2 syllables: es, capes. Stress on capes.
is-KAYPS
/ɪˈskeɪps/
escapes is pronounced is-KAYPS (/ɪˈskeɪps/). It has two syllables (es-capes), with the stress on "capes". Escapes refers to getting away from confinement or danger, or the act of avoiding a problem or constraint. As a noun or verb form (escapes), it denotes a successful departure or the act of slipping free, often implying pursuit or relief. In daily use, it can describe physical evasion, software escaping a sandbox, or figurative escape from obligations, depending on context.
Escapes refers to getting away from confinement or danger, or the act of avoiding a problem or constraint. As a noun or verb form (escapes), it denotes a successful departure or the act of slipping free, often implying pursuit or relief. In daily use, it can describe physical evasion, software escaping a sandbox, or figurative escape from obligations, depending on context.
"Security tightened as the prisoner made a dramatic escape."
"The leaky faucet escapes our attention until it becomes a flood."
"The cat escapes through the open door every afternoon."
You pronounce it as /ɪˈskeɪps/. The first syllable is unstressed with a short /ɪ/ (like in 'bit'), the second syllable carries the primary stress /ˈskeɪp-/, ending with /p/ + /z/? Wait: in plural noun/verb form, the final sound is /s/ or /z/? For 'escapes' the final sound is /s/ when the plural or third-person verb? Correction: 'escapes' as present tense verb or plural noun ends with /-ps/? The standard pronunciation is /ɪˈskeɪps/ with a voiceless /s/ at the end when the final s is part of the /ps/ cluster? The correct is /ɪˈskeɪps/ where the final sound is an /s/ after the /p/; the /z/ occurs in the verb 'escapes' grade? The form is escapes [ə-skeɪps], second syllable contains the diphthong /eɪ/; the final 's' is /s/. If you’re trailing with an extra voiced s in connected speech, it might voice. Practically: i-SKAYPS.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈɛsˌkeɪps/ with incorrect stress on the first syllable or flattening the diphthong; keep primary stress on the second syllable: /ɪˈskeɪps/. (2) Slurring the /sk/ cluster into /s/ or mispronouncing the final /ps/ as /p/ plus /z/; ensure you produce a clean /ps/ at the end, with the /p/ released before the /s/. Practice by isolating /ɪ/ and /skeɪps/ to avoid vowel reduction and to land the diphthong correctly.
US/UK/AU share /ɪˈskeɪps/, but rhythm and vowel timing vary. US speakers may unreduced /ɪ/ in rapid speech and keep a tighter jaw; UK and AU often maintain crisper /ɪ/ before the /ˈskeɪps/ portion, with clearer /p/ release. Rhoticity is typically present in US accents; UK and AU may have subtle rhotic prestige depending on region, but /ɪˈskeɪps/ remains the core. The main difference lies in flapping or vowel length in surrounding words and the pace of speech.
The challenge lies in the /sk/ consonant cluster and the final /ps/ release. You must coordinate the /s/ and /k/ without adding extra vowels, then execute a sudden p-release into the final /s/. The diphthong /eɪ/ in the stressed syllable also requires a precise jaw movement and tongue position, especially in rapid speech. Additionally, the plural/verb form changes how you connect to surrounding sounds, so you may inadvertently voice the final /s/ or link it to the next word.
Remember the second syllable is the stressed one: /ɪˈskeɪps/. Visualize breaking it into 'eh-sKAY-ps' with a crisp /p/ release before the final /s/. Keep your tongue high for the /skeɪ/ portion and let the /s/ at the end be a clean, voiceless sibilant. In connected speech, make sure the /ps/ blend remains two distinct sounds rather than merging into /p/ or /z/.
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Escapes comes from the Middle French escapper, from escaper meaning 'to escape' or 'to slip away,' which itself derives from the Frankish *skapon* (to seize or take flight) and the Latin root ex-, 'out of,' plus capere, 'to take or seize.' The modern English noun and verb forms emerged in the 16th-17th centuries, carrying the core sense of breaking free or avoidance. The word evolved through usage in legal, nautical, and literary contexts, shifting from literal flight to broader figurative meanings. The suffix -es marks third-person singular verbs and nouns in plural form in English, reinforcing its grammatical versatility. First attestations appear in early modern English texts describing prisons, traps, and situations where individuals or things successfully eluded capture or control. Over time, “escapes” became common in technical domains (software escapes, escape sequences) and everyday speech to describe evasion in both physical and abstract senses.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "escapes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "escapes"
-pes sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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