One syllable: dives.
deyevz
/daɪvz/
dives is pronounced deyevz (/daɪvz/). It has one syllable (dives), with the stress on "dives". Dives is the third-person singular present tense and plural noun form of dive, or the verb’s third-person singular present tense in contexts like he dives. It denotes submerging, plunging, or descending into water or a metaphorical descent. In noun form it can refer to a deep, focused act or location (e.g., a dive into research). The plural use in everyday speech most often appears as he dives / they dive.
Dives is the third-person singular present tense and plural noun form of dive, or the verb’s third-person singular present tense in contexts like he dives. It denotes submerging, plunging, or descending into water or a metaphorical descent. In noun form it can refer to a deep, focused act or location (e.g., a dive into research). The plural use in everyday speech most often appears as he dives / they dive.
"She dives into the pool with precision and grace."
"The team dives deeper into the data to uncover patterns."
"He dives off the cliff with a practiced splash."
Pronounce as /daɪvz/ with a long I vowel. The initial sound starts with /d/ followed by the diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'eye', then ends with /vz/ where /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative and /z/ is a voiced alveolar sibilant. Primary stress is on the first and only syllable in the verb form: /DAI VZ/. In connected speech you may hear a subtle linking to the next word (dive s into… sounds like 'dives into' with a light /z/ link).
Common errors: 1) Slurring the /v/ into /f/ or turning /vz/ into /z/ only; keep /v/ as a voiced fricative prior to /z/. 2) Mispronouncing the diphthong as a pure /i/ or /eɪ/; maintain /aɪ/ glide from /a/ to /ɪ/. 3) Dropping the final /z/ in fast speech; ensure voicing continues into the following word (it should звучит as /daɪvz/ with audible z). Practice by saying short phrases in isolation, then in context, focusing on the /v/–/z/ transition and keeping voicing on the final consonant.
US pronunciation /daɪvz/ features a clear /aɪ/ diphthong and a voiced /v/ before /z/. UK tends to maintain similar nucleus but with slight vowel color differences; some speakers may reduce vowel length in rapid speech but /aɪ/ remains prominent. Australian tends to have a slightly higher starting point of the diphthong and more vowel narrowing; the /v/ and /z/ remain voicelessly pronounced with less aspiration on following consonants in fast speech. Overall, the rhoticity is minimal in UK/AU; US rhotic accent affects surrounding vowels more than the word nucleus.
Because it hinges on a precise diphthong /aɪ/ followed by two adjacent voiced consonants /v/ and /z/. The transition requires maintaining voicing through the cluster without voice onset delay (VOD) or vowel breaking. People often mispronounce as /dɪvz/ with a reduced vowel or drop the /v/ sound. Additionally, rapid speech often links /z/ into the next word, which can cause misarticulation if you don’t maintain voicing. Focus on sustaining the /v/ before the /z/ and keeping the diphthong clear.
A unique aspect is the seamless voicing switch between /v/ and /z/ in /vz/. In careful speech, the /v/ is clearly audible and the following /z/ is a voiced continuation rather than a sharp stop. In rapid connected speech you may notice the /z/ becoming a syllabic or lenited sound, especially when following a word ending in a consonant. Practicing with minimal pairs that emphasize /v/ vs /f/ can sharpen this, as can recording yourself under sentence stress.
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The verb dive originates from the Old English word dīfan, which meant to dive, dip, or plunge. Its Germanic roots are linked to Proto-Germanic dīban, and related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen, all implying immersion into a liquid or surface penetration. The sense evolution moved from physical plunging to more figurative uses (e.g., diving into work or research). By Middle English, forms like dive and dives appeared, aligning with the modern verb conjugation paradigm. The noun dive borrows directly from the verb, proliferating in sport (diving events) and colloquial speech (a risky dive). The plural dives typically agrees with third-person singular verbs (he dives) or with plural subjects (they dive) in contemporary usage. First known attestations appear in 14th–15th century English texts, with increasing ubiquity in 19th-century sports, journalism, and later in popular culture as the action of plunging became a common metaphor for immersion and commitment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "dives" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "dives" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "dives"
-ves sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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