2 syllables: fish, ers. Stress on fish.
FISH-urz
/ˈfɪʃɚz/
fishers is pronounced FISH-urz (/ˈfɪʃɚz/). It has two syllables (fish-ers), with the stress on "fish". Fishers is the plural of fisher, meaning people who catch fish or engage in commercial or recreational fishing. The term can also refer to individuals who trade or deal in fish or the act of fishing itself in certain contexts. In standard usage, the plural noun denotes multiple practitioners or instances of fishing-related activity.
Fishers is the plural of fisher, meaning people who catch fish or engage in commercial or recreational fishing. The term can also refer to individuals who trade or deal in fish or the act of fishing itself in certain contexts. In standard usage, the plural noun denotes multiple practitioners or instances of fishing-related activity.
- You might over-articulate the second syllable, saying /ɪʃərz/ or /ɪʃɜːrz/. Solution: compress to /ɪʃəz/ or /ˈfɪʃərz/ with a quick schwa and a voiced final /z/. - The initial /f/ or /ɪ/ could be clearly heard but the following /ʃ/ softening; ensure the /ʃ/ remains strong but lands into a short vowel. - Final consonant: many say a soft /s/ or /z/ without voicing; ensure voicing by gently vibrating the vocal cords for /z/. Practice by humming and voicing before the /z/.
"The fishers along the coast organized a cooperative to market their catch."
"A few fishers passed by the pier at dawn, mending nets between hauls."
"Historically, fishers used simple sails and hooks before mechanized gear became common."
US: /ˈfɪʃərz/ with primary stress on FISH, the second syllable reduced to schwa, and a final /z/ voiced zibilization. UK/AU often render as /ˈfɪʃəz/ with a lighter second syllable; final consonant voiced /z/. In careful speech, you’ll articulate /ˈfɪʃərz/ in US and /ˈfɪʃəz/ in UK/AU. Mouth position: lips neutral to light rounding, tongue high for /ɪ/, mid-central for schwa, teeth-on-lips for /f/ stop, and alveolar /ʃ/ mid-palate. Audio reference: imagine “fish” plus a gentle “-erz” tail. IPA: US /ˈfɪʃərz/, UK/AU /ˈfɪʃəz/.
Common errors: (1) Pronouncing as ‘fish-ers’ with a full /ər/ in the second syllable, instead of a reduced schwa; (2) Final /s/ or /z/ misarticulation—often a voiceless /s/ or an unclear /z/. Correction: reduce the middle vowel to a schwa /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on accent, and finish with a clear voiced /z/: /ˈfɪʃəz/ or /ˈfɪʃərz/. (3) Misplacing stress by weakening the first syllable; ensure primary stress on FISH. Practice with minimal pairs like fishers vs fissers (if applicable) to isolate vowel and consonant timing.
US tends to maintain a clear /ə/ in the second syllable and a pronounced /r/ in rhotic dialects, yielding /ˈfɪʃərz/. UK often reduces to /ˈfɪʃəz/ with less rhoticity and a softer /r/ or non-rhotic r. Australian English mirrors UK patterns but with subtle vowel quality shifts where /ɪ/ in FISH can be slightly more centralized; final /z/ remains voiced. Across all, the key is first syllable emphasis and a consonant-final /z/; regional vowel shifts mainly affect the middle vowel and rhotics.
The difficulty lies in the quick reduction from /ər/ to a schwa and the transition from an /ʃ/ consonant cluster immediately followed by /ər/ or /əz/. Many speakers over-articulate the second syllable or fail to voice the final /z/, leading to /ˈfɪʃɚ/ or /ˈfɪʃəs/. Practicing the glide from /ʃ/ to a softened vowel and ensuring the final alveolar fricative is voiced help stabilize pronunciation across accents.
The word hinges on a predictable rhotic jewel: the second syllable centers around a reduced vowel that blends with a voiced final /z/. The challenge is not the consonants but the vowel reduction sequence between /ʃ/ and /ər/ or /əz/. Paying attention to the smooth transition, carrying the voice forward into the final /z/ without sibilant tightening yields a natural, native-like flow.
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- US: rhotic with a clear /ɹ/ in /ər/ sequence; keep the second syllable relaxed. - UK: reduced r, so /ˈfɪʃəz/ with non-rhoticity; the middle vowel may be more centralized. - AU: similar to UK with slightly broader diphthongs and a softer /ɪ/; final /z/ is voiced. - IPA anchors: /ˈfɪʃərz/ (US), /ˈfɪʃəz/ (UK/AU). - Key differences: rhoticity, middle vowel height, and how much the second syllable is reduced.
The word fisher originates from Old English fiscere, from fisc ‘fish’ with the agentive suffix -ere, indicating a person who engages in a specified activity. The plural form fishers emerged through standard English pluralization by adding -s to fisher, a noun derived from a verb-like agent noun process. The semantic shift from a generic ‘fisher’ to a broader term for anyone who fish or works in fishing contexts occurred gradually, with early usages often tied to specific roles (netmaker, fish buyer) that later coalesced under the umbrella of ‘fisher.’ In modern usage, fishers appears in formal or technical contexts (ecology, fisheries management) and can also be encountered in historical texts describing coastal communities. The first recorded uses align with the medieval period when guilds and occupational designations crystallized, though the exact earliest instance is regionally varied across Old and Middle English manuscripts. Overall, fishers retains the core meaning of “people who fish” with plural emphasis on multiple individuals or groups engaged in fishing activities.
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Words that rhyme with "fishers"
-ers sounds
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