2 syllables: la, dies. Stress on la.
LAY-deez
/ˈleɪdiz/
ladies is pronounced LAY-deez (/ˈleɪdiz/). It has two syllables (la-dies), with the stress on "la". Ladies is the plural noun form of lady, referring to a group of women or a polite collective address. In pronunciation, it ends with a z-voiced sibilant, and the typical stress falls on the first syllable. The word functions in contexts from social address to formal and informal references to women collectively.
Ladies is the plural noun form of lady, referring to a group of women or a polite collective address. In pronunciation, it ends with a z-voiced sibilant, and the typical stress falls on the first syllable. The word functions in contexts from social address to formal and informal references to women collectively.
- You: You might reduce the first syllable to /lə/ or misplace the stress, ending up with /ləˈdiz/; focus on maintaining primary stress on the first syllable. - You: You could mispronounce the final /z/ as /s/ or omit voicing; practice keeping a voiced final /z/ by placing your tongue near the alveolar ridge and vibrating your vocal cords. - You: You might blur the /d/ into a /t/ or /ɾ/ in quick speech; rehearse a clear alveolar stop before the /z/. - You: In fast speech, the second syllable moves toward /ɪ/ or /i/ reducing clarity; rehearse /ˈleɪ.dɪz/ with a short /ɪ/ and crisp /z/ to keep it distinct. - You: You may run the two syllables together without a noticeable pause in careful speech; use slight micro-pauses to separate /ˈleɪ/ and /diz/ in slower practice, then blend in natural speech.
"The ladies at the conference offered helpful insights."
"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats."
"A group of ladies walked into the boutique with confident smiles."
Pronounce it as LAI-deez with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US: /ˈleɪ.diz/, UK: /ˈleɪ.dɪz/, AU: /ˈleɪ.diz/ (often closer to /ˈleɪ.dɪz/). Tip: start with the long A in 'lay' for the first syllable, then end with a voiced z sound. You’ll hear a brief, crisp /d/ before /iz/. Audio reference: try listening to natural speech on Pronounce or Forvo entries for 'ladies' to match your accent.
Common mistakes: (1) Reducing the first syllable to a lax /lə/ or /ləː/ (unstressed); keep it stressed as /ˈleɪ/. (2) Slurring the /d/ into the following /ɪ/ or /iː/ leading to /ˈleɪdiz/ or /ˈleɪdiz/. (3) Using a voiceless /s/ at the end or a /z/less ending; ensure final is a voiced /z/ in most contexts. Corrections: practice /ˈleɪ.diz/ with a crisp /d/ sound, and voice the final /z/ clearly; avoid devoicing the final consonant. Keep the second syllable short and avoid a long vowel there; use /dɪz/ or /diz/ depending on your accent.
In US English, primary stress on LA- syllable, final /z/ is voiced; /eɪ/ as in 'lay'. In UK English, the second syllable may be slightly shorter and the vowel in the second syllable can be closer to /ɪ/ in fast speech; still /ˈleɪ.dɪz/. Australian tends to have a broader vowel in /eɪ/ and a more open /dɪz/ ending, but generally /ˈleɪ.diz/; rhoticity is non-rhotic in UK/AU in most contexts, but rhotic in some Australian speech today is variable.
Difficulties stem from the combination of a stressed diphthong /eɪ/ in the first syllable and a voiced consonant cluster /dz/ at the end. The transition from /eɪ/ to /d/ must be smooth; the /d/ must be released before the /z/; many speakers voice the final /z/ inconsistently in rapid speech. Additionally, the 'i' in the second syllable is short, which can collide with the preceding /d/; ensure a short, crisp /ɪ/ or /i/ depending on the accent, before the final /z/.
A distinctive feature is the strong light alveolar stop before the final voiced fricative /z/. Make sure you do not vocalize the /d/ too softly; it should be a clear alveolar stop, especially in careful speech. In connected speech, you may hear a slight yod-like glide in rapid delivery, but standard careful speech keeps the sequence /ˈleɪ.diz/; watch out for catenation when following a vowel: 'ladies at' may sound like /ˈleɪ.dɪzət/ in fast speech.
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- US: Maintain /ˈleɪ.diz/ with a clear diphthong /eɪ/ in the first syllable; keep the /d/ audible before the /z/. Non-rhotic tendencies are less relevant here since /z/ is voiced; stress remains on the first syllable. - UK: The second syllable often reduces slightly; ensure /ˈleɪ.dɪz/ with a shorter, crisper /ɪ/; final /z/ remains voiced. - AU: Similar to US but with broader /eɪ/ and a possibly more centralized /ɪ/; maintain the same primary stress and voiced end. Across accents, maintain a short, crisp /d/ before /z/; avoid a lingering /d/ that blurs into /z/. IPA references: US /ˈleɪ.diz/, UK /ˈleɪ.dɪz/, AU /ˈleɪ.dɪz/.
Ladies originates from Old English leod (people) with the suffix -isc, leading to leodisc (of the people) and later Lady (from Old English leod-dæġ, meaning ‘people’s day’?; the modern sense evolved from addressing noblewomen to any women) evolving through Middle English towards the modern 'lady' as a polite term for a woman of good upbringing. The plural form 'ladies' appears as a straightforward pluralization of 'lady' in Middle English, aligning with English grammar patterns where -y becomes -ies in the plural for certain nouns when combined with adjectives or determiners. The first attested uses appear in late medieval/early modern texts as a respectful address to women of status, expanding in 17th-19th centuries to a common referent for adult women in social settings. By the 20th century, 'ladies' carried both formal and informal connotations, often paired with 'gentlemen' in speeches and events. Today, 'ladies' remains a socially nuanced term—the hearer’s perception of formality or casualness can shift based on context, tone, and accompanying pronouns or verbs.
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Words that rhyme with "ladies"
-ies sounds
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