One syllable: lathes.
/leɪðz/
Say it backLathes is the plural of lathe, a machine tool that rotates a workpiece against cutting tools to shape, drill, or finish materials. The term also appears as the verb form lathe in older usage, though in modern prose the plural noun is most common. In technical writing, it denotes multiple machines used for turning operations in workshops or factories.
"The workshop upgraded its metalworking shop with three new lathes."
"She adjusted the coolant flow before starting both lathes to ensure clean cuts."
"The technician compared the precision of the two lathes during the test run."
Pronounce as LAITH-es, with the stressed first syllable: /ˈleɪðɪz/. Start with the diphthong /eɪ/ like “lay,” then the voiced dental fricative /ð/ as in “this,” followed by a soft /ɪ/ then /z/.
Common errors: pronouncing /ð/ as /d/ or /z/; reducing the /ðɪ/ to a flat /dɪ/; and misplacing stress, saying “la-THES” or “lay-TEES.” Correction: keep the /ð/ as a voiced dental fricative (tip of tongue against upper teeth, voiced), keep /ɪ/ before the final /z/, and stress the first syllable: /ˈleɪðɪz/.
In US/UK/AU, /ˈleɪðɪz/ remains similar, but rhotics influence the following vowel quality slightly; non-rhotic varieties may have a lighter /r/ influence in linked speech, though not in this word. The /ð/ remains dental in all, with slight voicing and aspiration differences across regions. You’ll still hear the same /ˈleɪðɪz/ in careful speech, though faster connected speech may blur onset clarity.
The challenge is the /ð/ sound and the diphthong /eɪ/. Many learners substitute /ð/ with /d/ or /z/, which makes it sound like /leɪdz/ or /laɪθɪz/. Another difficulty is maintaining a clean final /z/ after a soft /ɪ/. Practice by isolating /ð/ in positions: between vowels, and after /eɪ/; then blend with a crisp /z/.
Yes. The plural form ends with /-ɪz/ or /-əz/ depending on the following consonant; here, because -th- is a voiced interdental fricative, the ending is /-ɪz/ with a voice on the /z/. The stress pattern is two-syllable but with a strong primary stress on the first syllable; ensuring that /ɪ/ doesn’t reduce in fast speech is a key nuance.
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The word lathe derives from the Old English word lǣtan, meaning to cause to lie or to lay, which evolved through proto-Germanic roots into the noun lathe by the middle English period. The device’s name arises from the Old English sense of a tool that imposes rotation on a workpiece; historically, a frame with a rotating element and fixed cutting tools. Early lathes were bow lathe and spring pole variants and emerged in Europe around the 13th–15th centuries as craft specialized devices for woodworking, then metalworking by the 16th–18th centuries. The modern power-driven lathe traces to early industrial innovations in Britain, with James Nasmyth’s early metal lathes and later American adaptations. By 19th century industrialization, lathe as a generic term encompassed multiple turning machines, spurring the current plural form used in machining facilities. The word’s semantic expansion includes components like “bench lathe” and “turret lathe,” reflecting specialized configurations in production environments. The earliest widely documented uses appear in technical treatises and shop manuals from the 17th–19th centuries, documenting their function, safety practices, and maintenance recitations that established standard terminology still in use today.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "lathes" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "lathes" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "lathes"
-ths sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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