Gutters is a plural noun referring to channels along a roof to collect and carry away rainwater, or more loosely, any shallow channel or groove. It can also denote the guttering system as a whole. In everyday speech, it often appears in phrases like “gutters need cleaning” or “let the rain run off the gutters.” It’s a two-syllable word with stress on the first syllable.
"The gutters overflowed after the storm and water spilled onto the lawn."
"Clean the gutters before winter to prevent ice damage."
"He leaned out the window and cleared the leaves from the gutters."
"The rainwater drained into the downspout from the gutters."
Gutters comes from Middle English gutere, from Old English gutte ‘channel, conduit,’ which is related to the verb gutian ‘to pour out.’ The term originally referred broadly to channels for liquid, including rainwater, drainage, or any trough-like feature. Over time, the word narrowed to the architectural feature along a roof for directing precipitation away from the building. The modern plural form gutters retains the -s suffix common to English plurals. The notion of a gutter as a rain-channel appears in 14th–15th century English texts, with the concept of a continuous roof drainage system evolving in the 17th–19th centuries as buildings adopted more standardized guttering and downspout configurations. First known uses appear in medieval manuscripts and building records, but the functional sense of a water-conducting channel is consistent with earlier Latin-derived terms like guta and gutta found in Europe’s architectural lexicon. The word’s semantic trajectory mirrors changes in building technology—from simple troughs to integrated gutter systems—while retaining its core sense of a shallow channel that guides liquid away from a surface.
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Words that rhyme with "Gutters"
-ers sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈɡʌtərz/ (US) or /ˈɡʌtəz/ (UK/AU in some speakers). The stress is on the first syllable: GUT-ters. Start with a hard /ɡ/ followed by the lax vowel /ʌ/ as in 'cup', then a clear /t/; the second syllable reduces to a voiced alveolar /ər/ or /əz/. End with /z/ in most varieties. Keep the tongue low for /ʌ/, then release the /t/ crisply before the rhotic or schwa depending on accent. Audio reference: try listening to “gutters” on Pronounce, Forvo, or YouGlish.
Common mistakes include substituting /ɡ/ with a softer /k/ or /dʒ/ at the start, misquoting the vowel as /ɜː/ or /ɛ/ instead of /ʌ/, or slurring the /t/ into the following syllable. People also sometimes turn the final /z/ into /s/ or drop the /r/ sound in rhotic accents. To correct: emphasize the initial /ɡ/ with a short, explosive release, keep /ʌ/ as a lax vowel (not a long /ɜː/), produce a crisp /t/ before a light /ər/ or /əz/, and end with a clear voiced /z/. Practice with minimal pairs like gut-ers, gut-tunes, or gut-ers in rapid speech.
US: /ˈɡʌtərz/ with rhoticity; final /r/ is vocalically prominent before the schwa in some speakers. UK: /ˈɡʌtəz/ or /ˈɡʌtəz/ with non-rhotic tendency and a reduced final consonant; often less prominent /r/. Australia: /ˈɡʌtəz/ or /ˈɡʌtəz/, broader vowels and potential final vowel without /r/ in many speakers. Key differences: rhotacization of final syllable in US; vowel quality of /ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ in some UK varieties; presence or absence of /r/ before the end depending on rhotic accent.
Because it sits at the intersection of a plosive onset (/ɡ/), a lax vowel (/ʌ/), a crisp /t/ release, and a voiced end /z/. The subtle duration of the second syllable, and optional rhoticity in US, UK, or AU can alter perceived pronunciation. Also, many learners misplace the /t/ and confuse the final /z/ with /s/. Focus on the precise tongue position for /ɡ/, a short /ʌ/ vowel, a clean /t/ release, and a voiced /z/ at the end; practice with controlled tempo.
A word-specific nuance is the potential reduction of the second syllable in casual speech: some speakers may reduce /ər/ to a schwa-like /ə/ or even /ɪ/ in rapid speech, sounding more like /ˈɡʌtəz/ or /ˈɡʌtəz/. In careful speech, maintain /ər/ or /əz/ depending on accent. Also, ensure the final /z/ is voiced and not devoiced to /s/, which is common in fast speech.
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