One syllable: cons.
kahnz
/kɑnz/
cons is pronounced kahnz (/kɑnz/). It has one syllable (cons), with the stress on "cons". Cons is the plural noun or verb form of the verb 'to con.' As a noun, it refers to arguments or reasons against something, or negative aspects; as a verb, it means to deceive or swindle. In most contexts, it functions as a short, clipped plural noun or third-person singular verb form. The word is brief, often used in casual debate or reporting on scams and criticisms.
Cons is the plural noun or verb form of the verb 'to con.' As a noun, it refers to arguments or reasons against something, or negative aspects; as a verb, it means to deceive or swindle. In most contexts, it functions as a short, clipped plural noun or third-person singular verb form. The word is brief, often used in casual debate or reporting on scams and criticisms.
"The cons outweighed the pros in the proposal, so we paused the deal."
"Some of the cons of online schooling include reduced social interaction and self-discipline challenges."
"He cons people by pretending to be a charity worker, which is illegal."
Pronounce it as /kɒnz/ (British and General US). Start with the hard /k/ stop, open the jaw to produce the short /ɒ/ (as in 'lot'), then end with the voiced nasal /nz/ cluster. The final /z/ is produced with vibrating vocal cords continuing from the /n/. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /nz/; in fast speech it may sound like /kɒnz/ with a quick, almost single-syllable ending. IPA reference: US /kɑnz/ or /kɒnz/ depending on accent. Mouth position: back tongue high for /k/, open-mid for /ɒ/ or /ɑ/, tip against alveolar ridge for /n/ and /z/.
Two common errors: (1) Replacing /nz/ with a simple /n/ or /z/—pronounce the final cluster clearly as /nz/ to avoid a dull ending. (2) Flattening the /ɒ/ to a schwa like /kəz/; keep the short rounded /ɒ/ (or /ɑ/ in US) sound. To correct: practice slow, ensure the tongue curls slightly for /n/ and produces a voiced /z/ immediately after; then blend /ŋ/ not appropriate here. Focus on a tight nearness of tongue to the alveolar ridge for /n/ and preserve voicing for /z/.
In US and UK, the initial is /k/, with /ɒ/ (US often /ɑ/) and the final /nz/ cluster; US tends to a back lax /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on region. Australian English often uses a more open /ɒ/ or /ɒː/ depending on the speaker; rhoticity is generally not affecting this word since it ends with a consonant. The main difference lies in the vowel: UK /kɒnz/ vs US /kɑnz/ or /kɒnz/; Australians may have a slightly broader /ɒ/ or closer to /ɔ/. The final /nz/ is typically the same in all three, but may be realized as a flapped /z/ in fast speech.
The challenge is the consonant cluster /nz/ at the end, which requires precise vocal fold vibration to voice /z/ while maintaining nasal /n/. Additionally, the short, compact vowel /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ demands a quick, compact mouth position without resorting to a schwa. In rapid speech, speakers may devoice /z/ or reduce the vowel, making it sound like /kɔnz/ or /kars/; focus on keeping the /n/ and /z/ tightly connected with a brief vowel. IPA cues strengthen accuracy and stabilize rhythm.
A unique aspect is maintaining the full /nz/ voicing even when the word is deemphasized or reduced in fast dialogue. Some speakers may voice the final /z/ less distinctly, effectively merging it with a light /s/ sound in casual speech. Paying attention to voicing and the transition from alveolar /n/ to /z/ helps keep the word clear in rapid delivery. Practicing the /nz/ cluster with minimal pairs can sharpen this aspect.
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US: rhotic, broader /ɹ/ influence, vowel commonly /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ depending on region; UK: shorter /ɒ/ with precise /nz/; AU: vowel /ɒ/ tends to more open; all share final /nz/; ensure the tongue tip taps /n/ and stays close to alveolar ridge, final /z/ vibrates with controlled voicing. IPA references: US /kɑnz/, UK /kɒnz/, AU /kɒnz/. Focus on maintaining short, clipped onset with compact vowel and a crisp but audible /nz/.
The word cons originates from the Latin con- meaning 'together' but here emerges from the verb con, meaning to deceive, which in turn comes from the Latin convincere ‘to convict, to overcome by argument.’ The sense shift for con to describe deceit is attested in early modern English, around the 15th-17th centuries, with reduplication and collapse of syllables common in colloquial forms (e.g., ‘pros and cons’). The phrase pros and cons reaches widespread literary usage in the 18th century, with con primarily representing the negative or adverse sides. The noun 'con' as a deceit or trick also appears in the 18th-19th centuries and becomes common in journalism and legal contexts. The plural 'cons' thus inherits both senses: the disadvantages of something and the acts of deceivers understood in broader discourse. First known use of 'cons' in this sense traces to rhetorical debates and investigative writing where 'cons' contrasted with 'pros' as shorthand for arguments opposed to a proposition. Over time, 'cons' expanded to casual discourse, policy analysis, and media reporting on scams and frauds, preserving its compact, easily uttered form in everyday English.
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Words that rhyme with "cons"
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