2 syllables: im, pairs. Stress on pairs.
/ˌɪˈmpɛɹz/
Say it backImpair s is the third-person singular present tense of the verb impair, meaning to weaken or damage something. In use, it often describes reducing quality, function, or ability. The form impairs appears in sentences like policy changes that impair safety, or exposures that impair vision. It is a two-syllable word with stress on the second syllable: im-PAIRS.
"Exposure to glare can impair your vision over time."
"Certain medications may impair judgment in high-stress situations."
"The flood damaged the electrical system and impaired power delivery."
Pronounce as im-PAIRS, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ɪmˈpeərz/, UK /ɪmˈpeəz/, AU /ɪmˈpeəz/. Start with a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a clear /ˈpeə/ (open mid-front vowel followed by a mid-central to close front vowel) and final /z/ voicing. Keep the /r/ light or non-rhotic depending on accent; in non-rhotic accents you may hear a subtler r coloring. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tip of tongue slightly raised toward the alveolar ridge for /p/ and /z/; the /eə/ glide is a mid to close vowel with an open jaw.
Two frequent errors: (1) Overly shortening the second syllable, turning /ˈpeər/ into a quick /pɚ/; (2) Deleting the /r/ in rhotic accents or making /ˈpɛər/ sound like /pɛərz/ with misaccented voicing. Correction: maintain the /ˈpeər/ digraph with a clear middle vowel and voice the final /z/. Practice by isolating the second syllable: /ˈpeər/ and then attach a voiced /z/. Use minimal pair practice with words like pears/pare, pair, pares to reinforce the /ər/ or /eə/ quality depending on your accent.
In US English, /ɪmˈpeərz/ with a rhotic /r/ and clear /ɪ/; in many UK varieties, /ɪmˈpeəz/ with a non-rhotic /r/ and a possibly longer /ə/; Australian English tends toward /ɪmˈpeəz/ with a lighter /r/ and a stretched /eɪ/ diphthong quality, but still ends with a voiced /z/. The key is whether the /r/ is pronounced before a vowel or is silent; the second syllable often contains a mid- to high-front vowel with a rounded quality. Practicing with native audio helps solidify these differences.
The challenge lies in the subtle vowel glide and the final voiced fricative /z/. The /peər/ portion requires a controlled open-mid vowel followed by a precise rounded or open articulation depending on dialect. The final /z/ must be voiced with audible voicing, not a clipped /s/. Those who speak non-rhotic dialects may also neutralize the /r/ or misplace the stress in slow speech, blurring the two-syllable rhythm. Focused practice on the /ˈpeər/ nucleus and the voiced final /z/ will improve accuracy across contexts.
Yes. The word’s two-syllable rhythm centers on the second syllable; you should push the peak of effort onto /peər/ and maintain a distinct /z/ at the end. Some speakers unintentionally voice the final consonant as a /s/ or weaken it to a voiceless sound. Emphasize the articulation of /p/ followed by /eə/ (or /eə/ plus voicing) and finish with /z/. This precision helps listeners distinguish impairs from similar forms like ‘impair’ and related nouns.
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Impair derives from the Middle English impairen, from the Anglo-French empauer, from en- (in, on) + paeur (pain, fear, damage) ultimately linked to Latin patēr? to suffer. The word entered English in the 14th–15th centuries in legal and medical contexts, often referring to harm, injury, or deterioration of a person’s body or property. Over time, its semantic field broadened to include impairment of abilities, function, or quality, not just physical injury. The form impair evolved into the modern verb with the noun impairment and the adjective impaired. The current everyday usage frequently appears in legal, medical, safety, and environmental discussions, where “impairs” designates a reduction in effectiveness, safety, or capacity. First known uses in Middle English texts appear around the 1300s in phrases like “to impair the strength” and later in 16th–18th centuries within descriptions of ships’ navigation or property damage, gradually standardizing in modern English as the conjugated third-person singular present tense impairs and related forms. The transition from concrete injury to abstract degradation mirrors broader shifts in technical discourse, cementing impairs as a precise, formal verb form used in professional writing.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "impairs" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "impairs" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "impairs"
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