2 syllables: laps, es. Stress on laps.
/ˈlæpsɪz/
Say it backLapses is the plural noun or verb form of lapse, meaning brief failures, slips, or gaps in concentration, memory, or continuity. It denotes moments when a rule or pattern is momentarily forgotten, or when a process temporarily breaks its regular course. In context, it can refer to errors, oversights, or periods of diminished vigilance.
"Her attention suffered during the lecture, leading to several lapses in memory."
"The policy had several lapses, which the watchdogs quickly identified."
"He apologized for his lapses in judgment and promised to improve."
You say LAP-siz, with the primary stress on LAP. The vowel is a short open front unrounded vowel /æ/. The final sound is /z/. In IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈlæp.sɪz/. Keep the second syllable light and quick, slipping into the /z/ without voicing or extra vowel.
Common errors include making the second syllable too strong (LAP-siss) or turning the final /z/ into a /s/ or /ɪz/ as in 'lapse-iz'. Some speakers also reduce the first syllable to /læp/ without the full vowel clarity. Correction: hold the /æ/ as in cat, then tighten the lips and teeth for the final /z/; keep the second syllable nucleus a short /ɪ/ rather than changing it to /iː/ or forming a silent second vowel.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /læp/ is consistent, but rhoticity affects surrounding vowels in connected speech; the /æ/ may be fronter in American speech. The final /z/ remains a voiced alveolar fricative across all three, but Australians may slightly soften the preceding vowel before /z/ and speed up the syllable. Overall: /ˈlæp.sɪz/ in all three, with minor timing variations.
Two main challenges: the short, lax /æ/ vowel can be tricky when speaking quickly, and the delicate /s/ versus /z/ boundary at the end—keeping a clear voiced /z/ without over-eyer. The liaison between the two syllables and the precise release of the final /z/ require controlled air from the vocal cords and a light tongue closure. Practice helps stabilize the transitions.
The word features a typical two-syllable trochaic pattern with a strong first syllable and a weak second syllable that contains a reduced vowel /ɪ/ before the voiced final /z/. The key is sustaining crisp /p/ release followed immediately by /z/ without an intrusive vowel, so the sequence is /læp.sɪz/ rather than /læp.səz/ or /læp.zɪz/.
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Lapses derives from the verb lapse, from Middle English lapsen, from Old French lasper (to fall, slip), from Latin lapsus, past participle of labi (to slip, glide). The root labi is related to Latin lapsus ‘a slipping, falling’ and cognate terms in many Romance and Germanic languages. In English, lapse first appeared in the sense of slipping from a state or condition in the 15th century, expanding to mean a temporary deviation, error, or interruption. By the 17th–18th centuries, lapse was common in legal and religious language to describe a failure to fulfill an obligation or a periodic interruption in the action. The noun form lapses emerged as the plural usage in the 19th century to denote multiple instances of these brief failures or omissions. Over time, the word broadened to cover cognitive lapses (moments of forgetfulness) and lapses in attention, with figurative uses such as lapses in memory or judgment becoming common in everyday language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "lapses" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "lapses"
-aps sounds
-pes sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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