2 syllables: do, ses. Stress on do.
/ˈdoʊzɪz/
Say it backDoses is the plural of dose, referring to amounts of medicine or other measured portions. In everyday use, doses can describe multiple administrations or quantities given at intervals. The word commonly appears in medical, pharmaceutical, and casual contexts when quantifying how much should be taken. It’s a two-syllable plural noun with voiceless-final /z/ in standard pronunciation.
"The patient was prescribed several doses of the antibiotic over five days."
"She took two doses of the vaccine and waited for a reaction."
"The pharmacist labeled the bottle with the recommended daily doses."
Pronounce it as DOH-siz in US English /ˈdoʊsɪz/. The first syllable carries primary stress, with a long
Common errors: flattening the first vowel to a short /ɒ/ or /a/ as in 'doze', and misplacing the final /z/ as /s/. Correct by using a longer /oʊ/ in the first syllable and maintaining a voiced /z/ in the second syllable: /ˈdoʊsɪz/.
In US, /ˈdoʊsɪz/ with a clear diphthong /oʊ/ and voiced final /z/. In UK, commonly /ˈdəʊsɪz/ with a reduced first vowel /əʊ/ and similar /z/ voicing. Australian tends toward /ˈdəʊsɪz/ or /ˈdoʊsɪz/ depending on speaker, with non-rhotic tendencies often softly pronounced; the final /z/ remains voiced.
Key challenges: the two-syllable sequence requires a crisp, fully voiced final /z/ after a stressed /doʊ/ or /dəʊ/ vowel; some speakers blur the mid vowel or mispronounce the second syllable as /s/ instead of /z/. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the final voiced fricative and keep vowel quality distinct.
The word hinges on maintaining voiced final consonant /z/ after a long or mid diphthong, which can trigger trailing vowel length perception. Ensure your tongue blade and vocal folds stay engaged into the final /z/; avoid turning it into /s/ when the preceding vowel is reduced or rapid.
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US: Stress on first syllable; /ˈdoʊsɪz/. UK/AU: often /ˈdəʊsɪz/ or /ˈdoʊsɪz/, with a potential weaker second syllable. Vowel quality: US typically uses a clearer /oʊ/; UK/AU may reduce to /əʊ/ in rapid speech. Final consonant: always a voiced /z/ in careful speech; some speakers may shorten to /ɪz/; avoid devoicing. Pace and intonation: when listing multiple doses, use natural pitch rise on each item and a slight pause between items.
Doses derives from the plural of dose, via Middle English dose from Latin dosis, from Greek dosis meaning a gift or portion; its ultimate sense relates to a portion or portion of medicine. The root dose underlies words like dosage and dose-rate. The term appeared in English medical writing in the 17th century as physicians described measured quantities of medicines administered to patients. Over time, dose broadened to mean any measured portion, not just pharmaceutical, and the spelling retained the regular plural -es ending in contemporary English. The semantic field widened from a medical measure to general quantities, and today doses are used in contexts ranging from pharmacology to nutrition, reflecting a standardized notion of a prescribed amount. The pronunciation coalesced into /doʊsɪz/ in American English and /dəʊsɪz/ or /doʊsɪz/ in British variations, with vocabulary reflecting the pluralized form established early in Modern English. Contemporary usage maintains the sense of one unit of measure repeated across multiple administrations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "doses" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "doses" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "doses"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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