3 syllables: di, vor, ces. Stress on vor.
/dɪˈvɔɹsɪz/
Say it backDivorces refers to the plural form of the noun or verb divorce, meaning legally ending a marriage. As a noun, it denotes multiple divorce actions or proceedings; as a verb (third person singular or plural present), it describes the act of ending marriages by different individuals or groups. In pronunciation, it is stressed on the second syllable when used as a noun (di-VO-rces) and on the second syllable in most verb usages (di-vo-RCES).
"The couple filed several divorces during the turbulent year, each sealed by a judge."
"Many divorces are settled out of court to avoid lengthy litigation."
"The organization advocates for faster processing of divorces to protect families."
Say di-ˈvɔːr-sɪz in US (IPA: dɪˈvɔːr.sɪz). Put primary stress on the second syllable: di-VOR-ses, with the final z voiced. Ensure the /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative and the /ɔː/ is a long open-mid back vowel. In connected speech, the middle /vɔːr/ can be a quick cluster, but do not reduce it to /vəː-/; keep /ɔː/ prominent. Audio references: consult Cambridge or Oxford pronunciation entries for the word in both US and UK pronunciations.
Common errors include: 1) Misplacing stress, saying div-OR-ses or di-VOR-sez with incorrect syllable emphasis; 2) Reducing the /ɔː/ to a short /ɒ/ or /ɪ/, which muddys the vowel quality; 3) Slurring the final /z/ into a /s/ or not voicing it. Correction tips: practice with the IPA dɪˈvɔːr.sɪz; exaggerate the second syllable’s vowel and keep the final consonant clearly voiced as z, not s. Use minimal pairs like ‘divorce’ vs ‘divorces’ to glue the plural suffix to the stem.
In US English, stress remains on the second syllable, with a rhotic /r/ and a longer /ɔː/. UK English typically retains /ˈdɪˈvɔːsɪz/ with non-rhotic tendencies in some regions but often still features a clear /r/ in connected speech; vowel quality can be slightly reduced. Australian pronunciation is similar to UK/US but often features a flatter vowel and less pronounced rhotics in some contexts. In all, the final /z/ remains voiced; the main differences are vowel duration and r-coloring.
The difficulty comes from the cluster di- and the final plural -s. The second syllable contains a long /ɔː/ followed by /r/ in many accents, so you must keep the vowel tense and delay the /r/ articulation slightly in non-rhotic varieties. The final /z/ requires voicing and sharp sibilance to avoid sounding like /s/. Practicing with slow, exaggerated di-VOR-sIz helps stabilize the timing and prevents conflating with 'divorce' or 'diverses'.
Yes. The plural suffix -es after sibilant-influenced stems can introduce a vowel-influence in some dialects. In careful speech, you maintain /ɪ/ before the final z in ‘sɪz’ sequences as in /sɪz/, but many speakers produce a slight schwa-like vowel before z in rapid speech. Focus on: di- (unstressed), VOR (stressed), -ces ending as -sɪz with a microsecond vowel in between the /r/ and /s/ depending on dialect.
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Divorces derives from the Middle English word divorse, borrowed from Old French divorce (divors), which itself came from Latin divortium, from divertere ‘to turn aside’ or ‘to direct apart’. The Latin term combines di- (apart) with vor- (to turn), conveying the sense of turning away from a marriage. The form in English crystallized by the 14th–15th centuries and evolved in spelling to divorces for plural or third-person singular usage. The word’s core sense — to end or dissolve a lawful marriage — has remained stable, though the noun/verb forms toggle by syntactic function. Early legal Latin and Norman French texts shaped how divorce-related terms entered English, and by the Renaissance the common-law concept of divorce proceedings was established in English-speaking jurisdictions. Over time, the plural “divorces” also came to describe multiple instances or cases, beyond a single act of dissolution. In contemporary usage, the term spans civil, religious, and administrative processes that formally terminate marriages or provide orders for separation, with varying legal implications across countries.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "divorces" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "divorces"
-ses sounds
-ces sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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