GIN-eez
/ˈɡɪniz/
guineas is pronounced GIN-eez (/ˈɡɪniz/). Guineas (plural noun) refers to the currency historically used in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and some other regions, as well as to people from Guinea. It can also denote a type of gold coin formerly minted in Britain or, more loosely, a group of young, small animals associated with guinea fowl. The word carries varied context-dependent senses, often requiring careful pronunciation given stress and pluralization.
Guineas (plural noun) refers to the currency historically used in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and some other regions, as well as to people from Guinea. It can also denote a type of gold coin formerly minted in Britain or, more loosely, a group of young, small animals associated with guinea fowl. The word carries varied context-dependent senses, often requiring careful pronunciation given stress and pluralization.
- You may accidentally reduce the middle vowel too much, turning /ˈɡɪn.i.əz/ into /ˈɡɪ.nəz/ or /ˈɡɪ.nɪz/. Practice by saying each syllable slowly: /ˈɡɪn/ + /i/ + /əz/ before blending. - Confusing the final consonant: avoid pronouncing a hard /z/ only; aim for a soft, voiced /ɪəz/ ending, with a subtle /ə/ before the final /z/. - Stress misplacement: keep primary stress on the first syllable; many casual speakers shift to a flatter, two-syllable pattern. Practice with emphasis on the first syllable to avoid rushing the middle and final sounds.
"The guineas were trading hands in the market, a reminder of old monetary systems."
"We treated the ship’s crew to a portion of guineas as a ceremonial token from the delegates."
"She collects coins from the era of guineas and enjoys researching their history."
Pronounce as /ˈɡɪn.i.əz/ in US and UK contexts, stress on the first syllable: GIN-ee-əz. Some speakers elide the middle syllable in rapid speech, yielding /ˈɡɪn.jəz/ or /ˈɡɪnɪəz/ momentarily. For clarity, emphasize the first syllable and keep the final /ɪəz/ or /əz/ smooth; in careful enunciation you’ll hear the two light unstressed syllables before the final schwa-plus-z sound. IPA guidance helps: /ˈɡɪn.i.əz/.
Common errors: mixing up the syllable count (trying to fit it into two syllables like ‘guine- as’), and mispronouncing the final /əz/ as /z/ or /ɪz/. Correct by separating into three parts: /ˈɡɪn/ + /i/ + /əz/. Practicing the middle vowel as a light /i/ and rounding into a soft, unstressed /ə/ before the final /z/ helps. Ensure the first syllable carries peak stress and ends with a crisp, light final.
US/UK/AU variants share the same three-syllable pattern, but the middle vowel can sound more like a short /ɪ/ or a centralized /ɪə/ depending on accent. Rhoticity is not strongly relevant here, so /ɡɪn.i.əz/ remains common, with slight vowel sharpening in some US dialects (more fronted /ɪ/) and more centralized or clipped middle in British and Australian speech in fast talk.
The difficulty comes from the unstressed middle syllable and the final /əz/ sound, which many non-native speakers reduce to /z/ or mispronounce as /ɪz/. The rounded or reduced middle vowel can blur into a schwa that becomes indistinct. Practice by isolating syllables: GUIN /ɪ/ + a light /ə/ + z sound, then blend quickly into /ˈɡɪn.i.əz/ with three clearly enunciated segments.
Guineas has the final /-ias/ in some phonetic spellings but pronounced as /-i.əz/ in standard English; the final “as” doesn’t contribute a separate /æ/ or /ɑː/ sound. The plural suffix is not pronounced as a separate syllable in many rapid contexts. Focus on keeping the /ɪ/ in the second syllable short and ensuring the final /əz/ is light and not a hard /z/.
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- US: Keep a rhotic, clear /ɹ/ in neighboring words; ensure voweled nucleus of second syllable is crisp but not tensed. The middle /i/ is a light vowel; avoid dragging it into a long vowel. - UK: Slightly more clipped rhythm; keep the middle vowel short and reduce vowel length in connected speech; often the /ɪ/ in /ɪn/ is slightly tenser before a canvassed /i/. - AU: Similar to UK, with a tendency for non-rhoticity in careful speech but retaining clear /ɪ/; keep the final /əz/ light and quick. IPA references: /ˈɡɪn.i.əz/ across accents.
Guineas originates from the word Guinea, itself derived from the Spanish word Guinea (or the Portuguese Guiné) referring to the West African region. The English term guineas began to appear in the 17th century, linked to the Guinea gold coin minted in Britain from the early 1660s, originally valued at one pound and one shilling but whose value fluctuated with the price of gold. The coin’s name later extended to the monetary unit used in trading and as a term for the plural of that currency. The modern plural form guineas persists primarily in historical contexts or as colloquial coinage in discussions of old Britain’s economy and colonial trade networks. The pronunciation center has long favored a pronunciation that preserves a two-syllable rhythm with stress on the first syllable, reflecting its Germanic roots in loanword adaptation across English varieties.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "guineas" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "guineas"
-ias sounds
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