2 syllables: gro, cers. Stress on gro.
GROH-surz
/ˈɡɹoʊsɚz/
grocers is pronounced GROH-surz (/ˈɡɹoʊsɚz/). It has two syllables (gro-cers), with the stress on "gro". Grocers refers to people or businesses that sell food and other household items in small quantities, typically in retailers like corner stores or markets. The term emphasizes the trade of groceries rather than the store itself. In everyday use, “grocers” can describe multiple shopkeepers or the retailers collectively within the grocery trade.
Grocers refers to people or businesses that sell food and other household items in small quantities, typically in retailers like corner stores or markets. The term emphasizes the trade of groceries rather than the store itself. In everyday use, “grocers” can describe multiple shopkeepers or the retailers collectively within the grocery trade.
"The grocers on Main Street offer a wide range of fresh produce."
"She worked as a grocer before moving into wholesale food distribution."
"The grocers organized a small farmers’ market outside the town hall."
Pronounce it as GROH-sers in US and GROH-səz in non-rhotic British style. The primary stress is on the first syllable: /ˈɡroʊsərz/ (US) or /ˈɡrəʊsəz/ (UK). The middle vowel is a short /ə/ in many varieties, and the final -ers is often pronounced as /ərz/ in American speech and /əz/ or /ɪz/ in some UK variants. Ensure the /gr/ cluster has a firm onset, then glide into the first syllable vowel. Saying it as two clear syllables GRO-ers helps listeners distinguish it from similar words like ‘growers.’ Audio references: you can listen on Forvo or YouGlish to hear regional variations.
Common mistakes include saying /ˈɡroʊɡərz/ with a hard /g/ in the second syllable or merging the /s/ into the second syllable, making /ˈɡroʊsər/ instead of the plural /ˈɡroʊsərz/. Some speakers also reduce the first vowel to a dull /ɪ/ or /ə/ when rushing, or drop the final /z/ sound, yielding /ˈɡroʊsər/. Correction: keep the first syllable stressed as /ˈɡroʊ/ and pronounce the final /z/ clearly: /ˈɡroʊ.sərz/. Practicing with minimal pairs like ‘groger’ (nonstandard) vs. ‘grocers’ helps cement the correct final plural sound.
In US English, the final is typically /ˈɡroʊsərz/ with a rhotacized r and a clear /z/ plural. In non-rhotic UK accents, you’ll hear /ˈɡrəʊsəz/ with a reduced first vowel and a non-rhotic r, and the final may be more like /ˈɡrəʊsəz/ or /ˈɡrəʊ.səz/. In Australian English, you might hear /ˈɡroːsəz/ or /ˈɡrəʊsəz/, with vowel quality closer to /oː/ and a softer r. Across all, the key is keeping GRO- in the stressed syllable and preserving the /s/ + /z/ plural ending in rapid speech.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster at the start /ɡr/ and the vowel reduction in fast speech, coupled with clearly articulating the final /z/ in the plural. Learners often blend the final /z/ with the preceding vowel, producing /ˈɡroʊgərz/ or drop the /z/ altogether. Focus on starting firmly with /ɡr/ and maintain a sharp /s/ before the /ər/ and final /z/. Slow practice with isolation of /ˈɡroʊ/ then adding /sərz/ helps solidify the pattern.
In standard varieties, the second syllable often uses a reduced vowel, commonly /ə/ in American English: /ˈɡroʊ.sərz/. Some speakers may use a slightly fuller /ər/ depending on emphasis and speech rate, especially in careful speech. The key is that the second syllable remains unstressed and clearly links to the final /z/. If you over-articulate the second syllable as /oʊ/ you risk sounding like /ˈɡroʊ.oʊ.zər/ which is incorrect. Listen to native speakers in varied contexts to hear the typical reduction.
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Grocers originates from Middle English grocer, from Old French grossier, which referred to a wholesaler who bought goods in large quantities and sold in smaller portions. The root grossier comes from gros, meaning 'bulk' or 'large' in French, and is related to Latin grossus 'thick, coarse' though in this commercial sense it signified bulk trading rather than weight itself. In medieval England, grocers specialized in selling spices, salt, sugar, and other trade commodities imported from the East and beyond. The term evolved to denote retailers who stocked a range of edible and household goods, typically in small quantities for everyday consumption. By the 17th and 18th centuries, grocers were well-established as a distinct trade craft with guilds and organized marketplaces. The plural form grocers emerged to describe multiple traders, and today it captures both the shop and its vendor occupants. The historical emphasis on traders who dealt in staples positioned the word within urban commerce and everyday provisioning. The word’s pronunciation shifted with English phonology, retaining the soft initial /ɡr/ cluster and the final /ərz/ as in many modern plural occupations. First known uses are documented in Middle English texts, reflecting the enduring role of these shopkeepers in local economies.
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Words that rhyme with "grocers"
-ers sounds
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