3 syllables: com, mit, tees. Stress on mit.
kuh-MIT-eez
/kəˈmɪtiz/
committees is pronounced kuh-MIT-eez (/kəˈmɪtiz/). It has three syllables (com-mit-tees), with the stress on "mit". Committees refers to groups of people convened to deliberate, decide, or oversee particular matters. It can also denote the act of forming such groups. The term is typically used in formal, organizational, or governmental contexts, and often appears in discussions of governance, policy, or corporate structure. It combines a plural noun with a suffix indicating a body or collection.
Committees refers to groups of people convened to deliberate, decide, or oversee particular matters. It can also denote the act of forming such groups. The term is typically used in formal, organizational, or governmental contexts, and often appears in discussions of governance, policy, or corporate structure. It combines a plural noun with a suffix indicating a body or collection.
"The committee meetings will start at 9 a.m."
"Three new committees were formed to review the proposal."
"She joined several committees to influence policy."
Phoneme-by-phoneme: /kəˈmɪt.iːz/ in many accents, with primary stress on the second syllable. Syllables: kuh-MIT-tees. Begin with an unstressed schwa /kə/ followed by a stressed /ˈmɪt/ and a final /iːz/ or /iːz/ depending on speed. In careful speech you’ll hear three distinct syllables; in fast speech, the middle vowel remains clear while the final may be slightly shortened to /-tiz/. Use full mouth opening for /mɪt/ and ensure the final /iːz/ is light but audible. Audio reference: listen to careful enunciation in reputable dictionaries like Cambridge or Oxford online pronunciations.
Two common mistakes: 1) Reducing to two syllables by swallowing the middle vowel (co-MIT-tees instead of kuh-MIT-tees). 2) Mixing up the final -tees with -tids or rushing the /z/ so it sounds like /s/. Correction: maintain three syllables with a distinct /t/ before the final /iːz/; articulate a crisp /t/ and ensure the /iː/ is not reduced. Practice saying slow: /kəˈmɪt.iːz/ and then speed up to natural tempo while keeping the /iːz/ clear.
US: rhotic influence on surrounding vowels, but /kəˈmɪt.iːz/ remains similar; UK: non-rhotic is not a factor in this word, still /kəˈmɪt.iːz/. AU: tends to be nasalized slightly and may show more vowel reduction in rapid speech, but the sequence remains kuh-MIT-tees with final /iːz/. In all, stress remains on the second syllable; the main variance is vowel length and quality of /ɪ/ and the final /iːz/ realization under tempo.
Difficulty arises from the three-syllable sequence with a mid-stressed vowel in the middle and a final sibilant cluster /tiz/. The transition between /t/ and /iː/ can blur in fast speech, and the /iː/ can reduce in casual speech, turning into /ɪ/ or /i/; also, the preceding schwa /ə/ can be weak in rapid delivery. Focus on a crisp /t/ before the final /iːz/ and keep the middle /ɪ/ distinct to preserve the three-syllable rhythm.
A unique feature is the transitional /t/ cluster before the /iːz/ in /ˈmɪt.iːz/. In careful speech you’ll clearly hear /t/ as a hard stop before the glide into /iːz/. If you convert to a more reduced form in rapid speech, you may approach /-tiz/; practicing the full form helps you maintain formality and intelligibility in professional settings.
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Committee comes from the Old French word comitè, itself from late Latin comitāre, meaning ‘to accompany, attend, or join with’. The root com- means ‘together’, and -ittee derives from Latin -it- or -itus in the sense of ‘sat, accompanying body’. The sense shifted in Middle English to refer to a group of people assigned to a specific task, especially in governance or organizational contexts. First known use in English dates to the 14th century, arising in bureaucratic and ecclesiastical administration. Over time, the plural form committees emerged to describe multiple such bodies; the word maintained its sense as a collective noun governing decisions or oversight. The modern usage frequently collocates with governance, policy, corporate governance, and legislative processes, reflecting its enduring role in formal decision-making architectures.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "committees" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "committees"
-ngs sounds
-ing sounds
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