2 syllables: hed, ges. Stress on hed.
HEJ-iz
/ˈhɛdʒɪz/
hedges is pronounced HEJ-iz (/ˈhɛdʒɪz/). It has two syllables (hed-ges), with the stress on "hed". Hedges is a plural noun or verb form referring to shrubby boundaries or plants used to edge or enclose a space. As a verb, hedges means to limit or qualify something, often by adding qualifiers or obfuscating with cautious language. The word carries a sense of enclosure, boundary-writing, or cautious restraint in speech.
Hedges is a plural noun or verb form referring to shrubby boundaries or plants used to edge or enclose a space. As a verb, hedges means to limit or qualify something, often by adding qualifiers or obfuscating with cautious language. The word carries a sense of enclosure, boundary-writing, or cautious restraint in speech.
- Misplacing the /dʒ/; think of it as a quick single sound formed by the tongue contacting the alveolar ridge and releasing into a /j/ glide. If you turn it into /tʃ/ or /ʒ/, you’ll sound like you’re saying hedge instead of hedges. - Final /z/ devoicing in rapid speech; you might end up with /s/; ensure your vocal cords vibrate to produce /z/, especially when the word is stressed or in careful speech. - Vowel laxness in /ɛ/ or subtle shift toward /e/; keep the short, crisp /ɛ/ as in bed to avoid blending with /eɪ/ or /iː/. - Initial /h/ swallowing; keep a light breathy onset to prevent the word from blending with the following word.
"- The garden is lined with neatly trimmed hedges."
"- Politicians hedge their statements to avoid committing to a stance."
"- She hedges her bets by keeping multiple options open."
You pronounce it as /ˈhɛdʒɪz/. It has two syllables with primary stress on the first: HEDJ-iz. Start with an aspirated /h/, then the short vowel /ɛ/ as in bet, followed by the voiced affricate /dʒ/ as in judge, then a short /ɪ/ and finally the voiced /z/ at the end. In fast speech, the vowel can be slightly reduced, but keep /dʒ/ clearly audible to avoid confusion with 'heds'. Audio references: consult Cambridge or Forvo for natural pronunciation with a gentle American/UK blend.
Common errors include mispronouncing the middle consonant as /tʃ/ instead of /dʒ/ (saying /ˈhɛtʃɪz/), pronouncing the final consonant as /s/ in rapid speech instead of the voiced /z/, and neglecting the vowel length in /ɪ/ making it sound more like /iː/ or /ɪ/. To correct, emphasize the /dʒ/ sound by starting the tongue at the alveolar ridge then quickly releasing into the /j/ glide, keep the /z/ voicing, and ensure the initial /h/ is lightly aspirated rather than swallowed.
In US and UK, the initial /h/ is aspirated and the vowel /ɛ/ is similar, but rhotic US speakers may have slightly darker /ɪ/ in the final syllable. UK listeners often have crisper /dʒ/ and marginally shorter /ɪ/ in fast speech. Australian pronunciation tends to be flatter with a more centralized /ɛ/ and a softer /z/. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable; the middle /dʒ/ remains clearly audible in all accents.
Because it requires precise articulation of a voiced affricate /dʒ/ immediately following a voiceless /h/ onset, with a short /ɛ/ vowel that can easily shift toward /e/ or be reduced in fluent speech. The final /z/ must stay voiced, which can be tricky for non-native speakers who unconsciously devoice final consonants; maintaining voice on /z/ helps keep the word distinct from 'hedge' (/hɛdʒ/). Also, the two-syllable rhythm with strong first-syllable stress demands careful timing.
The pronunciation remains /ˈhɛdʒɪz/ regardless of function. Whether hedges is plural noun or third-person singular verb, you keep the final /z/ voiced. In connected speech, you might hear a slight devoicing if the following word begins with a voiceless consonant, but typically you maintain voicing. The key is not to confuse with /ˈhɛdz/ in some dialects where final clusters are realized differently; in standard American, British, and Australian speech, /z/ is correct.
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Hedges comes from Old English heedga, a variant of heed, meaning fence or enclosure, linked to Proto-Germanic haithu- or haithidz, signifying a fence or boundary. By Middle English, hedgen or hedge began to be used to describe thorny or shrubby boundaries planted along fields and gardens. In early usage, hedges were maintained lines of living barriers for property, livestock management, and privacy. The semantic shift toward non-physical sense—to hedge in conversation or terms to qualify statements—emerged in the late 16th to 17th centuries as a metaphorical extension of the boundary concept. The word’s evolution reflects both agricultural practice and rhetorical caution, with hedging as a figurative technique common in law, diplomacy, and everyday discourse. First known written use appears in Middle English texts around the 13th century, but the metaphorical sense of hedging statements is well-attested in early modern rhetoric, where speakers would hedge to avoid absolutes and maintain political or social tact.
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Words that rhyme with "hedges"
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