2 syllables: fen, ces. Stress on fen.
/ˈfɛn.sɪz/
Say it backFences is the plural of fence, referring to barriers or enclosures typically made of wood, wire, or metal. In everyday use it denotes multiple physical barriers or, metaphorically, barriers or boundaries. The word often appears in contexts of property, security, or landscapes and can also describe a division in a game or sport. Pronunciation emphasizes a clear /f/ onset and a final /z/ sonority.
"The garden now has new white fences along the property line."
"We debated whether the fences around the park should be taller."
"The players formed two fences to block the ball."
Pronounce as /ˈfɛn.sɪz/ in US/UK/AU English. Start with a labiodental /f/ followed by a short stressed /e/ in /ˈfɛn/. The second syllable uses a lax /sɪ/ plus a voiced /z/ at the end. The sequence should feel tight, with the alveolar /n/ tongue contact before the /s/ and /z/. Emphasize the first syllable but keep the final /z/ audible, not devoiced. IPA: /ˈfɛn.sɪz/.
Common mistakes include reducing the second syllable to /s/ or /z/ to an unclear /ɪ/ length, or making the first syllable too quick without proper /ɛ/ quality. Another error is a trailing /s/ or /z/ merge: you might say /ˈfɛn.zɪz/ with a bright /z/ blending into the /s/. Correct by clearly articulating /n/ before /s/ and finishing with a voiced /z/. Ensure the /e/ in /fɛn/ is pronounced as a mid-front vowel rather than a schwa.
In US English, you’ll hear a full /ˈfɛn.sɪz/ with a clear /ɛ/. UK listeners often produce a similar pattern but with a slightly clipped /s/ and less vowel reduction in connected speech. Australian English tends to be vowel-tilted toward /æ/ or a broad /e/ depending on speaker; the final /z/ remains voiced. Across accents, the /f/ onset and /n/ consonant are stable, but vowel quality and the speed of the second syllable differ.
The difficulty stems from the two consonant clusters: the nasal /n/ before the /s/ and the final voiced /z/ after /s/. Many learners blur the /s/ and /z/ or pronounce /fɛn sɪz/ as two separate, unconnected sounds. The key is to keep the /s/ crisp and ensure the /z/ is voiced and smooth, with the tongue transitioning from alveolar /n/ to /s/ to /z/ without a glottal stop.
No. In standard pronunciation, all letters are pronounced: /f/ + /ɛ/ + /n/ + /s/ + /ɪ/ + /z/. The /s/ is not silent; it participates in the onset of the final /z/ cluster. Metaphorically, some speakers may reduce the /ɪ/ slightly in fast speech, but the final /z/ remains voiced and audible.
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Fence comes from Middle English fence, from Old French fence, from Latin vindere ‘to win’? Not accurate. In fact, the etymology: Fence derives from Old English fens, related to fēns, from Proto-Germanic *fãna-? This entry should be corrected: The word fence originates from Old English fens, which meant ‘a fortified boundary, enclosure, or hedge,’ from Proto-Germanic *fana- meaning ‘enclosure.’ The plural -s is a standard English plural suffix added in Middle English. Fences as enclosures became common as human communities fenced land to protect crops and livestock, later expanding to property demarcation and decorative garden borders. By the 14th–15th centuries, fences described structures of planks, palings, or rails used to enclose courts, fields, or yards. In modern usage, fences refer to any vertical barrier, often including wire or chain-link varieties, serving security, privacy, or boundary definition. The term has broadened metaphorically (e.g., fences between siblings, social fences). First known written usage appears in Middle English texts around the late 1200s to early 1300s, with evolving spelling variants such as fenges and fenes, before stabilizing as fences in Early Modern English.
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Words that rhyme with "fences"
-nse sounds
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