or /s/; rehearse the full /ts/ cluster in isolation and in connected speech.
"We planned three breakfasts during the conference — breakfasts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday."
"The hotel offered complimentary breakfasts for all guests each morning."
"In some households, Saturday breakfasts with family stories are a cherished tradition."
Break-fast-s. The primary stress is on the first syllable: /ˈbrekˌfɑːsts/ in UK style or /ˈbrekˌfæsts/ in US style depending on vowel quality. In careful speech, it’s two clear open syllables with a final /s/ pronounced as a voiceless /s/. If you say the plural quickly, the /t/ can be assimilated toward a 't' or 'd' sound in connected speech, but crisp production keeps /t/ before the final /s/. Audio reference cues: start with a strong /brek/ then a light /fə/ or /fæ/ plus /sts/ cluster.
Most speakers misplace the stress or merge the /t/ into the following /s/, producing /ˈbrekˌfæs/ or /ˈbrɛkˌfæsts/ with an awkward /s/ onset. Another frequent error is de-emphasizing the final /ts/ cluster, giving a dull /-sts/ or losing the voicelessness of the final /s/. Correct by ensuring a clear /t/ release before /s/ and keeping the short /a/ or /æ/ in the second syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to lock in the cluster.
In US English, /ˈbrɛkˌfæsts/ places more open front vowel in the first syllable and a slightly higher second vowel; in UK English, /ˈbrekˌfɑːsts/ uses a broader, backer /ɑː/ in the second vowel, and final /sts/ is crisper. Australian typically aligns with UK vowel quality in the second syllable but may be non-rhotic, so the /r/ is not pronounced; the /t/ can be released more lightly and the final /s/ is sharp. Overall, rhotics and vowel lengths vary with region.
Because it combines a stressed initial single-syllable cluster with a complex end cluster /-fæsts/ or /-fæsts/, where the t-release and s-voicing must be balanced. The /æ/ versus /ɑː/ vowels in the second syllable cause vowel-height differences that shift with accent. The consonant cluster /t s/ requires crisp release and frictionless transition into the final /s/. Coarticulation with the /k/ in /br-ekk/ adds another layer of precision for clear plural pronunciation.
A distinctive feature is the /t/ release before the final /s/ in the plural, which can become weaker in rapid speech. You should ensure a brief but audible release of /t/ before the /s/ so listeners hear the /t/ plus /s/ as a single cluster /ts/. This helps avoid pronouncing only /ˈbrekˌfæst/ without the final plural /s/.
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US: rhotic, sharper /æ/ in the second syllable, final /s/ clearly spoken; UK: broader /ɑː/ in second syllable, non-rhotic, /t/ release is crisp; AU: similar to UK but with slight vowel variance and less intensity on final /s/. IPA references: US /ˈbrekˌfæsts/; UK /ˈbrekˌfɑːsts/; AU /ˈbrekˌfɑːsts/.
The word breakfast derives from the combination of 'break' and 'fast', meaning to end the overnight fast by eating. Its first element is Proto-Germanic brekan- or Old English breac, related to breaking the fast of sleep. The plural form with -s is a productive English pluralization pattern that applies to count nouns. The concept of the first meal of the day existed in many languages, but the particular term 'breakfast' in English appears in written forms by at least Middle English times, with senses tied to the morning meal. The semantic expansion to include multiple morning meals or occurrences as plural arose naturally in discourse about repeated meals or meals across days. The word's contemporary use spans literal multiple breakfasts (e.g., at different locations or days) and figurative uses in literature and media to denote the morning meal period in aggregate or in contrasting contexts (e.g., breakfasts served in hotels, breakfasts during travel, etc.). The shift from a singular to plural emphasis reflects common English pluralization for countable, repeatable events rather than a change in the core meaning of the base word.
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Words that rhyme with "Breakfasts"
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