One syllable: flasks.
flasks
/flæsks/
flasks is pronounced flasks (/flæsks/). It has one syllable (flasks), with the stress on "flasks". Flasks is the plural form of flask, meaning a small, narrow-mouthed container, often used to hold liquids. In general usage it refers to metal or glass vessels, including laboratory flasks or hip flasks. The word conveys a precise, technical or instructional tone when discussing containers, but can also appear in casual conversation when referring to drinks.
Flasks is the plural form of flask, meaning a small, narrow-mouthed container, often used to hold liquids. In general usage it refers to metal or glass vessels, including laboratory flasks or hip flasks. The word conveys a precise, technical or instructional tone when discussing containers, but can also appear in casual conversation when referring to drinks.
"The chemist filled several flasks with the reagent before the experiment."
"She tucked the metal flasks into her bag for the hiking trip."
"The researcher organized the flasks by size on the lab bench."
US: /flæːsks/ or more commonly /flæːsks/ with a short a as in 'cat' and final cluster /skz/ near-silent z; many speakers articulate as /flæskz/ in rapid speech. Stress on the single syllable, starting with the /f/ and ending with /z/ after /k/. UK/AU commonly produce /flɑːsks/ or /flæsks/, with a slightly longer vowel in RP-like accents; the final /ks/ cluster remains. In all varieties, you’ll want a crisp /s/ before /k/ and a clear release into /z/ in fast speech.
Common errors include whitening the vowel (smacking a long /i:/ sound as in 'flasks' vs 'flasks'), misproducing the /sk/ cluster as /s/ or /sk/ with a heavy /z/ at the end. Another mistake is adding an extra syllable or softening the /l/ into a loaned /l/ that glides. To correct: keep a compact /fl/ onset, ensure /l/ is light and not displacing the vowel, and land the /sk/ cluster tightly before a small final /z/ sound.
US: /flæskz/ with a short flat /a/ in 'cat'-like vowel; UK: /flɑːsks/ optionally bringing a longer /ɑː/ before the /s/; AU: similar to US but with less vowel height difference, often closer to /flæsks/ in some speakers. The primary difference lies in vowel quality of the /a/ or /ɑː/ and the presence or absence of rhotic r influence (none here). The final /z/ is pronounced in all as a voiced alveolar fricative, but may be devoiced in rapid speech.
The difficulty sits in the rapid /l/ and the /sk/ cluster leading into a voiced /z/. The transition from a light /l/ to /s/ requires tight tongue positioning; followed by /k/ to /z/ is a rapid articulation with a small release—often a source of slurring in connected speech. Practicing the sequence /fl/ + /æ/ + /sk/ + /z/ helps maintain clean consonants and prevents blending.
Flasks ends with an /ks/ + /z/ combination that can be slightly nasalized or devoiced depending on context and speed. In careful speech, you’ll maintain two distinct closures: /k/ then /z/. In casual speech, the /s/ in /ks/ may merge with the following /z/, sounding like /flæskz/ or /flæz/. Pay attention to the place of articulation: /k/ is velar, /z/ is alveolar, with a smooth transition.
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Flask comes from the Middle English flasken, which likely derived from the Old French esplasce or esflasque, related to esfluere meaning to pour out? The direct lineage is somewhat uncertain, but several signatures clarify its evolution. In early English, flask appears as a small bottle or skin for carrying liquids. By the 16th century, its usage broadened to describe a narrow-mouthed bottle made of metal or glass, especially in scientific settings. The modern sense of a portable container for liquids, including the more specialized laboratory flask, emerged as chemistry and alchemy gained prominence. The term also crosses into everyday objects like hip flasks, which developed in the 18th and 19th centuries as discreet metal containers for spirits. Overall, the word has maintained its core meaning of a small, often portable vessel designed to hold liquids, with technological and social adaptations over time.
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Words that rhyme with "flasks"
-sks sounds
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