2 syllables: de, cides. Stress on cides.
dis-EYEDZ
/ˌdɪˈsaɪdz/
decides is pronounced dis-EYEDZ (/ˌdɪˈsaɪdz/). It has two syllables (de-cides), with the stress on "cides". Decides is the third-person singular present tense of decide: to make a choice or determination after consideration. It denotes a deliberate act of choosing between options, often implying ongoing or repeated decision-making. In usage, it signals current action or habit rather than a completed past event.
Decides is the third-person singular present tense of decide: to make a choice or determination after consideration. It denotes a deliberate act of choosing between options, often implying ongoing or repeated decision-making. In usage, it signals current action or habit rather than a completed past event.
- You’ll often say de-SIDES or de-CIDES with the stress misplaced. Do not weaken the /d/ at the start; keep a crisp onset so the word doesn’t sound like a nasal verb or reduced form. - The /aɪ/ diphthong in ‘decides’ should be a clear, smooth glide from /æ/ to /ɪ/ rather than a clipped /aɪ/; avoid an overly drawn vowel. - The final /dz/ must be voiced; some speakers drop the voice and end with /z/ or /s/. Practice by linking the /ɪ/ quickly into /ˈaɪ/ and then into /dz/ in one fluid motion.
"She decides which route to take after weighing the pros and cons."
"The committee decides on the budget each quarter."
"He decides to study abroad, despite the risks."
Pronounce as /dɪˈsaɪdz/ in US and UK. The stress falls on the second syllable: de-CIDES. Start with a light /d/, move to the diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'eye,' then finish with a voiced /dz/ cluster, where the /d/ is released into a rapid /z/. In connected speech you may hear /dɪˈsaɪdz/ with a very short /ɪ/ before /ˈaɪ/. Mouth: gentle contact for /d/, tongue high and forward for /aɪ/, constricted at the teeth for /dz/. IPA: US/UK/AU: /dɪˈsaɪdz/.
Common mistakes: (1) Overemphasizing the final /z/ making it a longer or sibilant hiss; (2) Pronouncing the /d/ as a hard stop with the /ɪ/ too long, making it sound 'dee-sides' instead of 'di-sides'; (3) Misplacing the stress, such as de-CIDES with even stress. Correction: keep stress on the second syllable, compress the /d/ and /ɪ/ into a quick onset before /aɪ/, and ensure the final /z/ voice stays continuous—avoid a voiceless sounds by voicing the /z/.
In General American, /dɪˈsaɪdz/ with rhotic R not involved; US tends toward a clear /d/ onset and a strong /aɪ/ diphthong. In UK English, /dɪˈsaɪdz/ is similar but may have a slightly shorter /ɪ/ and crisper /d/ release; non-rhoticity isn't relevant here since there’s no post-vocalic R. Australian English is similar to GA but with a more centralized or centralized quality to /ɪ/ and a lightly rounded /ɔɪ/ if the vowel shifts occur in some speakers. Overall, all show /dɪˈsaɪdz/ with minor variance in vowel quality.
The difficulty lies in the rapid consonant cluster /dz/ at the end and the precise timing of the diphthong /aɪ/ after /d/, requiring a smooth transition from a voiced alveolar stop to a voiced alveolar affricate. Beginners often misplace the /d/ or shorten /aɪ/ or make the final /z/ voiceless. Practice focusing on the /d/ release into /ɪ/ and then the nucleus /aɪ/ before gliding into /dz/, ensuring continuous voicing throughout the final cluster.
Decides has a fixed primary stress on the second syllable, de-CIDES, with no silent letters. The word is pronounced with full vocalization of both vowels in the diphthong /aɪ/. The /d/ at the start is fully pronounced, and the final /z/ is voiced. In connected speech you may reduce the first /ɪ/ to a schwa in very fast speech, but the standard form remains /dɪˈsaɪdz/.
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- US: /dɪˈsaɪdz/ with strong /ɪ/ and a rhoteless mid- to high-front vowel; keep /d/ crisp and voicing through /z/. - UK: /dɪˈsaɪdz/ with slightly shorter /ɪ/ and crisper /d/, but still voiced final /z/; avoid over-aspirating the onset. - AU: /dɪˈsaɪdz/ similar to GA but may show slight vowel centralization; maintain the same stress pattern. Use IPA to guide vowel quality; keep the diphthong intact rather than flattening to /dɪsɪdz/.
Decides derives from the Latin decidere, meaning to cut off or decide, formed from de- (off, away) + caedere (to cut, strike down). In Late Latin it took on a fixed sense of determining a course of action. Old French adapted the term as decide, with the -s form evolving in English as third-person singular present tense ending. The verb entered Middle English via Old French influences, aligning with other -cede/-sede verbs that reflect cutting away options to settle on a choice. The modern sense—making a determination after weighing alternatives—became established by the 16th century and is now ubiquitous in both formal and informal registers. The progressive aspect (is deciding) reflects ongoing decision processes rather than instantaneous judgments, a nuance that keeps the term central to discussions of planning and agency in contemporary English.
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Words that rhyme with "decides"
-des sounds
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