Chores is a plural noun referring to tasks or jobs, especially routine household duties. It denotes chores that are often mundane and repetitive, such as cleaning or laundry, rather than leisure activities. In everyday speech, the term is common and neutral, used across informal and semi-formal contexts to describe assigned tasks.
"We spent Saturday morning doing household chores."
"Her chores included washing dishes and taking out the trash."
"The kids helped with their daily chores before dinner."
"I have a long list of chores to finish before the guests arrive."
Chores derives from the noun chore, which traces to the Old French chore, meaning ‘a turn, turn of work,’ and from the Late Latin cora, meaning ‘body or heart’ in some dialects. The sense shift to meaning a routine task arose in English in the 19th century, reflecting the daily, repetitive duties expected within a household. By the 1800s, ‘chores’ was established as the plural of ‘chore,’ denoting various menial tasks one must perform. The word matured in common usage, moving from regional colloquialism to standard English, and today it connotes ordinary household duties rather than formal work. The spelling aligns with the modern pronunciation, with the initial /tʃ/ sound from the ch- digraph and the final /z/ voiced s, typical of plural forms in English. Across dialects, the phonology remains stable, though stress, vowel length, and intonation may shift slightly with rhythm and emphasis in natural speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Chores" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Chores" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Chores"
-res sounds
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Chores is pronounced with a single syllable: /tʃɔrz/ in US and /tʃɔːz/ in UK/AU. Start with the /tʃ/ sound as in ‘chat,’ then the vowel is a mid-back rounded /ɔ/ (your jaw drops and lips round). The final is a voiced /z/ rather than /s/. In rapid speech you may hear a very short vowel and a quick z-sound; keep the /ɔ/ steady to avoid blending into ‘choices.’
Common errors: (1) Using /oʊ/ as in ‘go,’ which lengthens the vowel; use /ɔ/ instead. (2) Ending with /s/ instead of /z/ in connected speech; always voice the final consonant when the preceding sound is voicing. (3) Not rounding the lips enough for /ɔ/ or flattening the lip-rounding, which makes it sound like /ɑ/. To fix: keep the lips rounded and relaxed, voice the final /z/ clearly.
US: /tʃɔrz/ with a rhotic /r/ and a shorter /ɔ/; final /z/. UK/AU: /tʃɔːz/ with a longer /ɔː/ and often non-rhoticity, so the /r/ is less audible or silent before a consonant; final /z/ remains. In Australian speech, you may notice a slightly broader vowel and crisp final consonant, but the /ʒ/ sound is not present here. Overall, vowel length and rhoticity distinguish US from UK/AU for this word.
The difficulty lies in producing the mid-back vowel /ɔ/ clearly, especially for speakers whose L1 vowels differ. The final voiced /z/ requires sustaining voicing through a short consonant cluster after the vowel. English relies on a clear voicing contrast between /z/ and /s/, and many learners produce a devoiced /s/ or a blend. Also, keeping tongue position steady while transitioning from /tʃ/ to /ɔ/ and finally /z/ can be tricky in fast speech.
A unique aspect is that chores is a plural that’s easy to confuse with ‘choice’ in quick speech. Focus on the /dʒ/ vs /tʃ/ distinction? Not applicable here, but ensure you don’t morph /tʃ/ into /dʒ/ and avoid lengthening the vowel into /oʊ/ in some dialects. Keep the /z/ voice and avoid ending with a whispered /s/. Use a light, voiced /z/ that carries through the syllable.
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