2 syllables: bro, kers. Stress on bro.
/ˈbroʊ.kɚz/
Say it backBrokers is a plural noun meaning individuals or firms who buy, sell, or arrange transactions between parties, especially in financial markets. In everyday usage, it also refers to people who act as intermediaries in various trades. The term emphasizes the act of brokering deals rather than direct involvement in the underlying goods or services.
- You may flatten the first syllable, producing /brɔ.kərz/ or /bruː.kəz/. To fix: keep a tight, rounded /oʊ/ or /oʊ/ sound before the /k/ and ensure the /r/ is present (rhotic accents) or a light /ə/ in non-rhotic ones. - Another error is final consonant devoicing; always voice the final /z/ in careful and fluent speech. Practice with minimal pairs: brok- vs brok-ers, focus on /z/. - Dropping the second syllable’s vowel entirely (brks) is common; anchor it with a quick but audible /ə/ or /ɚ/ before /z/. Practice by saying “BROH-kers” slowly, then rephrase to “BROH-kərz” while maintaining voicing.
"The brokers arranged a quick settlement between the buyer and seller."
"Online brokers have lowered the barrier to entry for retail investors."
"Real estate brokers often facilitate negotiations and coordinate paperwork."
Break it as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/ in US English. In careful speech you might say /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ in UK/Australian variants. Start with a rounded, closed /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ vowel, then a light /k/ into another /ɚ/ (schwa+r) sound, and finish with a voiceless sibilant /z/. Mouth: lips rounded for the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, tongue high at back for /oʊ/ and mid for /ɚ/.
Common errors include saying /ˈbro.kərz/ with a full, unstressed second syllable or misplacing the stress (e.g., /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ in some learners’ accents). Another frequent slip is devoicing the final /z/ to /s/ or fusing together the two syllables too tightly. To correct: emphasize the first syllable clearly with /ˈbroʊ/ or /ˈbrəʊ/ and maintain a voiced /z/ at the end, keeping the middle syllable light but audible. Practicing with slow drills helps.
In US English the first syllable carries strong primary stress with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /z/ at the end, e.g., /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/. UK and Australian varieties may have a shorter, less rounded /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ and a non-rhotic tendency, which can yield /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ or /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ with a lighter /r/ sound or none. The final consonant remains /z/ in most contexts. Listen for vowel quality differences: US tends to a purer /oʊ/ and a pronounced rhotic, while UK/AU favor a rounded mid-vowel and weaker r-coloring.
The difficulty lies in balancing the vowel quality of the first syllable with a rapid /k/ onset into a voiced /ɚ/ or schwa+r in the second, then finishing with a voiced final /z/. Learners often mis-tune the /oʊ/ to something lingered as /ɔ/ or over-aspirate the /s/ making it /z/ or /s/. Focusing on the transition from /oʊ/ to /k/ and keeping voicing through end helps. IPA cues: /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/ (US) vs /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ (UK/AU).
The second syllable centers on a reduced vowel with potential r-coloring in rhotic varieties. In careful speech, ensure the syllable is not swallowed; you should keep a distinct /ɚ/ or /ə/ sound, not a full vowel like /ɜr/ or /oː/. Also, avoid inserting an extra syllable between /bro/ and /k/; most speakers hear /ˈbroʊ.kərz/ as a clean, two-beat unit. IPA references: US /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/; UK/AU /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/.
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- US: rhotic, clear /ɹ/ and /ɚ/; ensure /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/ with full vowel before r. - UK: non-rhotic in many contexts; lean toward /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/ with reduced postvocalic r and rounded /əʊ/ in the first syllable. - AU: similar to UK but with a slightly flatter vowel and a stronger final /z/ rather than /s/ in some registers. Use IPA: US /ˈbroʊ.kɚz/, UK /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/, AU /ˈbrəʊ.kəz/. - General: keep the stress on the first syllable, maintain voicing through the final consonant, and avoid inserting a vowel between /bro/ and /k/.
Brokers derives from the Middle English broker, from Old French broker, based on the Frankish *brokjan* meaning ‘to break’ or ‘to break into pieces.’ Historically, brokers were intermediaries who mediated exchanges, often by breaking up a trade into multiple steps or segments. The word entered Middle English around the 13th century, primarily in commercial lexicon, describing go-betweens who linked buyers and sellers before modern brokerages and exchanges existed. The spelling with -ers reflects agentive formation, denoting people who perform the act of brokering. Over time, the term broadened from land and commodity trade to finance, media, and insurance contexts. In financial markets, “broker” came to denote professionals licensed to execute orders on behalf of clients, with “brokers” describing the collective or plural form. The evolution tracks a shift from rustic, localized middlemen to regulated, credentialed professionals within formal marketplaces. The core semantic thread remains intermediating, advising, and arranging transactions among multiple parties. First known use in English of broker as a person who facilitates negotiation dates to the 15th century, with broader adoption in commerce by the 16th–17th centuries as trade networks expanded.
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Words that rhyme with "brokers"
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