ek-STREEMZ
/ɛksˈtɹimz/
extremes is pronounced ek-STREEMZ (/ɛksˈtɹimz/). Extremes is the plural of extreme, referring to the far ends or outer limits of a spectrum, situation, or measurement. It denotes highly divergent or radical conditions or opinions, often implying contrast with the ordinary or central values. In usage, it can describe extreme weather, extreme sports, or extreme reactions, and is commonly paired with phrases like to the extremes, push to extremes, or on the extremes of.
Extremes is the plural of extreme, referring to the far ends or outer limits of a spectrum, situation, or measurement. It denotes highly divergent or radical conditions or opinions, often implying contrast with the ordinary or central values. In usage, it can describe extreme weather, extreme sports, or extreme reactions, and is commonly paired with phrases like to the extremes, push to extremes, or on the extremes of.
- You sometimes mispronounce the stressed vowel by shortening /iː/ or by saying /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable; fix by rehearsing ex-TRĒ- mz with a long ee sound. - You may produce a reduced first syllable, making it sound like /ɪkˈstrɛmz/ instead of /ɪkˈstriːmz/; keep the /iː/ long and the /k/ crisp. - You might swallow the final /z/ or not voice it clearly, which makes it sound like /s/; practice holding voicing to the end and finish with a distinct z. - In fast speech, /str/ cluster can blur; break it into steps: /s/ + /t/ + /r/ with a quick but controlled transition, ensuring the tongue advances for the /t/ and /r/ combination. - In some dialects, the /r/ is non-rhotic; you still want the /r/ in the stressed position to be audible in American and Australian accents, but UK speakers may reduce it; be aware of context and audience.
"The policy changes caused swings from mild to extremes in public opinion."
"Extreme weather events and climate-related extremes are increasingly common."
"She is willing to go to extremes to protect her friends and family."
Pronounce as /ɪkˈstriːmz/ (US/UK/AU). The primary stress is on the second syllable: ex-TREEMS. Start with a schwa-like onset? Actually, the first vowel is a short i (as in it) followed by a /k/; then the stressed syllable has /striːm/ where /iː/ is a long 'ee' vowel before the final /z/. Keep the /s/ voice before the /t/ cluster light, and finish with a clear /z/ to avoid a dull end. IPA: ɪkˈstriːmz.
Two frequent mistakes: (1) Misplacing the stress, saying ex-ˈtrеmes instead of ex-ˈtriːmz; ensure the long /iː/ vowel in the stressed syllable. (2) Slurring the final /mz/ into a single sound or de-voicing the z; keep a voiced /z/ and release. Practice by isolating the stressed syllable: striːm with a clear long /iː/ before the /mz/ ending. Regularly vocalize the whole word to preserve the final z sound.
In US and UK, the primary stress remains on the second syllable ex-TREEMS. US tends to clear the /r/ in non-rhotic contexts; UK often links with a slightly stronger /iː/ quality. Australian speakers typically maintain a similar /ɪ/ initial and /iː/ in the stressed vowel, with a crisper /z/ end and slight diphthongization on preceding vowels. Overall, rhotics and vowel qualities cause minor vowel length and quality shifts, but the core /ˈstriːmz/ remains stable in all three.
Two challenges stand out: (1) the long tense /iː/ in the stressed syllable before the final /mz/ can feel elongated and pushes the word into a longer sequence; keep the /iː/ crisp and don’t let it bleed into /m/. (2) The cluster /str/ after the initial unstressed syllable requires precise articulation; practice by starting with /s/ and building to /str/ while maintaining a compact jaw. Keeping voicing on the final /z/ without devoicing is essential to avoid an almost voiceless ending.
There is no silent letter in extremes, but the main point is the fixed stress on the second syllable (ex-TREEMS). Unlike some words with reduced vowels or unstressed syllables, extremes maintains a full, audible /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a clear long /iː/ in the stressed vowel. The final syllable ends with a voiced /z/, so aim for a crisp release rather than a whispered end.
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- US: Clear rhotics, strong /ɹ/; keep /iː/ long, and ensure the final /z/ is voiced. Practice vowels with “see” and “heat” quality for /iː/. - UK: Often non-rhotic; the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel; in extremes, the main vowel quality remains /iː/ and the final /z/ is voiced; contrast with US by listening to how /ɹ/ is muted in non-varying positions. - AU: Similar to US in rhoticity; maintain the long /iː/ in stressed syllable and a crisp /z/; slightly more clipped articulation can occur; practice with Australian vowel shifts in nearby words to feel the drift from /iː/ to /iːə/ in fast speech.
The word extreme derives from the Latin extremus meaning outermost, at the far end, or beyond. The adjective form extreme emerges in Middle English from Old French extrême, influenced by Latin extremus. The sense expands from “outermost” to “radically far removed” and “most intense,” which shaped the modern nouns extremes (plural). As a noun, extremes captures the far ends of a scale, often paired with phrases like to the extremes, at the extremes of, or the extremes of opinion. The word’s trajectory reflects a general shift in many languages toward using the opposite term for the center or ordinary point (moderate, average, mean) and attaching intensifiers to indicate degree. First attested English usages appear around the 14th–15th centuries, with semantic emphasis on boundary points and ultimate limits, later broadening to abstract extremes like extreme weather or extreme measures in political discourse. In contemporary English, extremes is common in analytical, scientific, and rhetorical contexts, emphasizing divergence from a central tendency or normative standard.
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Words that rhyme with "extremes"
-ees sounds
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