One syllable: cares.
/ˈkɝz/
Say it backCares is the third-person singular present tense and plural noun form of care. As a verb, it means to have regard or interest, or to feel concern; as a noun in the plural, it signals things one is concerned about or services provided. Pronounced with a single stressed syllable and a final /z/ sound, it sits naturally in casual to formal contexts depending on surrounding words.
"She cares deeply about her family and friends."
"The nurse cares for patients with gentle attention."
"What do you care about most in this project?"
Pronounce it as /keərz/ (US) or /keəz/ (UK/AU). The initial consonant is a hard /k/ bite, followed by a tense mid-front vowel /eə/ that glides into a clear final /z/. The stress is on the single syllable; it’s a closed monosyllable with a voiced final consonant. Keep the mouth relaxed, and finish with a crisp /z/ for a clean ending.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /kerz/ with a front lax vowel, or merging the /r/ and /l/ sounds by saying /ke arz/ or /kerz/ without the correct mid diphthong. The fix: ensure the vowel is a true /eə/ or /eɚ/ depending on accent, and voice the final /z/ clearly. Practice by isolating /keər/ then add the final /z/ distinctly.
In US English, you’ll hear /keərz/ with rhotic r and a clear /r/ before the vowel glide. In many UK accents, it’s /keəz/ with a non-rhotic tendency and a more centralized /ə/ quality; the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. Australian English tends toward /keəz/ with a slight vowel widening; the /r/ is usually not pronounced in final position unless linked to a following vowel. The vowel quality shifts subtly by speaker.
The challenge lies in nailing the diphthong /eə/ (or /eɚ/) and the voiced final /z/ in rapid speech. Some speakers compress to /kerz/ or drop rounding, which changes meaning. Tension in the jaw can create a rattling /r/ or an over-enunciated /eɪ/. Focus on a steady, mid-front vowel glide and a crisp voiceless-to-voiced endpoint transition for accuracy.
Tip: pair the /eə/ with a clean /z/. Start by saying 'care' with the long diphthong, then add a final z by lightly voicing as you tip the tongue toward the alveolar ridge. Keep lips unrounded but relaxed; in rapid speech you may hear a reduced vowel before z, but maintain a clear /z/ to prevent confusion with 'caes' or 'cares' variants.
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Cares comes from the verb care, which traces to the Old Northern French carer, later from the Latin cura meaning 'care, concern, anxiety, charge'. In Middle English, care shifted to include the sense of 'to feel anxious or concerned about' and as a noun, the state of mind associated with that concern. The third-person singular verb form cares appeared as English verbs inflected for subject agreement, preserving the final /s/ in normal phonology after a voiced preceding consonant cluster. The noun sense of 'cares' as multiple matters of concern evolved with usage in literature and religious writing, where 'cares' meant duties or charges. By Early Modern English, care as a concept broadened to include acts of looking after others (as in caregiving), later expanding to general concern in everyday life. The word's core meaning—concern, regard, or charge—remains stable across centuries, with the inflected form 'cares' simply marking subject-verb agreement or plural existence of 'cares' in modern usage.
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Help others use "cares" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "cares" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "cares" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "cares"
-res sounds
-irs sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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