grips
/ɡɹɪps/
grips is pronounced grips (/ɡɹɪps/). Grips is the plural noun or verb form of grip, meaning the act of grasping something firmly or the devices or surfaces that provide a firm hold. As a noun, it refers to handles or clamps designed to hold objects, while as a verb it describes the action of seizing or gripping with force. In usage, you might talk about the grips on a tool or how a athlete keeps their grips during performance.
Grips is the plural noun or verb form of grip, meaning the act of grasping something firmly or the devices or surfaces that provide a firm hold. As a noun, it refers to handles or clamps designed to hold objects, while as a verb it describes the action of seizing or gripping with force. In usage, you might talk about the grips on a tool or how a athlete keeps their grips during performance.
"The gymnast tightened her grips before swinging to the bar."
"He wears padded grips to improve his hold on the racket."
"The tool’s rubberized grips help prevent slipping."
/ɡrɪps/, with a hard /ɡ/ onset, a short lax vowel /ɪ/ as in ship, and an final /ps/ cluster where the /p/ is released into an unvoiced /s/. Stress falls on the single syllable. If you need an audio cue, imagine the sound sequence in “grips” as if saying /ɡrɪ/ quickly and then finishing with /ps/.
Two common errors: adding a vowel between /ɡ/ and /r/ (saying ‘gri-rps’) or turning /ps/ into an audible pause or /p/ only. Another is de-voicing the final /s/, making /ps/ sound like /p/ or /s/ alone. Correct by keeping /g/ + /r/ as a tight onset, then release /p/ into /s/ quickly and crisply without extra voicing. Practice with a mirror to ensure lip and tongue positions stay compact.
In US, UK, and AU, /ɡrɪps/ remains similar: initial /ɡ/ and /r/ combination with short /ɪ/ vowel. Rhoticity does not alter the word in most sessions, but final /s/ can be slightly crisper in US due to stronger final sibilant. UK and AU might have marginally less vowel reduction in connected speech, keeping /ɪ/ more defined. Overall, the core segments stay stable; accent variation is mainly in the surrounding syllables.
The difficulty lies in the final /ps/ cluster: you release a voiceless /p/ into a voiceless /s/ without a voiced transition, which is easy to blur in fast speech. Keep the /p/ release crisp and immediately spatulate into /s/ with no vowel between. The /ɡr/ onset also requires precise tongue root backing and a quick, compact gesture for /r/ if you use an American rhotic /ɹ/.
Remember the word is single-syllable with a tight onset and a crisp coda. Do not insert a vowel between /ɡ/ and /r/ and avoid delaying the /s/ after /p/. Quick tip: rehearse with a tiny pinch of air after /p/ to avoid voicing, then slide into /s/—you’ll hear the clean, clipped final s. Use a rapid, small jaw movement to compress the sonority of /ɡr/ before the /ɪ/ vowel sound.
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Grips originated in Middle English from the verb grip, derived from Old English gripan, meaning to seize or grasp. The noun sense, denoting a handle or device offering a secure hold, emerged from the tangible idea of something one can grip. The verb form expands into figurative uses such as ‘to grip’ someone’s attention, reflecting the sense of holding or detaining. Over time, ‘grips’ as a plural noun locked into contexts like tools, sporting equipment, and safety devices, while the verb remains productive in both present and past forms. First documented uses appear in early English texts as references to grasp or seize, with semantic evolution aligning to everyday objects that provide purchase or traction. In modern usage, grips are ubiquitous in sports, carpentry, and machinery, with the term often prefixed by adjectives denoting material or texture (rubber grips, leather grips, textured grips). The plural form frequently occurs in catalogs, manuals, and sports commentary, illustrating the versatile, concrete nature of the word while maintaining its central action of grasping or holding. The overall word has retained a stable core meaning across centuries: the action or device that secures a firm hold.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "grips" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "grips" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "grips"
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