2 syllables: church, es. Stress on church.
CHUR-chiz
/ˈtʃɝtʃɪz/
churches is pronounced CHUR-chiz (/ˈtʃɝtʃɪz/). It has two syllables (church-es), with the stress on "church". Churches refers to plural buildings used for Christian public worship. The word combines church + -es, indicating more than one church. In modern usage, it often denotes a religious community or the physical places where services occur, and it appears frequently in discussions of religion, history, and local geography.
Churches refers to plural buildings used for Christian public worship. The word combines church + -es, indicating more than one church. In modern usage, it often denotes a religious community or the physical places where services occur, and it appears frequently in discussions of religion, history, and local geography.
"We visited three churches on our historical tour."
"The churches in this town vary in architectural style."
"Several churches collaborated to fund the new community center."
Pronunciation: /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/ in General American; /ˈtʃɜːtʃɪz/ in many UK contexts; /ˈt͡ʃɜːtʃɪz/ in Australian as well. Primary stress on FIRST syllable CHUR, followed by schwa-like /ɪ/ in the second syllable, with plural -es sounding as /-ɪz/. Mouth: start with /tʃ/ (tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth, lips rounded slightly), move to /ɜː/ (mid-back vowel with relaxed jaw), then /tʃ/ again for the second syllable onset, and finish with /ɪz/ (short i) for the plural ending. You’ll hear a quick, light secondary link between syllables in natural speech.
Common errors include pronouncing the first syllable as ‘ch-urch’ with a clear /ɪ/ vowel (like church + -es), or misplacing the /r/ after the /ɜː/ in non-rhotic varieties. Correction: ensure the first syllable is /tʃɜːr/ (American: rhotic r is pronounced), then smoothly transition to /tʃɪz/ or /tʃɪz/ for the plural; avoid inserting an extra syllable or changing /ɜː/ to /ə/. Practicing the sequence CHUR-chiz with a single, compact schwa-like /ɪ/ after /tʃɜː/ helps consistency.
In US English, /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/ with rhotic /r/, a longer /ɜː/ and clear /ɪ/ before /z/. In UK English, /ˈtʃɜːtʃɪz/ often with non-rhoticity in some dialects, making the /r/ less pronounced or silent before a following consonant. Australian English typically aligns with UK spelling but features broader vowel quality, with /ˈt͡ʃɜːt͡ʃɪz/ and variable rhoticity. Key differences are rhotic consonants and vowel length, which subtly shifts the central vowel quality.
The difficulty lies in transitioning from /tʃ/ to /ɜː/ and the fast cluster at the end /tʃɪz/ in connected speech. The /ɜː/ vowel is a tense mid-central vowel that can be challenging for non-native speakers, and the final /z/ or /s/ sound must be voiced properly after a tense vowel cluster. Coarticulation with the following word can also blur the /tʃ/ + /tʃ/ sequence. Regular practice helps you stabilize the jaw and tongue positions for a clean, accurate blend.
There is no silent letter in churches. All letters contribute to the pronunciation: CH-UR-CH-ES where the final -es renders the /ɪz/ sound. The confusion often comes from rapid speech where the /ɜː/ might be reduced toward a central schwa in quick speech, but articulatorily you still pronounce /ˈtʃɜːtʃɪz/.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /r/ in /tʃɜːr/. Ensure strong but not overly rolled /ɹ/. - UK: often non-rhotic for some speakers; you may hear subtle lack of /r/; keep /tʃɜːtʃɪz/ with a broad /ɜː/. - AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel qualities; maintain /ˈtʃɜːtʃɪz/. IPA references: US /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/, UK /ˈtʃɜːtʃɪz/, AU /ˈt͡ʃɜːtʃɪz/. Focus on keeping /tʃ/ + /ɜː/ smoothly connected and short /ɪ/ before /z/.
The plural form churches derives from the Old English word cyrc, later cirice (church), from Proto-Germanic *kirikō, itself from the Greek kyriakē (of the Lord, belonging to the Lord, related to kyrios 'lord'). The Old English term wæs addresed with -es pluralization in Middle English to form churches, mirroring the pattern of adding -es to nouns ending in -ch or -s sounds. The core semantic field has always centered on a place of worship for Christians. Over centuries, churches evolved from simple prayer houses to architecturally elaborate structures, with names reflecting denominations or geographic locations. The sense of “churches” as a community or organization emerged alongside town life, where the church served as a social hub as well as a spiritual center. First known uses appear in Old English and Early Middle English texts, with standardized spelling in later medieval manuscripts, aligning with the broader shift in English spelling toward -es pluralization after a vowel-consonant sequence. In modern English, “churches” remains a stable, regular plural noun that also anchors phrases like “evangelical churches,” “ancient churches,” and “churches across the region.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "churches" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "churches"
-ies sounds
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