Experiences is the plural noun for events or occurrences that a person has lived through, especially those that shape one’s knowledge or feelings. It refers to tangible happenings or personal engagements encountered over time, often forming an individual’s skills, attitudes, or understanding. In everyday use, it often collocates with adjectives like rich, varied, or diverse to describe a person’s encounters.
"Her travels provided her with a range of experiences that influenced her writing."
"Collecting experiences from different jobs can help you grow professionally."
"The camp offered many new experiences, from rock climbing to kayaking."
"Learning a language through daily experiences can be more effective than formal study alone."
The word experiences derives from Old French experienciier and Latin experientia, rooted in the verb experiri (to try, to test, to experience) combined with the suffix -ence to form a noun meaning the state or process of having experiences. In Latin, experientia signified trial, proof, or experience through direct observation. The French influence contributed the -ence suffix that specialized the term into a pluralizable noun in English. By Middle English, experiences appeared as the plural form of experience, reflecting the notion of multiple trials or events a person has undergone. Over time, usage broadened from concrete physical events to include subjective perceptions, emotional insights, and learning processes derived from those events. In contemporary English, experiences often refer to the cumulative set of personal interactions that influence beliefs, skills, and perspectives, and the word is commonly used with modifiers like wide, varied, or life-changing to emphasize the scope and impact of those events.
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Words that rhyme with "Experiences"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspɪr.i.ən.sɪz/ (US) or /ˌɛk.spɪˈɪən.sɪz/ (some UK variants in fast speech). The primary stress is on the second syllable: ex-PE-ri-ences. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a clear /ˈspɪr/ cluster, followed by a reduced middle /iən/ and a final /sɪz/ or /z/. In careful speech, articulate the /r/ and /s/ clearly; in rapid speech, the /r/ can become a softer, approximant [ɹ̩]. Audio reference: listen for the pulse on the second syllable and the final z-sibilant cluster.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress, pronouncing ex- as the main stress: ex-PE-ri-en-ces; (2) skipping the /r/ or making it a silent letter, producing /ˈɛkspɪənsiːz/; (3) incorrectly grouping syllables, saying /ɪkˈspɪr.iː.ɛns/ with a long /iː/ in the third syllable. Corrections: keep primary stress on the second syllable; clearly pronounce /ɹ/ before a vowel; use /ɪə/ or /iən/ as a light, reduced central vowel rather than spelling-aligned vowels. Regular practice with minimal pairs helps; aim for a steady rhythm rather than choppy syllables.
US tends to strong /ɪ/ in the first syllable, clear /spɪr/ cluster, final /əsɪz/ with /ɪz/ or /əz/. UK often features a slightly less rhotic /r/ with a crisper /spɪə/ or /spɪri/ depending on region, and final /ɪz/ reductions can occur in casual speech. Australian can blend vowels toward /ɪ/–/ə/ in the middle, with less prominent r-coloring in non-rhotic contexts; final suffix may sound /-ɪnz/ or /-ənz/. Maintain awareness of non-rhotic tendencies in some UK varieties and the stronger rhoticity in US accents where applicable.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure and consonant cluster: ex-PE-ri-en-ces requires accurate stress placement on syllable 2, a clear /r/ in the /spɪr/ cluster, and a rapid, reduced -iən- sequence before the final /s/ or /z/. The transition from stressed to unstressed syllables creates a rhythm that many learners misalign, making the word sound disjointed. Focused practice on the second syllable, plus controlled pace through the middle and end, helps stabilize flow and intelligibility.
A distinctive feature is the strong /spɪr/ onset following the initial /ɪk/ cluster and the subsequent reduced /iən/ before the final /sɪz/. This pattern – a heavy stressed onset with a rapid, lighter coda – often causes learners to over-articulate the middle vowels, producing an overly syllabic effect. Emphasize timing: keep the second syllable prominent, then glide quickly through the /iən/ before the final /sɪz/; this yields a natural, native-like rhythm.
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