2 syllables: ex, pires. Stress on pires.
/ɪkˈspaɪɚz/
Say it backExpires means to come to an end or become invalid, typically after a set period or specified date. In usage, it describes something like a product’s shelf life or a contract term ending. The word carries a sense of cessation or termination, not merely ending, but becoming void or obsolete.
"The coupon expires at midnight, so be sure to use it today."
"Your passport expires next year, so you’ll need to renew it soon."
"If the warranty expires, you’ll have to pay for repairs yourself."
Expires is pronounced with three sounds: /ɪkˈspaɪərz/ (US) or /ɪkˈspaɪəz/ (UK). Put primary stress on the second syllable: ex- SPY-ers. Start with a short 'ih' /ɪ/ then an /k/ release, then /ˈspaɪər/ (like 'spyer'), and finally the /z/ or /z/ sound. In careful speech, you may hear a subtle /ɪ/ before the /k/ as a light offglide, but most speakers do not separate the /ɪ/ from the /k/ distinctly. Audio references: try listening to pronunciations on Forvo or Cambridge Dictionaries Online to hear regional variations.
Two common errors: (1) misplacing the stress, saying ex-SPY-res with wrong rhythm; (2) confusing the final '-es' with a /z/ or /s/ sound; and (3) pronouncing 'ex' as separate from 'p-': say eks-プレer-zz. Correction: keep /ɪk/ together, place strong stress on /ˈspaɪər/ and finish with /z/ in US or /z/ in UK; ensure the /r/ is lightly rolled only in rhotic accents. Practice with minimal pairs to lock the cluster: /ɪkˈspaɪərz/ vs /ɪkˈspɛərz/ (difference in vowel quality may occur across accents).
In US English, /ɪkˈspaɪərz/ with a rhotic /r/ sound and a clear /ər/ at the end. In UK English, /ɪkˈspaɪəz/ often without rhoticity, with a lighter final /ə/ or /ə/ plus /z/. Australian English (/ɪkˈspaiəz/ or /ɪkˈspaɪəz/) defaults to non-rhotic speech similar to UK but with a flattened /ə/ and sometimes a diphthong adjustment. Key differences: rhotics, vowel length, and final vowel quality. Listening practice with native samples will emphasize the schwa-like ending in UK/AU variants.
The difficulty centers on two features: the consonant cluster /k/ + /ˈsp/ immediately after a short /ɪ/ and the vowel sequence /aɪə/ in /ˈspaɪər/ which can blur for non-native speakers. Also, final /z/ can be devoiced in some contexts, leading to /s/ or unreleased endings. Practice focusing on the tight lips around /p/ and the tongue position for /ˈspaɪər/—keep the vowel glide controlled and avoid inserting extra vowels. Try slow practice to stabilize the rhythm and final voicing.
Yes. The prefix ex- typically yields the /ɪk-/ onset, with a short /ɪ/ sound and a velocity into the /k/ that follows. In careful speech or some dialects, you may hear a light separation as /ɪk/. The primary stress still lands on the second syllable: ex- SPY-ers. Cognates like expire share the same onset pattern, so mastering this onset helps multiple related words.
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Expires comes from the verb expire, which derives from the Latin exspirare, meaning to breathe out, to die, or to fade away. The Latin root ex- means ‘out,’ and spirare means ‘to breathe.’ Over time, the sense broadened from literal respiration to the figurative sense of dying away, ending, or becoming invalid. In English, expire appeared in the 15th–16th centuries with meanings related to ceasing to exist or continue. By the 17th–18th centuries, expire commonly referred to the ending of a term, contract, or period, and by the 19th–20th centuries, it extended to things like product dates or allowed time limits. The modern sense of “to become void or invalid” (as on a license, passport, contract, or offer) aligns with the historical evolution from cessation or cessation of life to cessation of validity. The root emphasis remains on moving out of a state of being into nonexistence or no longer being in effect.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "expires" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "expires" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "expires"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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