2 syllables: bro, thers. Stress on bro.
/ˈbrʌðɚz/
Say it backBrothers is the plural form of brother, referring to male siblings. The word denotes familial relations and is commonly used in everyday speech, literature, and media. It consists of two syllables with a stress pattern that typically falls on the first syllable in English, and includes a voiced dental fricative in the ending sound that can influence lip and tongue positioning in connected speech.
"My brothers and I went hiking last weekend."
"The two brothers co-founded the organization together."
"In many films, brothers share a deep bond despite conflicts."
Usual pronunciation: /ˈbrʌðərz/ (two syllables, primary stress on BRU). The vowel in the first syllable is the short open-mid /ʌ/ as in 'strut'. The second syllable features a schwa-like /ə/ before the final /rz/ cluster in rhotic accents; the ending is a voiced z sound. In careful, careful enunciation you’ll hear the /ər/ as a reduced syllable carrying the /r/ before the /z/. Audio reference: listen to standard American English pronunciations on Cambridge or Forvo to feel the /ˈbrʌðərz/ flow.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as /əɹ/ as in ‘bear’ or misplacing the dental fricative; many learners replace /ð/ with /d/ or /t/, saying /brʌdərz/ or /brʌðerz/ without the full /ɹ/ quality. Another frequent issue is not voicing the final /z/ and producing /s/ or a voiceless ending. Correct by practicing the /ð/ sound between the tongue tip and upper teeth, keep the /r/ just before the final /z/, and maintain voicing throughout the ending.” ,
In US English, you get /ˈbrʌðərz/ with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /ər/ syllable. UK English commonly reduces the ending to /ˈbrʌðəz/ with a weaker or non-rhotic or lightly rhotic /ə/ depending on speaker; the /r/ is often less pronounced in non-rhotic varieties. Australian English resembles US pronunciation but with a slightly less pronounced /ɹ/ and often a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable. Overall, rhoticity and vowel quality around /ʌ/ and /ə/ define differences. IPA references: US /ˈbrʌðərz/, UK /ˈbrʌðəz/, AU /ˈbrʌðəz/.
The difficulty lies in the vowel reduction and the /ð/ dental fricative, which is a sound many learners struggle to articulate accurately. Additionally, the /ər/ sequence in American English requires precise tongue relaxation and a continuous voice onset. The final /z/ can cause devoicing or blending into /s/. To master, focus on the dental placement for /ð/, maintain a relaxed jaw for the /ə/ before /rz/, and practice voicing the final consonant at a steady rate.
A unique feature is the /ð/ sound immediately before a voiced rhotic segment /ər/. Very few common plurals begin with /br/ followed by /ʌð/ and then /ərz/; maintaining the dental friction noise of /ð/ while transitioning to the rhotacized /ər/ is the key. In rapid speech, the /ðər/ sequence can blur into /ðər/ almost as one unit, so you should practice slow, then gradual speed to keep the dental and rhotic components distinct.
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The word brother originates from Old English brothor, from Proto-Germanic *broþer, which itself derives from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh2ter. The root form is cognate with German Bruder and Dutch broer, reflecting a shared Germanic heritage. In early Old English, broþer appears in various spellings as the language shifted toward Middle English; the form evolved under the influence of Norman French, which affected orthography but not the core pronunciation. The semantic core—referring to a male sibling—remained stable through the medieval and modern periods, though the word extended metaphorically to denote close male associates or comrades, as in “brother in arms.” By Early Modern English, brother and its plural brothers were fixed in usage, with the pluralization retaining the regular -s ending. Today, brothers commonly appears in both familial and figurative senses across literature, media, and everyday speech, retaining the root meaning while acquiring broader cultural connotations of camaraderie and shared experience.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "brothers" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "brothers"
-ers sounds
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