4 syllables: hos, ti, li, ties. Stress on ti.
hah-STIL-uh-teez
/hɑˈstɪlətiz/
hostilities is pronounced hah-STIL-uh-teez (/hɑˈstɪlətiz/). It has four syllables (hos-ti-li-ties), with the stress on "ti". Hostilities refers to attitudes or actions characteristic of active opposition or conflict between groups, often involving aggression, aggression, or warlike conduct. The term typically describes a state or climate of ongoing antagonism, including hostile gestures, rhetoric, or hostilities between parties. Used in formal or analytical contexts to discuss armed or political conflict rather than personal dislike.
Hostilities refers to attitudes or actions characteristic of active opposition or conflict between groups, often involving aggression, aggression, or warlike conduct. The term typically describes a state or climate of ongoing antagonism, including hostile gestures, rhetoric, or hostilities between parties. Used in formal or analytical contexts to discuss armed or political conflict rather than personal dislike.
"Diplomatic efforts failed to reduce hostilities between the nations."
"The ceasefire helped ease hostilities and allowed aid to reach civilians."
"New leadership signaled a shift away from hostilities toward cooperation."
Phonetic breakdown: ho-stil-i-ties. IPA US: /ˌhɒˈstɪl.ɪˌtiːz/ or /hoʊˈstɪlɪtiz/? In careful speech: /hɒsˈtɪl.ɪ.tiz/ with primary stress on the second syllable and a light second syllable and final /iz/. In common practice: /ˌhɑːˈstɪlɪtiz/ depending on accent. Overall, place main emphasis on the second syllable: hos-TIL-i-ties. Mouth: start with an open back rounded /h/ and /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ for the first vowel, then /stɪl/ with a short i, then /ɪ/ before /tiz/ with a crisp /t/ and final /iz/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (poly-syllabic words often slip to HO-stil-i-ties), mispronouncing the /st/ cluster as /sts/ or dropping the /l/ in /stil/, and turning -ities into -ities with a long i sound. Correction: practice the /st/ cluster immediately after the first syllable, keep the /l/ light and not a heavy vowel, and produce the final /ɪz/ as a clear z-sound. Break into parts: hos-TIL-i-ties; say it slowly at first, then speed up while maintaining the subtle /ɪ/ in the middle and final /iz/.
US: /ˌhɑːˈstɪlɪtiz/ with rhoticity? US typically has /ˈhɑːstəlɪtiz/ or /ˌhɑːˈstɪlɪtiz/. UK: /ˌhɒsˈtɪl.ɪ.tiːz/ or /ˌhɒˈstɪlɪtiz/ with non-rhotic riasa? AU: /ˌhɒˈstɪl.ɪ.tiz/ similar to UK but with Australian vowel qualities. Differences: rhotics, vowel quality in /ɒ/ vs /ɒ/ and the vowel in -ities: /iːz/ or /ɪtiz/ depending on region; non-rhoticity in UK makes final /z/ more forward.
Two phonetic challenges: a three-consonant cluster at the start (stl) requires precise timing; the middle /l/ can be overshadowed by the tall /t/ release, so the /l/ often becomes light or elided in fast speech. Also the final -ities ends with /ɪtiz/ which can be confused with /iːz/. Focus on keeping a steady tempo for the /st/ cluster, produce a light /l/ before the /ɪ/ vowel, and finish with a crisp /tiz/.
Is the primary stress on the second syllable or the third? For most speakers, the natural pattern is hos-TIL-i-ties, with secondary emphasis on the first syllable and stronger on the second. This helps avoid the trap of saying ho-STIL-i-ties. The goal is to maintain consistent, even rhythm from start to end, with a clear /t/ before the final /iz/.
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Hostilities comes from the late Latin hostilitas, meaning ‘an enemy’s disposition’ or ‘military hostility,’ derived from hostilis meaning ‘of an enemy, hostile.’ The root hostis means ‘enemy’ in Latin. The sense of hostility as aggressive action or war-like conduct developed in English in the 17th century, often used in political, military, and legal contexts to describe actions or periods of warfare between states, groups, or factions. Over time, the term broadened to include general enmity and antagonism beyond formal armed conflict, while retaining its core association with overt aggression and opposition. The word’s form reflects its noun-formation suffix -ities, signaling an abstract, collective state rather than a singular act. First known use in print likely appeared in discussions of state-level conflict or intergroup disputes in early modern English, with increasing frequency in modern diplomatic and security discourse as international relations literature expanded. The semantically related pair hostilities vs. hostilist echoes a related, though rarer, application in historical texts to describe enmity between rivals. Overall, hostilities emphasizes a climate or series of hostile acts rather than a specific confrontation.
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Words that rhyme with "hostilities"
-ies sounds
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