One syllable: Corps.
kawr
/kɔɹ/
Corps is pronounced kawr (/kɔɹ/). It has one syllable (Corps), with the stress on "Corps". Corps is a singular noun referring to a group of people organized for a shared purpose, typically within a military or service context. In modern usage it often denotes an official unit or organization (e.g., Peace Corps, Marine Corps) rather than a physical corps body. The word is etymologically French and is pronounced with a silent final s, differentiating its written form from its spoken form.
nounCorps is a singular noun referring to a group of people organized for a shared purpose, typically within a military or service context. In modern usage it often denotes an official unit or organization (e.g., Peace Corps, Marine Corps) rather than a physical corps body. The word is etymologically French and is pronounced with a silent final s, differentiating its written form from its spoken form.
"The Peace Corps volunteers trained in multilingual fieldwork."
"He served in the Marine Corps for nearly a decade."
"The fire corps arrived promptly to control the blaze."
Corps is pronounced /kɔːr/ in US English and /kɔːr/ in most UK and AU contexts. The final “ps” is silent; the word behaves like a single syllable with an open-mid back rounded vowel and a rhotic consonant. Mouth position: start with an open mid-back vowel, then curl the tongue slightly back and finish with a light, brisk rhotic if you’re in rhotic varieties. Think of it as “core” with a silent s.
Most speakers mispronounce corps by pronouncing the final s or adding a pronounced 'ps' sound. The key mistakes: 1) Saying /kɔːrps/ with an audible 'ps' at the end; 2) Turning it into /ˈkɔːrp/ or /ˈkɔːrəz/ due to pluralization confusion; 3) Not shortening to a single syllable. Correction: drop the final s entirely and maintain a single, clipped /kɔːr/ with a compact, closed mouth at the vowel and a light, trailing rhotic if applicable.
In US, UK, and AU, corps is typically /kɔːr/. The main difference is rhoticity: US and AU commonly pronounce the /r/; some UK speakers are less rhotic in careful speech, potentially reducing the rhotic quality, but still usually /kɔː/ plus r-colored vowel. Some younger UK speakers might de-emphasize the /r/ in non-rhotic contexts, but corps generally remains /kɔːr/. Overall, the vowel remains a open-mid back rounded /ɔː/ across accents, with the r being variable.
Corps is difficult because the spelling hides the phonetic ending: the final 'ps' is not pronounced, so English learners must suppress an expected /ps/ or /s/ sound. Additionally, the vowel quality /ɔː/ may vary by accent, and the rhotic /r/ can be subtle in some British varieties. The word also benefits from stress stability—it's a one-syllable word in most contexts, so your articulation must be tight from the vowel through the rhotic to the end of the syllable.
Do you pronounce the final letter 's' in corps in careful speech?
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US: emphasize rhotic /r/ after /ɔː/ with a clear tongue tip curling slightly; UK: maintain /ɔː/ with a lighter, non‑rhotic or weak rhotic approach depending on dialect; AU: typically rhotic, with a rounded lips for /ɔː/. Vowel quality leans towards an open-mid back rounded /ɔː/ for all, ensure your jaw relaxes rather than tenses; keep the lips rounded but not protruding. IPA references: US /kɔːr/, UK /kɔːr/, AU /kɔːr/.
Corps comes from the French word corps meaning body, which itself derives from Latin corpus, meaning body. In French, corps is masculine singular and is pronounced with a silent final s. The term entered English via military usage in the 17th century, where it retained its French spelling but often underwent pronunciation shifts typical of English loanwords. The most notable feature is the silent s in English, contrasting with the visible s in spelling. Historically, corps has been used to denote bodies of troops, as well as non-military bodies such as fire corps or naval corps, before being restricted to established organizations or units. The word’s evolution reflects broader patterns of borrowing from French in martial and bureaucratic vocabularies, preserving the concept of a collective body while adopting English syntactic usage. First known English use traces to the 1600s, appearing in contexts involving military structures and formal organizations, and gradually expanding to civilian service contexts in the 19th and 20th centuries.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Corps" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Corps" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Corps" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Corps"
-ts) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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