One syllable: Hounds.
howndz
/haʊndz/
Hounds is pronounced howndz (/haʊndz/). It has one syllable (Hounds), with the stress on "Hounds". Hounds is a plural noun referring to dogs, especially hunting dogs, or to the people (or things) that pursue or harry someone. It can also metaphorically mean persistent pursuers. In common usage, it often appears in phrases like “the hounds of hell” or historical contexts describing tracking hounds in fox hunts.
nounHounds is a plural noun referring to dogs, especially hunting dogs, or to the people (or things) that pursue or harry someone. It can also metaphorically mean persistent pursuers. In common usage, it often appears in phrases like “the hounds of hell” or historical contexts describing tracking hounds in fox hunts.
"The hounds found the trail within minutes and bayed in the trees."
"During the chase, the hounds worked as a coordinated pack under the master’s whistle."
"The rumor spread, and the relentless hounds of gossip followed the town’s every step."
Hounds is pronounced as /haʊndz/ in US, UK, and AU accents. It is a single syllable with a diphthong /aʊ/ as in 'how' and a voiced alveolar stop /d/ followed by the voiced plural suffix /z/. Ensure the /d/ is released before the /z/ for a smooth cluster; avoid inserting a separate vowel between /d/ and /z/. You’ll hear the mouth start with an open /h/ breath, then the /aɪ/-like /aʊ/ glide, then the light /nd/ closure, ending with /z/.
Two common errors are pronouncing the final cluster as /nd/ without voicing to /z/, producing /haʊnd/ or /haʊnt/ and omitting voice on the /z/, saying /haʊnd/ or /haʊns/. Another frequent mistake is misplacing the /d/ and /z/ into a single /z/ effect, like /haʊnz/ with no audible /d/. Correct by fully releasing /d/ before your vocal cords engage for /z/, and keep the /d/ short but present before the final /z/.
All three accents share /haʊndz/ core, but rhythm and vowel length differ. US tends to slightly lengthen the vowel in rapid speech and maintain a clear /z/; UK may have crisper /d/ release with a lighter /z/; AU often features slightly flatter vowel quality and more relaxed lip rounding, though the /haʊ/ diphthong remains. The rhoticity issue matters less here since /haʊ/ doesn’t rely on rhotic r. Focus on authentic /aʊ/ and the exact /ndz/ sequence.
The difficulty lies in the /aʊ/ diphthong and the /ndz/ consonant cluster. Some speakers assimilate /d/ into a voiceless /t/ or omit the /d/ before /z/, leading to /haʊnz/ or /haʊnt/. Others may insert a schwa between /n/ and /d/ or mis-tap the tongue position for the /d/ release. Practice with focused articulation: clearly release /d/ before voicing /z/, and maintain a crisp nasals-nature before the affricate cluster.
The word uniquely combines a short, instant /h/ onset with a strong /aʊ/ diphthong and a tight /nd/ onset into /dz/ at the end. Practitioners should attend to the precise: breathy initial /h/ then rapid /aʊ/ glide, quick /n/ closure, and a crisp /dz/ release without inserting extra vowels. A focused drill highlights the tight coil between nasal and affricate, which is a common challenge in this word.
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Hounds derives from Old English hund, related to Old Norse hundr and Old High German hund, all tracing to a Proto-Germanic *hundaz. Originally denoting a dog or hound in the pursuit of game, the term expanded into poetic and hunting contexts by Middle English. Over time, the plural form hounds (with the -s suffix) became standard to specify multiple dogs or a group of pursuers. The semantic field broadened to include metaphorical “pursuers” or relentless trackers, especially in almanac prose and hunting manuals. Its usage appears in medieval hunting treatises and literature, where packs of hounds were central to the chase; by the Early Modern period, hounds was entrenched as the plural for hunting dogs and as a figure for persistent seekers, a sense carried into contemporary idioms like “the hounds of gossip” or “the hounds of war.” The word consistently retains its animal-hunting association, with modern nuance leaning toward metaphorical pursuit as well as literal packs in rural settings.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hounds" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Hounds" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Hounds"
-d s sounds
-nds sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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