2 syllables: con, ducts. Stress on ducts.
kuhn-DUHKTS
/kəˈndʌkts/
conducts is pronounced kuhn-DUHKTS (/kəˈndʌkts/). It has two syllables (con-ducts), with the stress on "ducts". Conducts is the third-person singular present tense of conduct, meaning to direct or organize activities, or the act of guiding an electrical current through a medium. In noun form it can refer to a person who directs an event or the action of leading a group. Pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, it blends /kənˈdʌkts/ or /ˈkɒndəts/ depending on accent and meaning.
Conducts is the third-person singular present tense of conduct, meaning to direct or organize activities, or the act of guiding an electrical current through a medium. In noun form it can refer to a person who directs an event or the action of leading a group. Pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, it blends /kənˈdʌkts/ or /ˈkɒndəts/ depending on accent and meaning.
- You’ll hear and feel the first syllable as /kən/ (unstressed). Don’t over-articulate it; keep it relaxed. - The second syllable should be /ˈdʌk/ with a short, sharp /d/ and an unreleased or lightly released /t/ into /s/. Don’t turn it into /dʌkt/ or /dəˈkɒn/ by vocalizing the /t/ too long. - Final cluster should be crisp: /kɪts/ is less correct; aim for /kts/ with a clean, quick release. - Some speakers insert a schwa before /t/: (kən-də- kts); avoid extra syllables; practice with minimal pairs. - In fast speech, you may reduce the first vowel to a nearly silent schwa; this is normal, but practice maintaining the /k/ and /t/ clarity to avoid mishearing.
"The orchestra conducts with a precise baton technique."
"He conducts the experiment under strict safety protocols."
"The manager conducts weekly briefings for the team."
Phonetically, /kənˈdʌkts/ in US/UK/AU. The first syllable is unstressed with a schwa or near‑schwa /kən/. The secondary stressed syllable centers on /dʌk/ with the consonant cluster /k/ followed by /t/ and /s/. Make sure the /t/ has a light release into the final /s/; avoid t-voicing. Tip: the vowel in the stressed syllable sounds like the 'cup' vowel. Audio references: consult Cambridge or Oxford pronunciations and Forvo entries for regional variants.
Common errors: (1) misplacing the stress, trying to stress the first syllable too strongly; (2) replacing /dʌk/ with /duːk/ or /dəˈkɪ/ leading to /kənˈduːkts/; (3) over-voicing the final cluster /t/ or inserting an extra vowel. Correction: keep /kən/ unstressed, stress the second syllable as /ˈdʌk/; ensure final /t/ is released into /s/, not a separate syllable. Auditory cues: practice the two-syllable rhythm and lightly audible final /ts/.
In US/UK/AU, the word is generally /kənˈdʌkts/. Differences: rhotic accents (US) keep /r/ only where applicable, but here not relevant. UK might have shorter /ɒ/ if the underlying sense is /ˈkɒndʌks/ in certain dialects; however standard RP remains /kənˈdʌkts/. Australian English typically matches US/UK with minor vowel lengthening in some speakers. The key accent-shaping features are vowel quality in /ə/ vs /ɒ/ in different contexts and non-rhotic tendencies; final cluster /t/ may be unreleased in rapid speech. IPA as reference: US /kənˈdʌkts/, UK /kənˈdʌkts/, AU /kənˈdʌkts/.
The difficulty stems from the consonant cluster /dʌkts/ at the end and the short, unstressed first syllable. Pronouncing a crisp /t/ before /s/ without an extra vowel is tricky; the transition from /k/ to /t/ must be clean, not an intrusive vowel. Also, the second syllable bears the primary stress, which can be overlooked when speaking quickly. Focus on a tight tongue for /d/ and /k/, then a quick, light release into /ts/.
Yes, the /t/ followed by /s/ cluster often yields an affricate-like release [ts] rather than a simple /t/ plus /s/. This can sound almost like a single affricate in careful speech. The exact articulation is a crisp, single release: /t/ with a following /s/; keep the tongue touching the alveolar ridge momentarily to avoid a slurred ending. IPA: /kənˈdʌkts/.
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- US: rhotic, but /r/ is not involved here; focus on consonant clarity. - UK: less vowel length in the unstressed syllable; maintain neutral /ə/; final /t/ may be lightly released. - AU: often similar to US, with slight vowel shifting; keep the second syllable as /ˈdʌk/ and release into /ts/. IPA reminders: /kənˈdʌkts/ across dialects; watch vowel quality in the first syllable.
The word conduct derives from the Latin conducere, meaning to bring or lead together, from con- (together) and ducere (to lead). In late Middle English, the word transitioned through Old French conduire and conduct, maintaining the sense of guiding, directing, or leading. The form conducts (third-person singular) emerged as verbs required inflection to agree with its subject. Historically, the semantic range broadened from “to guide” to “to direct behavior” (conducting oneself) and to technical senses, such as conducting electricity—where the noun or verb indicates the appropriate or allowed passage of current. First known uses date back to the 14th to 15th centuries in English, with scientific and orchestral contexts appearing by the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively. The current dual use as directing behavior and physical conduction reflects the root sense of bringing elements together under a guide or path. In contemporary English, conducts frequently appears in formal discourse (legal, technical, academic) and daily speech, and its pronunciation shifts subtly with meaning and regional accent, especially in the second syllable vowel quality and final consonant cluster.
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Words that rhyme with "conducts"
-cts sounds
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