Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs is pronounced /ˈɡɪn.i.ə ˈpɪɡz/ in US and UK English, with primary stress on Guinea and secondary stress on pigs. In rapid speech, you may hear subtle linking: /ˈɡɪn.i.ə.pɪɡz/. Focus on the first two syllables as a single unit, then clearly enunciate pigz with a final z. See audio references in Pronounce or Forvo for native pronunciation cues.

Common mistakes: misplacing stress (saying GUIN-ee-uh instead of GUIN-ee-uh-ya), mispronouncing Guinea as /ɡwɪniə/ or /ˈɡin.jə/ or dropping the second syllable; also blurring the final z in pigs. Correct by stressing first syllable of guinea (ˈɡɪ.ni.ə) and keeping pigs as /pɪɡz/ with a voiced z. Practice crisp final z with a small puff of air and no devoicing.

In US and UK accents, Guinea is typically /ˈɡɪ.ni.ə/ with a light schwa and smooth 2nd syllable; pigs is /pɪɡz/, with a voiced z. Australian English tends to maintain similar vowels but may exhibit slightly shortened or more centralized vowels in connected speech. Non-rhotic tendencies are possible in careful UK speech, but the final /z/ remains voiced in all three. Listen for the clear /ɡ/ onset in Guinea and the /z/ ending in pigs.

The difficulty comes from the two-syllable Guinea with schwa-like vowels and the transition to a strong /ɡ/ onset in pigs, plus final /z/ in plural pigs. The phrase also has potential linking and reduction in rapid speech: /ˈɡɪ.njə ˈpɪɡz/ where the middle vowel may blur. Pay attention to the consonant cluster link and keep the final z voiced. The stress pattern demands attention to both words.

A key feature is the triplet-like sequence Guinea-pigs with two weak vowels in Guinea and a strong /p/ in pigs. The challenge is maintaining the second syllable without merging it into the first and producing a crisp, voiced /z/ at the end. Practicing with minimal pairs that contrast Guinea /ˈɡɪ.ni.ə/ and going into /ˈpɪɡz/ helps solidify the rhythm and prevents misplacing stress across syllables.