3 syllables: god, dess, es. Stress on god.
GAH-duh-siz
/ˈɡɑdəsɪz/
goddesses is pronounced GAH-duh-siz (/ˈɡɑdəsɪz/). It has three syllables (god-dess-es), with the stress on "god". Goddesses is the plural of goddess, referring to female deities. In everyday use it means multiple divine feminine figures; in mythology or fantasy contexts it can imply powerful, revered women. The word carries a formal, mythic tone and is commonly encountered in literature, religious discourse, and fantasy writing.
Goddesses is the plural of goddess, referring to female deities. In everyday use it means multiple divine feminine figures; in mythology or fantasy contexts it can imply powerful, revered women. The word carries a formal, mythic tone and is commonly encountered in literature, religious discourse, and fantasy writing.
- Misplacing stress: saying GOD-dess-es or goDD-ess-es instead of GOD-des-ses. Fix by practicing tri-syllabic rhythm and marking syllable stress: /ˈɡɒd/ /ɪ/ /ˌses/? Ensure the second syllable is brief and the third lands with a crisp /z/. - Weak middle vowel: treating /ɪ/ as a schwa or stretching it too long, resulting in muddled middle syllable. Correct by keeping the middle vowel short and quick. - Final consonant misarticulation: final /ɪz/ reduces to /ɪ/ or /z/ alone; or turning into /ɪs/. Practice clear /ɪz/ or /əz/ depending on stress and speed, not a reduced sound.
"The ancient tribe honored their goddesses at a moonlit ceremony."
"In the epic, several goddesses guide the hero on his quest."
"She was celebrated as a goddess among the village, and her wisdom was revered."
Pronounce as /ˈɡɒd.ɪˌsɪz/ in US and UK variants; commonly articulated as GOD-uh-siz, with strong initial stress on GOD and a light, final -sɪz. The middle syllable often reduces to a quick 'ɪ' sound. In careful speech, separate the three phonemes into /ˈɡɒd/ /ɪ/ /ˌsɪz/; in connected speech the middle vowel may be a schwa. For an audio reference, listen to [Pronounce] or Forvo entries for 'goddesses'.
Common errors include misplacing stress by saying GOD-uh-SIZ or GOH-duss-iz; under-pronouncing the -d- in the first syllable, producing GOD-dess-iz; and linking the second and third syllables too loosely, turning /ɪs/ into /əzi/. Correct by emphasizing the first syllable, clearly enunciating /d/ in GOD-des, and ensuring final /ɪz/ is crisp (not /əz/). Practice with slow, then normal pace, then with sentence contexts.
US and UK typically share /ˈɡɒd.ɪˌsɪz/ with initial /ɡ/ and a light /ɪ/ in the middle; US closer to /ˈɡɑː.dɪˌsiz/ in some dialects, with broader vowel in 'god' and a stronger final /z/. Australian speech often reduces the second syllable slightly more and maintains a clear /ɪ/ before /z/, sometimes with less rhoticity affecting the /ˈɡɒd/ onset in some speakers. Pay attention to vowel quality rather than ending consonant.
Three main challenges: tri-syllabic rhythm with three stressed-ish segments; the cluster /d/ followed by a reduced /ɪ/ can cause a tensing in the jaw; and final /ɪz/ often devoices or reduces in rapid speech. Maintain an articulate /d/ in the first syllable, steady secondary stress on the third syllable, and clear /z/ or /s/ in the final sound to avoid a muffled ending.
The word combines a voiced alveolar stop /d/ before a reduced mid vowel and a voiced final /z/, with a primary stress on the first syllable. Users often search for guidance on placing stress and avoiding mispronunciations like 'god-dess-es' or 'godd-ess-es'. Emphasize GOD-dɪ-sɪz and provide concrete phoneme-by-phoneme cues to fix common slips in connected speech.
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- US: maintain strong /ɡ/ initial, middle /ɪ/ as a quick vowel, final /z/ with voiced quality. - UK: often slightly rounded vowel in /ɒ/ and a crisper /d/; prefer slower middle vowel. - AU: non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; keep final /z/ distinct; ensure non-rhotic influence does not reduce /ɒ/ too much. IPA guides: US /ˈɡɒd.ɪˌsɪz/, UK /ˈɡɒd.ə.sɪz/ or /ˈɡɒd.ɪˌsɪz/, AU /ˈɡɒd.ɪˌsɪz/; monitor vowel height and rhoticity while keeping a clear /d/.
Goddess is from Old English gōd + dnysse, evolving from Proto-Germanic goddessan- (root *gud- 'that which is godly' combined with feminine -dōtiz/-dnysse). The plural form goddesses adds the standard English plural -es to a native stem, following the pattern of other feminine agent nouns. The term has Mosaic-era usage in medieval Christian and pre-Christian contexts, where goddesses were identified as feminine divine beings. Over centuries, the word retained mythic, reverential connotations and broadened to describe female deities in Hindu, Greek, Norse, and other mythologies, as well as metaphorical uses in literature and pop culture. First known use appears in Old English texts, with later attestations in Middle English covenants and religious tracts, where scholars consistently distinguish between masculine gods and feminine goddesses as separate concepts. The semantic expansion reflects evolving religious landscape and literary practice, allowing modern usage to encompass both actual mythic figures and symbolic femininity. Modern usage often denotes plural reverence or collective feminine power in mythic or fantasy contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "goddesses" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "goddesses"
-ic) sounds
-me) sounds
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