3 syllables: fin, ger, prints. Stress on fin.
FING-gur-prints
/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnts/
fingerprints is pronounced FING-gur-prints (/ˈfɪŋɡɚˌpɹɪnts/). It has three syllables (fin-ger-prints), with the stress on "fin". Fingerprints are the unique patterns formed by the ridges on the surface of the fingertips, traditionally used for individual identification. The term refers both to the physical ridges and to the records or images produced from them. In legal and forensic contexts, fingerprints are analyzed for matching with known prints, while in everyday speech it denotes the plural of fingerprint. The concept encompasses dermatoglyphics and the notion of personal uniqueness.
Fingerprints are the unique patterns formed by the ridges on the surface of the fingertips, traditionally used for individual identification. The term refers both to the physical ridges and to the records or images produced from them. In legal and forensic contexts, fingerprints are analyzed for matching with known prints, while in everyday speech it denotes the plural of fingerprint. The concept encompasses dermatoglyphics and the notion of personal uniqueness.
- You might merge /ŋɡə/ into a single sound like /ŋɡə/ without a clear pause; work on separating the syllables /ˈfɪŋɡə/ and /ˌprɪnts/. - Another common issue is misplacing the secondary stress on /prɪnts/, leading to /ˈfɪŋɡrɪnts/ or /ˈfɪŋɡəˈprɪnts/; practice with rhythm drills to feel the two-stress pattern. - Finally, some speakers insert an extra vowel or elongate /ɪ/ in the first syllable, producing /ˈfɪŋɡəːr/; keep a short, crisp /ɪ/ and avoid overlong vowels.
"The detective collected fingerprints from the crime scene to help identify the suspect."
"Her prints were carefully lifted and compared against the database of fingerprints."
"He pressed his finger onto the ink pad and then on the paper to take his fingerprints."
Pronounce as /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnts/ (US/UK) with primary stress on the first syllable of finger and secondary stress on the middle syllable. Start with 'FIN' as in finger but shorter, then a light 'gah' in the second syllable, and end with 'prints' like 'prints'. In careful speech you might segment as /ˈfɪŋ.ɡəˌprɪnts/ to reflect the two main word parts. Mouth positions: /ˈf/ (lip-to-teeth), /ɪ/ near-high front lax, /ŋ/ velar nasal, /ɡ/ hard g, /ə/ schwa, /prɪnts/ with /p/ aspirated, /r/ approximant, /ɪ/ then /nts/.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing primary stress, saying /ˈfɪŋ.dɝˌprints/ or spreading stress wrong with the middle syllable; correct with /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnts/. (2) Slurring /ŋɡə/ into a single /ŋɡə/ cluster; practice separating the /ŋ/ and /ɡ/ with a brief stop. (3) Mispronouncing the /ɪ/ in the final syllables as /iː/ or /ɪə/; keep a short /ɪ/. Focus on crisp /prɪnts/ without adding vowels after /r/. Use minimal pairs and chunking.
US: /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnts/ with rhotic /ɹ/ in 'prints' and a clear schwa in the middle. UK: /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnts/ similar but non-rhotic tendency in some speakers making the /r/ less pronounced. AU: /ˈfɪŋɡəˌprɪnts/ similar to US but with Australian vowel qualities, often a slightly broader /ɪ/ and more centralized /ə/ in the middle syllable. Across accents, the major variance is rhoticity and vowel length; stress placement remains on the first syllable, and the /ɡ/ and /r/ articulation can differ slightly in tempo and rounding.
Because it combines a nasal cluster (/ŋɡ/), a mid-length syllable break, and a consecutive 'pr' cluster, which can blur into /ŋɡɹ/ for non-native speakers. The middle syllable /ə/ can be reduced, causing 'fingerprints' to sound like 'fin-guards' if rushed. The stress is multi-part (primary on first syllable, secondary on the middle), so inaccurate syllable grouping reduces intelligibility. Practice with deliberate segmenting and exercises that isolate the /ŋɡ/ and /pr/ transitions.
A distinctive feature is the clear separation between the root 'finger' and the suffix 'prints', producing a noticeable pause-like rhythm in careful speech: /ˈfɪŋɡə/ + /ˌprɪnts/. The middle vowel /ə/ often reduces to a schwa in fast speech, but maintaining a light /ə/ helps preserve the two-morpheme structure, aiding accuracy in both listening and speaking contexts.
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US: emphasize rhotic /ɹ/ in 'prints' when followed by a vowel in connected speech; keep /ɪ/ as in 'sit'. UK: non-rhotic tendencies can make /r/ weaker or silent; you still stress the first syllable and keep /ɪ/ and /ɡ/ crisp. AU: slight vowel broadening; maintain clear /ɡə/ in the middle and a tight /prɪnts/; watch for broader /ɪ/ and a softer /t/ or unreleased /n/ depending on speed. Use IPA references and mirror native speakers.
The word fingerprint derives from the combination of finger + print. The earliest form existed in English as a descriptive compound in the 17th–18th centuries, referring to the unique ridges on a person’s fingers. The concept itself, however, goes back much further in ethnology and forensics. The term print has long denoted a mark or impression made by pressure, while finger identifies the hand’s digits. Dermatoglyphics, the study of skin ridge patterns, gained scholarly attention in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the practical use of fingerprints for identification emerged in the late 1800s in Britain and the United States. The modern forensic emphasis on fingerprint analysis, classification, and databases began to formalize during the early-to-mid 20th century with legal systems adopting standardized methods for dusting, lifting, and comparing prints. The plural form fingerprints simply indicates multiple ridge impressions from one or more fingers.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "fingerprints" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "fingerprints" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "fingerprints"
-nts sounds
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