2 syllables: Cri, ses. Stress on Cri.
KREYE-seez
/ˈkɹaɪsiz/
Crises is pronounced KREYE-seez (/ˈkɹaɪsiz/). It has two syllables (Cri-ses), with the stress on "Cri". Crises is the plural of crisis, referring to plural periods of acute danger or instability. In everyday use, it denotes multiple urgent turning points or difficult moments that threaten stability in a system, organization, or situation. The term typically appears in formal to semi-formal discourse and journalism, often paired with adjectives like major, financial, or environmental to describe significant, high-stakes events.
nounCrises is the plural of crisis, referring to plural periods of acute danger or instability. In everyday use, it denotes multiple urgent turning points or difficult moments that threaten stability in a system, organization, or situation. The term typically appears in formal to semi-formal discourse and journalism, often paired with adjectives like major, financial, or environmental to describe significant, high-stakes events.
How to Pronounce Crises
"The country faced several simultaneous crises, including economic collapse and a public health emergency."
"During the early 2000s, the firm managed multiple crises that tested its leadership and resilience."
"Researchers warned that climate crises could intensify if global warming is not curbed."
Crises is pronounced /ˈkraɪsiːz/ in US/UK/AU. It has two syllables: 'CRY' as in cry, and 'sis' with a long e-sound at the end. Emphasize the first syllable: /ˈkraɪ-ziːz/. Mouth: start with a wide jaw and raised lips for /aɪ/ (like 'eye'), then glide into a clear /iː/ before the final /z/. You can listen to examples on Forvo or YouGlish to hear natural usage.
Common mistakes: (1) pronouncing as two short vowels /ˈkrɪsɪz/ (criss-iz) by reducing /aɪ/ to a short /ɪ/. (2) Ending with /ɪz/ or /z/ without the long /iː/ before it, making the second syllable too short. Correction: keep /aɪ/ in the first syllable, then insert a distinct /iː/ before the final /z/, as in /ˈkraɪ-siːz/; practice by saying 'cry' + 'seize' quickly with a single tie. (3) Weak stress on the first syllable in fast speech. Maintain strong CRI- and a lengthened second syllable if paced.
US/UK/AU share /ˈkraɪsiːz/, with rhotic variation affecting the r-color in US English; however, /r/ is often less pronounced in some British varieties. The main vowel in the first syllable /aɪ/ remains consistent; the final /iːz/ often sounds slightly shorter in rapid UK speech and may be realized as /-iːz/ with less length in Australian English. In General Australian, you’ll hear a clear /iː/ before /z/, similar to US/UK, but vowel quality in the surrounding sounds may be less centralized and slightly flatter. Use the IPA /ˈkraɪsiːz/ as a baseline across accents.
The difficulty lies in the transitional diphthong /aɪ/ followed by a long /iː/ before a voiced final /z/. The mouth must shift from a high, wide opening to a close, tense /iː/ while maintaining voice onset and voicing for /z/. This combination—sharp first vowel, long second vowel, and a final sonorant consonant—can trip speakers who expect a shorter, clipped second syllable. Practicing the two-syllable rhythm with deliberate /aɪ/ then /iː/ helps stabilize the sequence.
In 'Crises,' the second syllable is /siː/ pronounced with a lengthened 'ee' before the final /z/. Some speakers may glide into /sɪz/ if the second syllable shortens in rapid speech; deliberately elongating the /iː/ helps preserve the standard. Additionally, the pluralization from 'crisis' to 'crises' does not alter the first syllable stress pattern, remaining /ˈkraɪ-siːz/.
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Crises derives from the Latin plural of crisis, crisis, from Greek krisis meaning 'separation, decision, turning point' from kri- 'to separate' + -sis indicating action or process. In classical Greek, crisis referred to a decisive moment in a dramatic plot or in a military campaign. The term entered English via late Latin and Old French during the Renaissance, retaining its medical and rhetorical connotations of a turning point in a patient’s condition or in a contentious situation. The shift from singular crisis to plural crises reflects the regular English inflection of -is to -es for some loanwords (crisis -> crises). The word entered common usage in English by the 17th century and expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries into general parlance, especially in economics, politics, and journalism to describe multiple high-stakes events within a system or period. Contemporary usage often treats crises as discrete events that require urgent response, yet may be interlinked as a sequence within a broader period of upheaval.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Crises" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Crises"
-ses sounds
-ces sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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