2 syllables: fig, ures. Stress on fig.
/ˈfɪɡjɚz/
Say it backFigurES is the plural of figure, meaning numerical representations, diagrams, or notable persons. In pronunciation, it is a two-syllable word with primary stress on the first syllable: FIG-ures. It functions across contexts (numerical data, graphical figures, and people named or referred to as figures) and often carries a neutral to formal tone depending on surrounding language.
"The accountant presented the figures for the quarter in a clear chart."
"Researchers examined the figures to estimate population growth."
"In the art class, the figures on the chalkboard showed variations in pose."
Say FIG-ures with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈfɪɡ·jɚz/, UK /ˈfɪɡ·jəz/, AU /ˈfɪɡ·jəz/. Begin with a crisp /f/ followed by a short /ɪ/. The /ɡ/ should be a distinct, released stop, then /j/ glide into the schwa /ɚ/ (US) or /ə/ (UK/AU) before the final /z/.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the /ɡj/ cluster into /dʒ/ or not releasing the /ɡ/ clearly, (2) treating the second syllable as /ɜːr/ or /ɜː/, (3) reducing the first syllable too much so it sounds like FIT-ures. Correction: release the /ɡ/ clearly then glide into /j/ before a clear schwa or /ə/; keep /ɪ/ short and not reduced; finish with a crisp /z/.
US tends to a rhotacized final vowel /ɚ/ before /z/, i.e., /ˈfɪɡ.jɚz/. UK typically uses /ˈfɪɡ.jəz/ with a non-rhotic ending and a shorter /ə/; AU often mirrors US but with a less pronounced rhotic vowel and flatter vowel quality, /ˈfɪɡ.jəz/.
Two challenges: the /ɡj/ cluster in the middle requires a placed/quick glide from /ɡ/ to /j/ without introducing an intrusive vowel; and the ending /ərz/ (US) vs /əz/ (UK/AU) demands precise schwa realization and final z voicing. Practicing with minimal pairs helps the transition: /fɪɡ/ vs /fiːɡ/ and ensuring the release of /ɡ/ is audible.
Is the ‘s’ in ‘figures’ always voiced, or does it sometimes sound like /z/ vs /s/? Answer: In most varieties the final /z/ is voiced, giving /ˈfɪɡ.jɚz/ or /ˈfɪɡ.jəz/. In careful pronunciation or some dialects the ending may be devoiced to /s/ in rapid speech, though this is less common.
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Figure derives from Middle English figoure, from Old French figure, from Latin figura, meaning ‘appearance, form, shape, figure, representation.’ The root is fig- meaning ‘to form, shape, image,’ linked to Greek eidos ‘form, shape’ via Latin. Early uses in English referred to the outward form or appearance of something. By the 14th century, it broadened to denote a form or representation in various media (statues, diagrams, numerical representations). The plural figures entered common usage to denote multiple representations or numerical entries, while figurative senses (persons of importance) developed through metaphorical extension. Over time, figures became a general term for people of note (as in notable figures) and for numerical values in accounting and science, with the word also appearing in mathematical and statistical contexts. First known written attestations appear in Middle English legal and scholastic texts, then extending into modern usage across many disciplines.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "figures" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "figures"
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