2 syllables: char, ges. Stress on char.
CHAHR-juhz
/ˈtʃɑɹdʒəz/
charges is pronounced CHAHR-juhz (/ˈtʃɑɹdʒəz/). It has two syllables (char-ges), with the stress on "char". Charges is a plural noun or verb form meaning organized claims for a price or value, or the act of accusing someone in a legal context. It also refers to the fees or costs levied for services, or to electric charges in physics. The word carries stress on the first syllable as a monosyllabic unit in many verbs or as two-syllable in some noun uses, with plural s pronunciation depending on preceding voice. In pronunciation, the final -ges often sounds like /dʒɪz/ or /dʒɪz/ depending on context.
Charges is a plural noun or verb form meaning organized claims for a price or value, or the act of accusing someone in a legal context. It also refers to the fees or costs levied for services, or to electric charges in physics. The word carries stress on the first syllable as a monosyllabic unit in many verbs or as two-syllable in some noun uses, with plural s pronunciation depending on preceding voice. In pronunciation, the final -ges often sounds like /dʒɪz/ or /dʒɪz/ depending on context.
- Mispronouncing final -es as /iːz/ or /eɪz/ instead of /ɪz/. Focus on a short, crisp /ɪ/. - Slurring /tʃ/ into /dʒ/ or not fully releasing the /dʒ/; practice with voice onset timing slightly separated to avoid a blend. - Neglecting the /r/ or /ɹ/ in rhotic accents; for non-rhotic speakers, ensure you still articulate the middle /dʒ/ clearly before the final /ɪz/.
"The company faces multiple charges after the audit."
"They charged the customers a small additional charge for processing fees."
"There are two charges on my credit card that I don’t recognize."
Say it as CH-ARJ-IZ in phonetic terms: /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/ for US/UK; the initial sound is the tʃ as in chair, then the /ɑːr/ or /ɑːɹ/ nucleus, followed by the /dʒ/ as in judge and the final /ɪz/ or /ɪz/. Stress is on CHARG-, one syllable for verb or noun in many contexts. You can listen to /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/ on pronunciation resources; pay attention to the vowel quality of /ɑː/ and the tight lip rounding of /dʒ/.
Two common errors: mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /tʃ/ or /dʒ/ as /z/; and vowel shortening the /ɑː/ before the /r/. Correct by keeping a clear /dʒ/ sound and sliding into a stable /ɑː/ before /r/; ensure the final /ɪz/ is not /ɪzɪ/ or /əz/. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘charges’ vs ‘charries’ (if used) and listen for the “-rj” linkage.”
US: rhotic /r/ after the vowel, /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/ with clear /ɹ/; UK: non-rhotic or slightly rhotic depending on region, /ˈtʃɑːdʒɪz/ with lighter r; AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel quality and more reduced /ɪ/; all share /tʃ/ onset and /dʒ/ in the middle but rhoticity and vowel length vary.
The difficulty sits in the /tʃ/ + /dʒ/ sequence and the postvocalic /ɹ/ or lack thereof in non-rhotic accents. Also, the final /ɪz/ can elide in fast speech, turning into /ɪz/ or /əz/. Mastery requires clear articulation of /tʃ/ then the palatal /dʒ/ glide, and maintaining voicing contrast in the final –s.
Focus on isolating the /dʒ/ sound in ‘charges’ by producing /tʃ/ then a brief voimable release into /dʒ/. This keeps the two consonant sounds distinct while forming the /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/. Visualize the tongue position: the blade of the tongue for /tʃ/ rises to touch the palate, then quickly moves to /dʒ/ with the back of the tongue increasing its contact for the palatal-j sound.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/, longer /ɑː/ in /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/; keep lips rounded for /ɹ/ transition before /dʒ/. - UK: non-rhotic often; light /r/; shorter /ɑː/ and more lax /ɪ/ in final; maintain clear /dʒ/ with slightly forward tongue. - AU: similar to UK with slight vowel openness; pronounce /tʃɑːdʒɪz/ with more relaxed jaw, watch the glide between /tʃ/ and /dʒ/.
Charges comes from the Old French charge, from Latin carricare ‘to load, burden,’ from carrus ‘cart.’ The noun sense of burden or load in English emerged by the 13th century, later extending to fees and formal accusations. The verb form to charge originates from the same Latin root carricare and from Old French charger, with senses of loading, burdening, and demanding payment. In legal usage, charge as an accusation traces to late Middle English, adopting the sense of indictment or accusation. Phonologically, English developed the final -ges from -ge with a voiced postalveolar fricative and the /dʒ/ onset in ‘charge,’ which influences plural pronunciation (charges /tʃɑːrdʒɪz/ vs /tʃɑːr.dʒɘz/ in rapid speech). First known uses appear in medieval legal and financial texts, with semantic expansion into modern criminal charges, billing charges, and physical electrical charges as science terminology. Over time, the word’s versatility reflects social, commercial, and scientific domains, making it a common site of pronunciation focus due to the final -ges cluster and the voice onset time of /dʒ/.
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Words that rhyme with "charges"
-ges sounds
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