3 syllables: co, in, cides. Stress on cides.
koh-in-SEYEDZ
/ˌkoʊɪˈnsaɪdz/
coincides is pronounced koh-in-SEYEDZ (/ˌkoʊɪˈnsaɪdz/). It has three syllables (co-in-cides), with the stress on "cides". Coincides is a verb meaning to occur at the same time or to correspond in type or position. In usage, it often describes events that share the same moment or elements that align with one another. The term carries a formal to neutral register, commonly found in analysis, reporting, and academic writing.
Coincides is a verb meaning to occur at the same time or to correspond in type or position. In usage, it often describes events that share the same moment or elements that align with one another. The term carries a formal to neutral register, commonly found in analysis, reporting, and academic writing.
- You might pronounce /koʊˈɪnsaɪdz/ too slowly, causing the rhythm to feel choppy. Work on keeping the middle /ɪn/ tight and the /saɪdz/ crisp. - Some speakers reduce the /ɪ/ in /ɪn/ too much, blending into /kəɪnsaɪdz/; aim for a short, clean /ɪ/. - The final /dz/ can become a simple /z/ in fast speech; practice sustaining the /d/ briefly as you release into /z/ to maintain the affricate quality.
"The two conferences coincides with the holiday period, making travel difficult."
"Her birthday and the charity drive coincide this year, increasing participation."
"The shapes of the two objects coincide when aligned perfectly."
Pronunciation: /koʊˈɪn.saɪdz/ (US/keyboard-friendly). Break it into two main syllables after the initial co-: ko-in-sides with the primary stress on the second syllable, which carries the /ˈɪn/ portion. The final -cides ends with /saɪdz/. Your mouth starts with a rounded /koʊ/ and quickly moves to the diphthong /aɪ/ in /saɪdz/. Keep the /z/ voiced, not a /s/; the ending is /dz/ as in 'lazed.' Audio reference: you’ll hear the stress on the 'in' and the 'sides' sound clearly in most natural speech.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing stress, saying /koʊˈɪnsɪdz/ with the 'in' or 'sid' less prominent; keep stress on the /ɪn/ cluster. 2) Slurring the /d/ before /z/, producing /-dz/ as a dull /-z/; ensure a crisp /dz/ pronunciation. 3) Overly neutralizing the final /dz/ to /z/ in rapid speech; maintain the voiced affricate consonant. Correction tips: practice with the minimal pair 'coincide' vs 'coincides' to feel the extra /z/; exaggerate the /d/ briefly in isolation, then blend into fluent speech.
US: /koʊˈɪn.saɪdz/ with strong rhoticity and rounded /oʊ/ initial; UK: /ˌkəʊɪnˈsaɪdz/ with stronger, faster /əʊ/ initial and non-rhotic rhythm; AU: /ˈkəɪnˌsaɪdz/ or /ˈkoɪnsaɪdz/, often reduced first vowel, similar to UK but with Australian vowel merging tendencies. The main stress remains on the second syllable; vowel quality in the first vowel varies by accent, as does the tempo and linking between syllables.
Difficulty stems from the cluster -in-sides, where /ɪ/ transitions into /saɪ/ and ends with /dz/. The sequence /n/ before a voiced alveolar affricate /dz/ can blur in fluent speech; many speakers reduce the /ɪ/ or the /s/ leading to /ɪnsaɪdz/ sounding like /ɪnsɪdz/. Focused practice on the /ɪn/ + /saɪdz/ boundary, keeping the /d/ audible before /z/, clarifies the ending and reinforces the correct syllabic rhythm.
A unique feature is the transition from /ɪn/ to /saɪ/ across syllable boundary, creating a three-sound glide into a final voiced affricate. The stress pattern places emphasis on the second syllable, affecting vowel length and consonant clarity. The /z/ at the end should be voiced; in careful speech you’ll hear a brief /dz/ release. The word links naturally in phrases like 'coincides with' where tempo can slightly reduce unstressed syllables.
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- US: Rhotic /r/ is not a factor here, but you’ll notice a stronger/darker /oʊ/ in the initial. Keep the vowel rounded and then move to the bright /aɪ/ in /saɪdz/. - UK: Non-rhotic flow; the first vowel may be closer to /əʊ/ and less boxy; maintain a crisp, audible /d/ before /z/. - AU: Tends toward reduced pre-tonic vowels; ensure you preserve the /ɪ/ quality in the second syllable and clearly release the /dz/ at the end. IPA references help you verify vowel length and lip rounding.
Coincides comes from the Latin co- ‘together’ + incidere ‘to fall upon, come to happen.’ The form develops from Latin coincidere, literally ‘to fall together,’ itself from com- ‘together’ and incidere ‘to cut or to fall upon’ in a figurative sense of events falling together. In English, the noun coincidence (from the same root) emerged in the 15th century, with the verb coincides appearing later to express simultaneous occurrence or alignment. Throughout its evolution, the core sense remained anchored in pairing or aligning events, ideas, or positions, eventually extending to mathematical or logical alignments in scholarly language. The pronunciation stabilized in modern English, with the third-person singular form coincides and the base verb coincide sharing the same phonetic core, while the final -es provides the standard third-person singular and pluralized verb form in written English. First known use in English traces to Middle English texts that borrowed the Latin-root concept, then increasingly absorbed into scientific and analytical prose during the 18th and 19th centuries as systematic study and observation demanded precise alignment terminology.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "coincides" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "coincides"
-des sounds
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