2 syllables: crack, ers. Stress on crack.
/ˈkrækɚz/
Say it backCrackers refers to thin, baked, crisp biscuits typically made from flour and water, often salted or seasoned. Colloquially, it can denote something excellent or exciting in informal speech (e.g., 'That idea is crackers!'). The word also appears in phrases like 'crackers means crazy' in some regions. In plural form, it lists multiple such biscuits or, informally, multiple instances of enthusiasm or craziness.
"I bought a pack of crackers for the picnic and they vanished in minutes."
"That new gadget is crackers—worth every penny."
"The storm last night was crackers; the winds knocked over several trees."
Pronounce it as /ˈkrækərz/ in US and UK English, with two syllables. Start with a stressed 'CRAC' using a short 'a' as in 'cat', then an unstressed 'ker', and finish with a voiced 'z' sound. In fast speech, the middle vowel can reduce towards a schwa /ə/. Audio references: [IPA: /ˈkrækərz/], try listening to native speech via Forvo or YouGlish for examples.
Common errors include mispronouncing the first syllable as /kræks/ by hardening the final /ər/ into /-eks/ and over-pronouncing the /ɜr/ or /ər/ in the second syllable. Another frequent error is pronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ in rapid speech. Correct by ensuring the second syllable uses a reduced /ə/ (or /ɚ/ in rhotic accents) and finishing with a voiced /z/.
In US/UK/AU, the primary difference lies in rhoticity and vowel realization. US English tends to maintain a rhotic accent with /ɹ/ in coda position and a clear /ər/ in the second syllable. UK is non-rhotic in many dialects, often reducing to /ə/ or /ɜ/ in the second syllable. Australian English is rhotic and tends toward a centralized or reduced vowel in the second syllable depending on speaker. The PAL: /ˈkrækərz/ (US) vs /ˈkrækəz/ (UK) and /ˈkrækəz/ (AU).
The difficulty stems from the two-syllable structure with a reduced middle vowel and a final voiced consonant cluster /ərz/ or /ərz/. The sequence /æ/ followed by a schwa-like middle vowel requires precise tongue adjustment and quick transition. Learners often mismatch the vowel in the second syllable or deviate in final sibilant voicing. Focus on sustaining the /ə/ or /ɚ/ while voicing the final /z/.
A distinctive feature is the short 'a' in the first syllable and the subsequent reduced vowel in the second syllable, which may cause a learner to compress or lengthen the middle vowel. Also ensure you voice the final /z/ clearly, not /s/. In rapid everyday speech, many speakers reduce to /ˈkrækərz/ with a near-schwa in the middle. Listen to native pronunciation in practical contexts to calibrate.
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The word crackers originates from Middle English and Old English roots related to breaking apart, or something that cracks. The sense of a crisp, dry biscuit derives from early English griddled or baked flour mixtures that crack or crackle when heated and are preserved as small hard biscuits. Historically, 'cracker' as a noun appeared in the 15th-16th centuries in both general pastry contexts and as slang for someone who cracks or breaks things, evolving to refer to a light, thin biscuit by the 17th-18th centuries. The modern plural 'crackers' is used primarily in British and Commonwealth English for the savory snack, while in American English it can also colloquially mean 'crazy' or 'excellent' in informal contexts. The evolution shows a blend of culinary and colloquial extensions, with first known written records appearing in recipe collections and travel literature that described snack foods and witty slang terms associated with social conversation. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 'crackers' had become a common term both for the edible item and, in some dialects, as a playful exclamation or descriptor of enthusiasm.
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Words that rhyme with "crackers"
-ers sounds
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