One syllable: chords.
kawrdz
/kɔɹdz/
chords is pronounced kawrdz (/kɔɹdz/). It has one syllable (chords), with the stress on "chords". Chords are sets of multiple notes played together in harmony, forming the building blocks of tonal progressions in music. The term also refers to a group or to the instrument's fretboard shapes used to produce these notes. In context, chords can be major, minor, diminished, or augmented, and are essential for conveying mood and musical structure.
Chords are sets of multiple notes played together in harmony, forming the building blocks of tonal progressions in music. The term also refers to a group or to the instrument's fretboard shapes used to produce these notes. In context, chords can be major, minor, diminished, or augmented, and are essential for conveying mood and musical structure.
"The guitarist strummed a bright C major chord."
"In the progression, the IV to I movement uses common-chord changes."
"She played a complex jazz chord voicing that sounded lush."
Chords is pronounced with a single syllable: /tʃɔrdz/ in US and UK. Start with the ch sound /tʃ/ as in 'chop,' then the open-mid back vowel /ɔ/ (similar to 'aw' in 'saw'), and end with the voiced /rdz/ cluster where the r-coloring blends into a z sound. The tongue approximates the alveolar ridge for /r/ and then the voiced /z/. Lip position is relaxed, with the jaw slightly lowered for /ɔ/.
Common errors: 1) Deleting the final /dz/ and saying /tʃɔrd/ (like ‘chord’ without the plural z). Ensure your vocal folds vibrate to voice the /z/. 2) Tilting toward /tʃɔːrdz/ with a long /ː/ in /ɔː/ is common if you overlengthen; keep it short and crisp. 3) Replacing /ɔ/ with a closed /o/ or /ɑ/ in some dialects; aim for the open-mid /ɔ/ vowel. Practice by alternating with ‘short’ and ‘synced’ pairs and emphasize the final z sound.
US/UK/AU share /tʃɔrdz/ in broad terms, but variations exist: US tends to be rhotic and may slightly reduce the /r/ coloring in some dialects; UK non-rhotic varieties may have a weaker r influence, yielding a crisper /d/ before /z/. Australian English typically rhymes with US for /ɔ/ but features a faster cadence and less vowel length distinction. The primary vowels stay /ɔ/ in most accents, but surrounding consonant rounding and linkages can alter perceived quality in connected speech. IPA remains /tʃɔrdz/ across regions, with subtle allophonic differences.
Because of the final consonant cluster /rdz/. English allows a blend of /r/ with a voiced alveolar /d/ followed by /z/, which many learners produce as /rd/ or /dz/ separately without voicing the /z/. The /ɔ/ vowel also requires the open-mid back position, which can be tricky if you’re used to front vowels. Another challenge is avoiding a separate syllabic break before the /z/; keep it as a smooth, single-syllable sequence. Focus on streaming the /r/ into /dz/ for a natural finish.
Chords involves a rare consonant cluster at the end with a voiced fricative plus a stop element; you must maintain voicing through the /z/ while immediately releasing from /r/. Also, learners often confuse with ‘cords’—the only difference is initial vowel cue in length and quality; the trick is crisp, quick articulation of /ɔ/ and seamless transition to /rdz/. This word tests your ability to keep a clean, precise mouth position at the end of a word and to sustain voicing on a short, high-energy final sound.
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- US: Rhoticity means you’ll often hear a stronger /ɹ/ coloration preceding the /d/. Keep your tongue relaxed, tip slightly up; the /ɔ/ stays mid-back, not fronted. - UK: May have less rhotic influence in some accents; the /r/ is often non-velarized and less retroflex. Maintain a clear alveolar release into /dz/. - AU: Similar to US in rhotic pronunciation, but faster syllable timing; keep the /ɔ/ rounded and short, and deliver a tight /dz/ closure. Use IPA cues: /tʃ/ + /ɔː/ (or /ɔ/) + /rdz/ with final voiced /z/. - General: Ensure voicing for /z/, avoid an unvoiced -s ending. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, jaw unstrained, tongue tip near alveolar ridge for /d/ and /z/ separation is minimal. - Practice by slow-to-fast chain: /tʃɔ/ + /rdz/ blended, reduce hiatus, and use linking when in phrases like “the chords in…”
Chord comes from the Old French chorde, from Latin chorda meaning string, line, or gut. The musical sense developed in the 17th century as composers described groups of notes sounded together, akin to stringed instruments where a chord is a simultaneous vibration of multiple strings. The term broadened to include any simultaneous pitch collection, not just three notes, with the modern sense crystallizing in Western theory by the 18th and 19th centuries as harmonic analysis formalized. The root chorda likely derives from Greek kheir, though some scholars trace a Proto-Indo-European root related to strings or cords. Early usage is found in treatises discussing tremolos and polyphony; “chord” appears in English alongside “chordal” in descriptions of voicings and harmony, becoming central to tonal harmony in Western music. First known use in English literature appears in the late 16th to early 17th centuries as musicians formalized harmony concepts in keyboard and lute music, with broader adoption in the 18th century as tuning systems and equal temperament spread. By the 19th and 20th centuries, “chord” entered common musical vocabulary globally, paralleling harmonic analysis’s rise in music theory education. Today, it denotes both the collection of tones sounding together and the practical fingerings used on instruments to produce those tones.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "chords" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "chords" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "chords"
-rds sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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