2 syllables: de, cays. Stress on cays.
duh-KAYZ
/dəˈkeɪz/
decays is pronounced duh-KAYZ (/dəˈkeɪz/). It has two syllables (de-cays), with the stress on "cays". Decays is the third-person singular present tense of the verb decay, meaning to rot or break down gradually, or a noun sense referring to the process of decay. In everyday usage, it often conveys gradual deterioration, decline, or decomposition over time. The form decays is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, and the final /z/ sound links smoothly to following speech.
Decays is the third-person singular present tense of the verb decay, meaning to rot or break down gradually, or a noun sense referring to the process of decay. In everyday usage, it often conveys gradual deterioration, decline, or decomposition over time. The form decays is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, and the final /z/ sound links smoothly to following speech.
"The old wooden fence slowly decays after years of exposure to rain and sun."
"Worms consume the fruit as the fruit decays, releasing a sour odor."
"As the relationship decays, both parties become more distant and less communicative."
Pronounce as /dɪˈkeɪz/. The first syllable is unstressed, the second syllable carries primary stress. The vowel in the second syllable is a long A, as in “kay.” End with a voiced z sound /z/. In fl ow, you’ll often hear a light pre-voicing and a smooth /z/ that can connect to the next word, e.g., decays into.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress, saying de-CAYS instead of de-CAYS, or over-articulating both syllables; (2) mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ or a voiceless /z/; (3) shortening the vowel to a lax /ɪ/ as in ‘dih-kays’ instead of /ɪˈkeɪ/ with the long A. Correct by practicing the second syllable with a long A and ensuring the final consonant is voiced.
In US/UK/AU, the core /dɪˈkeɪz/ remains similar. Rhotic differences don’t alter the /d/ onset or /z/ coda. UK speakers may have slightly crisper final /z/; AU often sounds more connected with a marginally harder /d/ release. Vowel quality of /ɪ/ remains near the lax kit vowel; the /eɪ/ diphthong is prominent in all three. Overall, minor vowel length and lip rounding variations exist, but the word remains stress-timed with secondary emphasis unlikely.
The difficulty centers on the /ɪ/ followed by a strong /ˈkeɪ/ diphthong and a voiced /z/. Some speakers split the /keɪ/ into separate sounds or misplace stress, causing a weakened target on the /keɪ/. Also, the syllable boundary between de- and -cays can tempt rushed articulation. Practice precision on the long A diphthong and ensure the final /z/ is fully voiced for naturalness.
As a noun, decays rarely appears in common usage; when used, it typically appears in specialized contexts as a plural or as a mass noun in phrases like ‘the decays of matter.’ The pronunciation remains the same /ˈdiːkeɪz/-like in the noun sense, maintaining the stress on the second syllable. The key difference is semantic context, not phonetic form, so keep the same IPA and stress pattern even when the sense shifts.
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Decays traces its roots to the French verb decayre, meaning to fall away or decay, which itself derives from the Latin cadere, meaning to fall. The English form likely emerged in the late Middle English period, influenced by the French -ayre suffixes. The base noun ‘decay’ appears by the 15th century, with the verb sense of gradual decomposition becoming established around the same era as scientific discourse on decay of organic matter. Over time, the form decays (third-person singular) solidified as a standard conjugation for present tense in English, aligning with regular -s endings for verbs in the third person. Early uses often described physical deterioration, while modern usage spans physical, social, and data-related contexts, reflecting a broad semantic expansion from material decomposition to deterioration in abstract domains.
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Words that rhyme with "decays"
-ays sounds
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