2 syllables: breez, es. Stress on breez.
BREE-ziz
/ˈbɹizɪz/
breezes is pronounced BREE-ziz (/ˈbɹizɪz/). It has two syllables (breez-es), with the stress on "breez". Breezes refers to gentle, light winds; it can also describe something done easily or with little effort. In noun form it denotes a light current of air, often pleasant, while as a verb (third-person singular), it means to move gently with a light breeze. The plural breezes emphasizes multiple light winds or figurative ease in tasks or movement.
Breezes refers to gentle, light winds; it can also describe something done easily or with little effort. In noun form it denotes a light current of air, often pleasant, while as a verb (third-person singular), it means to move gently with a light breeze. The plural breezes emphasizes multiple light winds or figurative ease in tasks or movement.
- You may flatten the first syllable vowel, pronouncing it as /bɪ/ or /bə/; aim for a clear /iː/ in /ˈbriː/. - The final /z/ can sound like /s/ in quick speech; ensure voicing by placing the tongue near the alveolar ridge and vibrating the vocal cords. - In rapid speech, you might merge /zɪz/ into a single /z/ or /ɪz/; practice with slow, then medium tempo to stabilize the transition.
"- Coastal towns enjoy the cool breezes off the sea on warm days."
"- The gossip breezes through the office with a breezy tone."
"- She breezes past the competition with a flawless routine."
Pronounce as /ˈbriː.zɪz/. Primary stress on the first syllable. The first vowel is a long E (as in 'beat'), the second syllable reduces to a schwa-like sound in rapid speech, but often remains /ɪ/ in careful speech. Tip: avoid pronouncing a 'z' as a voice-less s; the ending is voiced, resulting in /zɪz/. Audio reference: consider listening to natural speech samples on Pronounce or YouGlish for the sequence /ˈbriː.zɪz/.
Common errors: 1) Deleting the final /z/ or turning it into an /s/ (breez- instead of breezes). 2) Not clearly voicing the final /z/ leading to a hissy end. 3) Reducing the first vowel to a short /ɪ/ or /ə/ in careful speech. Correction tips: keep the final /z/ voice; hold the first syllable long /iː/ and ensure the second syllable uses a relaxed /z/ followed by a clear /ɪz/ sequence; practice with minimal pairs like /ˈbriː.zɪz/ vs /ˈbrɪzɪz/.
Across US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the first syllable /ˈbriː/. Differences are subtle: US often maintains a more rhotic, rounded first vowel with clear /ɹ/ influence in connected speech; UK may have slightly shorter first vowel and crisper consonants; AU tends to flatten vowel quality slightly and may exhibit less rhoticity in some speakers, though most feature rhotic linking in careful speech. In all, the second syllable uses /zɪz/ with a voiced z; connected speech may reduce to /ˈbriːzɪz/ for rapid delivery.
The challenge lies in the transition from a long, tense /iː/ to the voiced dental/alveolar /z/ cluster, plus the final /z/ sound in rapid speech. Learners may mispronounce as /ˈbriːzɪz/ with an unvoiced ending or drop the second syllable entirely. Focus on maintaining voicing for the final /z/ and cleanly releasing the /zɪz/ sequence, with a light, continuous airflow that preserves the breeze-like quality of the sound.
Breezes combines a long vowel before a voiced consonant cluster, creating a noticeable vowel-consonant transition. The first syllable is stressed with a long /iː/ before a rapid /zɪz/ sequence, which can be tricky in connected speech due to flapping or reduction in casual talk. Unique to this word is the insistence on a clearly voiced final /z/ in all dialects, which ensures the plural is heard distinctly, unlike some similar words where final consonants weaken.
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- US: Gently curl the tip of the tongue to produce a light but voiced /z/ at the end; keep rhoticity intact in connected speech for natural flow. - UK: Maintain crisper consonants; ensure the /r/ is not intrusive; the second syllable remains a quick /ɪz/ with minimal vowel reduction. - AU: Slightly flatter vowel quality in /iː/ and less pronounced rhoticity; keep the /z/ voiced. IPA references help: /ˈbriː.zɪz/ across dialects, with minor vowel timing differences.
The word breezes derives from the Old English breeze, meaning a strong wind or gust, with roots in the Proto-Germanic bris- indicating a motion or wind. It evolved through Middle English breezen, representing a light, pleasant wind. By the 16th century, breezes was used both literally—to describe a soft wind—and figuratively—to denote ease or lightness in action. The semantic shift from a natural phenomenon to a tone or manner (e.g., breezy writing) reflects the broader metaphorical extension of airiness, lightness, and ease in various contexts. First known use as a plural noun for winds appears in early modern English texts, with the figurative sense emerging in the 18th and 19th centuries as everyday language embraced breezy, informal expression. Over time, breezes kept its dual sense in common use, remaining a flexible descriptor for both weather phenomena and nonchalant ease in performance or movement.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "breezes" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "breezes" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "breezes"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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