2 syllables: Err, ands. Stress on Err.
ER-uhndz
/ˈɛɹəndz/
Errands is pronounced ER-uhndz (/ˈɛɹəndz/). It has two syllables (Err-ands), with the stress on "Err". Errands (noun): short trips taken to buy or do small tasks; typically routine, practical chores rather than leisure. In everyday speech, the plural form is common, and the word often appears in phrases like “run errands.” It denotes minor tasks that must be completed, usually within a day, enabling daily functioning and errands planning.
nounErrands (noun): short trips taken to buy or do small tasks; typically routine, practical chores rather than leisure. In everyday speech, the plural form is common, and the word often appears in phrases like “run errands.” It denotes minor tasks that must be completed, usually within a day, enabling daily functioning and errands planning.
How to Pronounce Errands
"I’m out running errands after work."
"She split the errands between the grocery store and the post office."
"He forgot a couple of errands on his way home, so he turned around."
Errands is pronounced as /ˈer·əndz/ in US and UK dictionaries. The first syllable carries primary stress: ER. The second is unstressed and weakly vocalized as a schwa or a clipped /ə/. The final sound is a voiced alveolar nasal followed by a voiced sibilant cluster /ndz/. In careful speech you’ll utter ER-ənd-z; in rapid speech you may hear ERNdz with a more reduced middle vowel. Mouth position: start with an open-mid front vowel, then relax the tongue into a neutral schwa while preparing for the final /n/ and /dz/.
Common mistakes include pronouncing the second syllable as a full 'ern' like ‘err-n’ rather than a reduced /ənd/. Another error is articulating a clear /d/ before the final /z/ (i.e., /ˈer.əndz/ often becomes /ˈer.ɪndz/ or /ˈer.ənz/). To correct: soften the second syllable to /ənd/ with a reduced vowel and ensure the final /z/ is pronounced as a voiced /dz/ cluster, not a light /z/ alone. Practice with slow articulation: ER-ən-dz, then fast blending as ER-əndz.
In US English, /ˈer.əndz/ with a rhotic initial vowel and a reduced second syllable. UK English typically uses /ˈeɹ.əndz/ or /ˈɛɹ.əndz/ with a less pronounced rhotic r in some dialects and a slightly darker vowel in the first syllable. Australian English often aligns with /ˈɜːɹ.əndz/ or /ˈeə.əndz/, with a less rhotic feel and a broader, closer front vowel depending on region. The final /dz/ remains, but the preceding vowel quality and rhoticity influence overall timbre.
The challenge lies in the reduced unstressed second syllable /ənd/ which can drift toward a schwa or even an /ən/ sound, and in ensuring the final /dz/ is voiced and not lost in rapid speech. The sequence ER- /ə/ /ndz/ requires precise tongue movement: a front open vowel, then a quick /n/, then a voiced affricate /dz/. Rapid speech often blends /ə/ into adjacent vowels, so practice slow-to-normal pacing to solidify timing and voicing.
In non-rhotic varieties (some UK accents), the 'r' in the first syllable may be non-rhotic and less pronounced when not before a vowel, giving a vowel sound closer to /eː/ or /ɛː/ depending on the dialect. However, in careful speech or when followed by a vowel (as in ‘Errands around the corner’ with linking), you may hear a subtle R. In most American and Australian speech, the 'r' is more strongly pronounced, influencing vowel coloring before it.
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The term errands traces to Old English and Middle English roots related to “errand” (Mid 14th century) meaning a short journey or message delivery. The word derives from Old English earende or eard, with Germanic cognates in Dutch and German that carried the sense of a temporary journey or mission on behalf of another. The plural form “errands” develops from the generalization of the singular to refer to multiple such tasks; by Early Modern English, “errand” was well established as a practical mission or commission. The semantic focus shifted from a single commissioned journey to a series of tasks conducted within a day, often including shopping, posting mail, or delivering items. A common colloquial usage today is “running errands,” emphasizing routine, pragmatic activity integral to daily life rather than formal duties. First known uses appear in legal and household records where individuals were dispatched with messages or small purchases, evolving into the modern sense of short tasks performed in the course of daily routines. The concept remains stable across English-speaking regions, though cadence and frequency vary with culture and infrastructure.
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Words that rhyme with "Errands"
-ers sounds
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