One syllable: goss.
gaws
/ɡɔs/
goss is pronounced gaws (/ɡɔs/). It has one syllable (goss), with the stress on "goss". Goss is a short, often slangy term for gossip or casual chatter. In some dialects it can appear as a clipped noun or verb form meaning to talk informally or spread rumors. The word’s brevity gives it a brisk, informal feel, typically used in casual conversation or social settings.
Goss is a short, often slangy term for gossip or casual chatter. In some dialects it can appear as a clipped noun or verb form meaning to talk informally or spread rumors. The word’s brevity gives it a brisk, informal feel, typically used in casual conversation or social settings.
"• She’s got a lot of goss to share after lunch."
"• Stop gossing and get back to work."
"• They goss about coworkers during breaks."
goss is pronounced with a hard /ɡ/ as in 'go,' followed by a short, lax /ɒ/ vowel in British-influenced varieties or /ɑ/ in some American accents, and a final /s/. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ɡɒs/ or /ɡɑs/ depending on dialect. It is a single syllable, with no vowel length distinction in most casual speech. Mouth position: start with the back of the tongue raised toward the soft palate for /ɡ/, then a relaxed open-mid vowel, and finish with the unvoiced /s/.
Common mispronunciations include elongating the vowel into /ɒː/ or pronouncing /ɡ/ and /s/ separately as a two-syllable word. Also some speakers substitute /ɔ/ or /ɑ/ before /s/. Correction: use a quick, clipped /ɡ/ onset, a short lax vowel like /ɒ/ (not /ɔː/), and a clean final /s/ without voicing. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘gos’ (not a real word) and ‘loss’ to feel the closing /s/ without adding extra vowel.”,
In US speech, /ɡɑs/ or /ɡɒs/ with a lax short vowel and non-rhotic or rhotic influence depending on regional accent. UK English often uses /ɡɒs/, with a shorter, more clipped vowel; Australian tends toward /ɡɒs/ with slightly broader vowel quality but still short. The key differences are vowel height and backness: US may lean toward /ɑ/ in some regions, UK/AU toward /ɒ/. The final /s/ remains unvoiced. Stress remains on the single syllable across regions.
The difficulty lies in maintaining a crisp, short vowel and a clean final /s/ in fast speech, without inserting a vowel or glottal stop. Some speakers replace /ɡ/ with /d/ or blend the vowel into a schwa, leading to ‘guhs’ or ‘gos.’ Also, in rapid chat or slang usage, the final /s/ may devoice or be dropped, changing to /ɡɒ/ or /ɡɑ/ depending on region. Focus on keeping a tight bite on /ɡ/ and a compact /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ before a sharp /s/.
A practical tip: rehearse saying /ɡ/ with a brief, explosive release, then land into a quick, closed /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ followed immediately by /s/. Practice with rapid, one-syllable phrases like “goss now” or “goss mill” in a tight rhythm to train the mouth to stay compact and avoid vowel intrusion. Tap your tongue to the alveolar ridge for the /s/ and avoid voicing on the final consonant.
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US: /ɡɑs/ with a lax, open back vowel; avoid rounding the lips. UK: /ɡɒs/ with a short, open-back vowel; tongue slightly lower, lips neutral. AU: /ɡɒs/ similar to UK but with a bit more centralized vowel quality and faster tempo in casual speech. All require a crisp onset /ɡ/ with no aspirated release into a vowel and a clear final /s/. Remember rhoticity generally doesn’t affect this word; the key is keeping the vowel compact and the final /s/ unvoiced. Practice with minimal pair contrasts such as “goss” vs “gos” and “gosh” to monitor vowel movement.
Goss likely derives from the shortening and clipping of ‘gossip,’ a word that entered English in the 14th century via the Old English gossebonda or gosipe, originally meaning godparent or godparent-like talk in the sense of social chatter at gatherings. By the 16th century, ‘gossip’ had evolved to denote intimate talk about others, often with a sense of idle or sensational chatter. The form ‘goss’ emerged as a clipped, informal derivative or slang variant in 19th–20th century English, particularly in American urban speech and now occasionally in British informal registers. While not always listed as a standard dictionary form, ‘goss’ has circulated in speech as a quick, punchy stand-in for ‘gossip,’ sometimes as a noun (the goss) or as a verb (to goss) in casual dialogue. The sense remains tied to sharing unverified or entertaining information about people, often in social contexts. The word’s capitalization and usage align with its colloquial, nonstandard status, and it tends to appear in informal writing or speech, not formal prose or academic discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "goss"
-oss sounds
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