Groceries is a plural noun referring to items bought for daily use, especially food and household supplies. It denotes the commodities purchased in a grocery store and is commonly used in casual and formal contexts. The term emphasizes items for everyday consumption and household needs, rather than specialized or bulk goods.
"I need to stock up on groceries after work."
"The groceries are heavier than I expected."
"She forgot to add groceries to the shopping list."
"We split the groceries between our two households to save money."
Groceries comes from the plural of grocery, which derives from the French grocier, itself from gros (large) via the medieval Latin grosarius, describing a wholesale merchant who sells goods in bulk. The term in English evolved in the 15th–16th centuries to denote merchants who traded in foods and commodities. By the 17th century, grocery referred to the shop or the business itself, and by the 18th–19th centuries, it narrowed to the stuff sold in those shops, especially provisions and edible goods. The modern sense of “groceries” as everyday food and household items reflects the evolution from general trade goods to consumer staples, with usage concentrated around supermarket shopping in the 20th century. First known use as “grocer’s goods” appeared in Middle English texts, later contracting to “groceries” as the pluralized category of items bought by households.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Groceries"
-ies sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce GROH-suh-reez with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US: /ˈɡroʊ.sə.riːz/; UK/AUS tendency often /ˈɡrəʊ.sə.riːz/ or /ˈɡrəʊ.sər.ɪz/. The middle syllable is a schwa, light and quick, and the final -ees is elongated slightly in careful speech. Tip: keep the mouth rounded for the /oʊ/ in the first syllable, then relax into /ə/ before the /riːz/.
Common errors: 1) Stressing the second syllable (/ɡroʊˈsə.riːz/). 2) Flattening the /ɡroʊ/ to /ɡro/ or mispronouncing /riːz/ as /riz/. 3) An over-clear /r/ or not reducing the middle syllable. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable, pronounce the middle as a light /ə/ (schwa), and end with a clear /riːz/ for accuracy.
US tends to /ˈɡroʊ.sə.riːz/ with a strong rhotic /r/. UK and AU often reduce the second syllable /ˈɡrəʊ.sə.riːz/ or /ˈɡrəʊ.sər.iz/, with less rhoticity in some speakers and a more rounded /əʊ/ in the first syllable. Final vowel remains /iːz/ in many varieties. In fast speech, the middle /ə/ may become a near-schwa or even disappear, producing /ˈɡroʊˌriːz/ in some casual contexts.
Key difficulties: the sequence of vowels in three syllables—/roʊ/ or /rəʊ/ then /ə/ then /riːz/—requires quick, light schwa in the middle and a long /riːz/ ending. The difference between /roʊ/ and /rəʊ/ can be subtle, and non-rhotic tendencies in UK/AU may alter the middle vowel. Additionally, blending the syllables without a clear pause can cause mis-stress or a run-on feel. Practice by isolating each sound and then linking them smoothly.
In many phrases, you’ll hear groceries followed by a possessive or determiners (my groceries, groceries shopping). The plural form ends with a voiced consonant cluster /riːz/ and can influence the preceding vowel length. Stress remains on the first syllable even in phrases, so you’ll say GROS-er-ees. Note the difference between grocery (singular) and groceries (plural) where the extra syllable is pronounced with schwa.
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