One syllable: hoarse.
/hɔɹs/
Say it backHoarse describes a rough, harsh voice often caused by irritation or vocal strain, giving a low, breathy or rasping quality. It implies altered vocal folds that produce a creaky or gravelly timbre. Used mainly in reference to voice or sounding sickly, it can also metaphorically suggest something rough or muffled in sound, though the primary meaning relates to vocal quality. Typical in medical or literary contexts.
- You may lengthen the vowel too much, turning hoarse into hoooorse; keep the vowel tight and short before the /s/ for natural alignment with the single-syllable word. - Do not add an extra vowel or /ə/ after the /s/; the word ends with /s/ sound, not /z/. - Many learners mispronounce with a voiced /z/ at the end; ensure voiceless /s/ in all dialects. - Mouth position: keep lips relaxed with a slight spread to avoid rounding that distorts the vowel. - Tongue position: keep the tip near the alveolar ridge without curling.
"Her voice was hoarse after shouting at the game, making it hard to speak clearly."
"The singer's hoarse notes surprised the crowd but added emotional intensity."
"A cold left him hoarse for days, forcing him to rest his throat."
Pronounce it as /hoʊrs/ in most US contexts, with a long /oʊ/ glide and an /r/ before the /s/. In UK English, it's /hɔːs/ with a long open-mid back vowel and no rhotic final /r/. In Australian contexts, you’ll hear /hoːs/ with a long close-mid back vowel and non-rhoticity similar to UK. Pay attention to the final /s/ sound; the preceding vowel is longer in UK/AU variants.
Common errors include yod-less confusion like /hʊrs/ or turning the /o/ into a short /ɑ/ as in cat, and swallowing the final /r/ in non-rhotic accents. To correct: maintain a long vowel /oʊ/ or /ɔː/ depending on accent, and avoid adding a voiced ending after /s/. Emphasize the single syllable with a crisp /s/ after the vowel, not a trailing /r/ in non-rhotic speakers.
US typically uses /hoʊrs/ with rhotic /r/ and a diphthong /oʊ/; UK often uses /hɔːs/ with a long monophthong and non-rhoticity in some dialects, yielding a smoother end syllable; AU may be /hoːs/ with a long /oː/ and non-rhotic tendencies. The key differences are vowel quality (diphthong vs monophthong) and rhoticity, which affects whether you pronounce an /r/ after the vowel.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the precise vowel length and quality while keeping the final /s/ crisp, and managing rhoticity depending on accent. The transition from a possible /o/ to a longer /ɔː/ or /oʊ/ can cause mispronunciations, especially for learners who balance the mouth position for the initial consonant with the following sibilant. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize vowel length and the voiceless final /s/.
Hoarse features a single syllable with a distinct vowel that can shift subtly by accent. The unique aspect is preserving a clean, voiceless /s/ after the vowel without adding a following /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Your emphasis should be on a strong onset /h/ followed by a tenser, longer vowel before the final /s/: /hɔːs/ (UK) vs /hoʊrs/ (US).
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- US: emphasize rhotic /r/ only if the accent uses rhoticity; the core is /hoʊrs/ with a clear, diphthongal /oʊ/; relax lips slightly for a natural long vowel. - UK: aim for /hɔːs/ with a longer, tense vowel; avoid rhotic /r/; keep jaw slightly dropped for open throat; ensure final /s/ is crisp. - AU: lean toward /hoːs/ or /ˈhɔːs/ depending on region; maintain a long vowel and non-rhotic flow; the mouth stays open wider than US.
Hoarse comes from the Middle English word hor(s)en or horce, stemming from the Old English hrosan meaning to roar or to gripe, and appears in writings by the 13th century. The word is linked to the Proto-Germanic *hrosōną, relating to shouting and rough vocalization. Over time, hoarse specifically described a voice that sounds rough or husky due to irritation, strain, or illness. The pronunciation shift toward the modern /hoars/ form aligns with general vowel and consonant shifts in late Middle English to Early Modern English, where final -e often remained pronounced in spelling to indicate length or quality. First known uses appear in medical and literary contexts where the author sought a precise sonic descriptor for a voice altered by illness or exertion, with the sense solidifying around the 16th-17th centuries as standard English vocabulary expanded to include more nuanced voices and vocal conditions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "hoarse" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "hoarse" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "hoarse"
-rse sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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