bribes

Say /brɪbz/ in careful speech or /braɪbz/ in most dialects today. In practice, the initial /br/ blend is strong, the diphthong is /aɪ/ (as in high) for bribe, and the final /bz/ is a voiced z sound. Stress falls on the first syllable: BRIBES. When two syllables are extended in careful speech, you’ll hear a clear /aɪ/ followed by /bz/. Tip: keep the tongue at the alveolar ridge for /r/ and avoid turning it into a /ɹ/ that’s too retroflex. Audio reference: compare with pronunciations on Forvo or YouGlish using “bribes.”

Two main errors: (1) pronouncing the vowel as a short /ɪ/ as in sit, yielding /brɪbz/ instead of the correct /brɪbz/ with a clearer short i, and (2) devoicing the final /z/ to /s/ in fast speech. Correction: aim for a voiced sibilant /z/ at the end; practice with minimal pairs like ‘bribe’ vs ‘bribes’ and ‘bribe’ vs ‘bribes’ in sentences to feel the voicing. Ensure your final sound remains z-like rather than s-like, especially before voiceless consonants in rapid speech.

In US and UK, the core /braɪbz/ or /brɪbz/ sequence is maintained, with US often retaining /aɪ/ and UK sometimes hearing a tighter /aɪ/ as well; the final /z/ remains voiced. Australian English typically keeps the same /aɪ/ vowel, but may exhibit slight vowel reduction in rapid speech and a subtly rolled or flapped /r/ in some speakers, though not as prominent as US rhotic accents. Overall, the main difference is vowel quality of the diphthong and the degree of r-coloring, not a wholesale change in the consonants.

The difficulty centers on the final voiced /z/ after an affricate-like /br/ onset, plus the diphthong /aɪ/ which requires tongue height and gliding. In careful articulation, you separate the /br/ cluster, produce the high-front diphthong /aɪ/ cleanly, and then volley a voiced /z/—without letting the voice drop to /s/. In rapid speech, the /z/ can weaken or voice assimilation with following sounds can occur, causing a voiceless or lengthened /z/. Focus on maintaining voicing and a crisp /aɪ/.

The word is a single-stress item when used as a noun or verb in isolation or as part of a larger sentence, with primary stress on BRIBE(/brɪb/ or /braɪb/). The -s suffix attaches without shifting stress: BRIBES in nouns and verbs remains on the first syllable. In connected speech, you should still preserve the initial stress, though faster speech may compress the vowel slightly. This is a straightforward two-letter, one-syllable stem plus plural suffix, with steady stress on the stem.