3 syllables: mag, a, zines. Stress on mag.
MAG-uh-zeenz
/ˈmæɡəˌzinz/
magazines is pronounced MAG-uh-zeenz (/ˈmæɡəˌzinz/). It has three syllables (mag-a-zines), with the stress on "mag". Magazines refers to periodicals published regularly, typically containing articles, photographs, and advertisements. It can also mean compartments for storing loose items, like gun magazines. In most contexts, the term emphasizes consumer reading material, produced on a schedule, with varied topics and sections.
Magazines refers to periodicals published regularly, typically containing articles, photographs, and advertisements. It can also mean compartments for storing loose items, like gun magazines. In most contexts, the term emphasizes consumer reading material, produced on a schedule, with varied topics and sections.
"I bought three magazines at the newsstand this morning."
"The fashion magazines are always heavy with glossy photos."
"The gun magazines were loaded and ready for the range."
Pronounce as mag-a-ZEENS with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌmæɡəˈziːnz/. Start with /mæ/ (like “mat” without t), then /ɡə/ (schwa + g), then /ˈziːnz/ (rhymes with “seams” but with z sound at start and final /nz/ cluster). The final -zines carries two sounds: /z/ plus /iːnz/. Audio reference: listen for the verse where “-zines” rhymes with “machines” final -ines. Mouth position: lips relaxed, back of tongue high for /ɡ/; tip of tongue lightly contact alveolar ridge for /z/; keep jaw relaxed for schwa.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress (saying mag-a-ZINS), or pronouncing /ɡ/ too softly, and mispronouncing the /z/ as /s/ in the final cluster. Correction: enforce the primary stress on the third syllable /ziːnz/ and clearly articulate /ɡ/ before the vowel. Ensure the final /nz/ is a voiced nasal with a slight z sound; avoid turning it into a simple /n/ or /s/. Practice with slow repetition: mag-ə-ZEENS; then speed up while maintaining the /ˈziːnz/ accuracy.
US and UK/AU share /ˌmæɡəˈziːnz/ but rhoticity affects preceding vowels: US often has a more pronounced rhotic influence overall, while UK non-rhotic accents may see subtle vowel length differences in /ə/ and /ɪ/ positions. Australians typically have a broader vowel in /æ/ and slightly longer /iː/ in /ziːnz/. The primary stress remains on the third syllable; the /z/ is voiced in all. IPA remains /ˌmæɡəˈziːnz/ across these varieties, with minor quality shifts in the vowels.
Key difficulty lies in the two consecutive voiced consonant sounds in the ending /-zines/ combined with the earlier /ɡ/ and the unstressed schwa /ə/ before /ziːnz/. The transition from /ɡə/ to /ziːnz/ can feel abrupt, and non-native speakers often devoiced /z/ or misplace the primary stress. Focusing on a clear /ˈziːnz/ and maintaining the /z/ through the cluster helps. Practice with slow, deliberate articulation then speed gradually.
This word uniquely combines a three-syllable rhythm with a heavy second-stressed ending. It has a three-syllable cadence, with primary stress on the third syllable (/ziːnz/), and ends with a voiced alveolar nasal + voiced sibilant cluster /nz/. Awareness of the /ɡ/ before the schwa and keeping the schwa short-to-mid can help avoid over-articulating. The famous pattern of 'mag-a-ZEENS' makes it feel like two smaller words fused, but it’s a single plural noun.
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Magazines comes from the French word magazine, from Italian magazzino 'storehouse, depot,' derived from the Arabic makhāzīn via the Medieval Latin magacinum. The sense shifted from a place where goods were stored to a collection of printed material in the 18th century, aligning with the idea of a storehouse of articles. The plural form magazines emerges as the noun referring to collections of issues, as publications broadened in the 19th and 20th centuries. The gun-related sense (ammunition magazines) shares the same root imagery of a storage container but developed separately as firearms became standardized in the 16th–19th centuries, preserving the term ‘magazine’ for the container. First known use of magazine as a periodical in English appears in the late 1700s, while the firearm sense solidified in common usage in the 19th century. Over time, magazines also came to describe both physical racks and digital aggregations of content, but the core idea remains a curated store or repository of items, whether articles or cartridges.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "magazines" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "magazines"
-age sounds
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