One syllable: coos.
koos
/kus/
coos is pronounced koos (/kus/). It has one syllable (coos), with the stress on "coos". Coos is the plural of the soft, murmured vocalizations typically produced by infants or birds, often conveying affection or contentment. In human speech, it can function as a gentle, elongated vowel sound or a reduplicated, endearing utterance. The term also appears in descriptions of quiet, comforting sounds in nature or domestic settings.
Coos is the plural of the soft, murmured vocalizations typically produced by infants or birds, often conveying affection or contentment. In human speech, it can function as a gentle, elongated vowel sound or a reduplicated, endearing utterance. The term also appears in descriptions of quiet, comforting sounds in nature or domestic settings.
"The mother leaned in and made gentle coos to soothe her baby."
"Pigeons and doves coo in a soft, repetitive murmur when perched."
"The cat curled up and let out gentle coos as the sun warmed its fur."
Pronounce as /kuːz/ in US/UK/AU accents. Start with the hard k sound /k/, then the long close back vowel /uː/ as in 'goose', followed by the voiced sibilant /z/. The main challenge is maintaining a long, steady /uː/ while transitioning to /z/—keep the lips rounded during /uː/ and soften the tongue for /z/ without voicing pressure loss. IPA: /kuːz/.
Common errors include shortening the /uː/ to a short /u/ or /ʊ/ (coz) and mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ in voiceless contexts. Another frequent mistake is losing the initial plosive closure, producing /t/ or /g/ instead of /k/. Correction: ensure a clear aspirated /k/ release, then hold the /uː/ long and relax the tongue before voicing the /z/. Practice minimal pairs like kitchen/koosh to isolate the long vowel and end z.
In US, UK, and AU, the target remains /kuːz/, with minor tempo differences. US tends to be slightly flatter vowel height with a crisp /z/; UK often maintains a slightly closer /uː/ quality and may sound marginally more rounded, while AU can exhibit a more centralized tongue posture leading to a subtly shorter vowel duration in casual speech. All share rhoticity absence/presence depending on context, but the core phonemes stay the same: /k/ + /uː/ + /z/.
The difficulty lies in maintaining a long, tense /uː/ vowel while rapidly transitioning to a voiced alveolar fricative /z/. The lips must round for /uː/ and then move to a narrower mouth for /z/ without letting the vowel shorten. Beginners often shorten /uː/ or produce a whispered /z/, which weakens the word. Practicing slow, deliberate articulation before speed helps stabilize the vowel length and voicing.
Yes in standard pronunciations, the 'oo' sequence in coos corresponds to the long close back rounded vowel /uː/. It’s not a diphthong in this word; the vowel remains relatively steady throughout, though natural speech can introduce a slight centering or reduction in rapid speech. Emphasize a steady, undulating but long /uː/ before the /z/ to maintain natural cadence.
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US: maintain a strong, clear /uː/ with rounded lips, then a voiced /z/; slight flapping or aspiration is rare. UK: maybe a marginally tighter /uː/ with less lip rounding; AU: more centralized vowel and slightly shorter duration in casual speech. IPA frames: /kuːz/ across accents; focus on consistent length and voiced end. Short vowels or devoicing are errors to avoid.
The word coos originates from the verb coo, imitative of the soft, murmuring sound birds (notably pigeons and doves) make. The earliest English usage captured gentle, soothing sounds and affectionate expressions—an onomatopoeic formation that mirrors the sonority of the sound itself. In Middle English, coo referred to both the sound and to speak in a soft, gentle tone. Over time, the noun plural form coos emerged to denote multiple instances or varieties of these soft sounds, applicable to human baby-directed vocalizations and avian murmurs alike. The semantic range broadened to include any tender, comforting utterance—especially in literary contexts—where the emphasis is on warmth, care, and calm. By the 19th and 20th centuries, coos frequently appeared in poetry and prose to evoke intimate, soothing atmospheres, while in modern usage it also serves as a neutral descriptive term for quiet, affectionate vocalizations in both people and birds. First known uses appear in English texts from the late medieval period, with clear onomatopoeic associations corroborated by phonetic spellings and rhymes typical of that era."
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "coos" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "coos" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "coos"
-ots sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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