2 syllables: house, wives. Stress on house.
HOW-sweyevz
/ˈhaʊˌswaɪvz/
housewives is pronounced HOW-sweyevz (/ˈhaʊˌswaɪvz/). It has two syllables (house-wives), with the stress on "house". Housewives refers to women who manage a household as a primary occupation or role. The term denotes domestic labor within a family setting and is commonly used to describe women who supervise home duties, childcare, cooking, and cleaning. Historically, it has social and economic connotations related to gender roles, with usage varying by region and era.
Housewives refers to women who manage a household as a primary occupation or role. The term denotes domestic labor within a family setting and is commonly used to describe women who supervise home duties, childcare, cooking, and cleaning. Historically, it has social and economic connotations related to gender roles, with usage varying by region and era.
"The survey compared time spent by housewives and working mothers on domestic tasks."
"In many cultures, housewives social networks revolve around family activities and neighborhood groups."
"The novel portrays a chorus of housewives discussing neighborhood concerns."
Pronounce as /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪvz/. The first syllable rhymes with ‘house,’ and the second with ‘wives,’ connected with a light secondary stress. The /ˈ/ marks primary stress on HOUSE, and /ˌ/ marks secondary stress on waɪvz. Mouth position: start with a rounded lip position for /haʊ/ then glide to a wide, tense /aɪ/ for /waɪ/, finishing with the voiced /vz/ cluster where the lips lightly vibrate for /v/ before the /z/ in /vz/. Audio reference: you’ll hear it as two clear peaks: HOUSE- and -wives.
Common mistakes: 1) Dropping the /ˈ/ primary stress on HOUSE, 2) Mispronouncing the /aɪ/ as a short vowel, 3) Slurring the /z/ into an /s/ or not voicing the final /z/. Corrections: emphasize /ˈhaʊs/ with a crisp /ˈhaʊs/ and keep /waɪ/ distinct, ensuring /v/ precedes a voiced /z/. Practice minimal pairs: house vs. hows, wives vs. whys. Slow drill: /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪvz/ with clear syllable boundaries, then blend.
In US/UK/AU, the main differences lie in r-coloring and vowel quality. US is rhotic with pronounced /r/ in other words but not in housewives itself; here /haʊs/ is similar, and /waɪvz/ remains the same, though American /ɪ/ in the diphthong can sound slightly closer to /aɪ/ depending on speaker. UK typically reduces non-stressed vowels and maintains clearer /ʃ/ in house; AU tends toward non-rhoticity in some contexts, but housewives preserves /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪvz/. Overall, vowel duration and intonation patterns vary with regional phonetics.
The difficulty stems from the two-syllable structure with a strong diphthong /aɪ/ in the second syllable and the final /vz/ cluster requiring voicing and frication. The transition from /s/ to /w/ to /aɪ/ can lead to blending if you’re not precise, and the final /v/ before /z/ demands vocal fold vibration immediately before voicing. Keeping the primary stress on HOUSE and maintaining a light secondary stress on waɪvz helps clarity.
Housewives contains a stressed front nucleus /haʊs/ followed by a secondary stress /waɪvz/; the /v/ and /z/ sequence is a frequent source of misarticulation, especially if you flinch or near-cluster reduce. The unique feature is the /vz/ consonant cluster after a diphthong, requiring both voicing and frication in rapid speech. Focus on keeping the /v/ as a separate, voiced sound before /z/.
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The term housewife originates from the Old English words hus- meaning 'house' and wīf meaning 'woman' or 'wife.' As a compound noun, it historically referred to a woman who runs the household, particularly in agrarian or early industrial societies where domestic duties were central to family life. In Middle English, variations appeared as huswif or huswife, evolving into housewife in the modern era. By the 19th and 20th centuries, the term became a social category tied closely to gender roles, with some regions using it descriptively for any woman focusing on home management, while others began to treat it as a stable occupational label or a cultural stereotype. The word has also entered modern discourse in discussions of feminism and labor force participation, where “housewife” and “stay-at-home mom” may reflect attitudes toward domestic labor and economic contribution. Modern usage is more nuanced, and the term can carry stigma or pride depending on context, with some authors preferring neutral terms like “homemaker.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "housewives" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "housewives"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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