2 syllables: caus, es. Stress on caus.
/ˈkɔːzɪz/
Say it backCauses is the third-person singular present tense form and noun plural of cause. As a verb, it means to bring about, produce, or bring into existence; as a noun, it refers to reasons or grounds for something. In context, it can indicate the origin of an effect or event, or it can denote responsible factors in a discussion or argument.
"The new policy causes a shift in consumer behavior."
"Many environmental factors are the causes of climate change."
"The committee identified several causes for the delay in the project."
Pronounce as /ˈkɔːzɪz/ in US/UK speech. The primary syllable is stressed: CAUZ-iz. Start with a voiceless velar plosive /k/, followed by stretched open-mid back vowel /ɔː/, then the voiced z /z/, and end with a short schwa-like /ɪ/ before a final /z/. In faster speech, the middle may reduce slightly, but keep the /z/ sound distinct. Reference audio on Pronounce or Cambridge dictionary for confirmation.
Common mistakes: (1) Slurring the final /z/ or not clearly voicing /z/—ensure the /z/ is voiced, not a /s/. (2) Reducing /ɔː/ to a shorter /ɔ/—maintain a longer open-mid back vowel for the stressed syllable. (3) Mixing with /k/ or /ˌkɔːzɪz/ confusion with ‘cause’ vs ‘causes’ endings in rapid speech. Practice by isolating the gusto of /ɔː/ and then releasing into /zɪz/ to prevent vowel truncation.
In US and UK, the initial /k/ and /ɔː/ are consistent, but vowel length and rhoticity affect quality. US often uses rhotic /ɹ/ in related forms, but /ˈkɔːzɪz/ remains similar; UK tends to a pure /ɔː/ without rhoticity in sequences. In Australian English, /ɔː/ can be slightly broader and may be followed by a reduced /zɪz/ with less emphasis on final syllables due to faster tempo. Overall, settlement is /ˈkɔːzɪz/ with slight vowel shift and linking differences.
The difficulty centers on the transition from the long /ɔː/ vowel to the voiced /z/ cluster, and the final /ɪz/ or /ɪz/ sequence which can blur in fast speech. Learners often mispronounce the final cluster by devoicing the /z/ or merging /zɪz/ into a single /z/. Also, keeping the primary stress on the first syllable while ensuring the /z/ remains clearly voiced requires precise timing and breath control. IPA cues: /ˈkɔːzɪz/ for most dialects.
Focus on the final -es ending, which carries a voiced /z/ in this word, unlike some {-es} endings that are /ɪz/ or /əz/ depending on the preceding consonant. The pair of rhymes and the plosive-to-z transition in /k/ to /z/ creates a paired movement: the tongue starts high on /k/, drops to /ɔː/, closes with /z/, and continues to /ɪz/. Mastery involves accurate pre-voicing of /z/ and clean /ɪ/ before the final /z/.
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Cause comes from the Latin causam, meaning motive or reason, via the Old French word cause. The sense of bringing about or producing originated in the late Middle English period, influenced by the English verb to cause, which entered around the 14th century. The root caus- traces to the Latin word causa, meaning a reason, motive, or more generally a legal cause. Early uses framed causes in legal and philosophical discourse, related to arguments of why something happened or should happen. Over time, the term broadened in everyday language to include factors that lead to outcomes, not only legal or ethical grounds. By the modern era, causes could refer to empirical or abstract factors (e.g., social causes, medical causes). This multi-domain usage persists today, with noun and verb forms used across science, policy, and rhetoric to denote relation, responsibility, and motive. The word maintains a strong link to causation concepts in logic, science, and everyday explanation, and it remains a staple in academic and public discourse for framing explanations, arguments, and discussions of responsibility.
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Words that rhyme with "causes"
-ses sounds
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