4 syllables: ma, jor, i, ties. Stress on jor.
/məˈdʒɔɹɪtiz/
Say it backMajorities refers to the greater number or percentage of people in a group who hold a particular view or characteristic, as opposed to minorities. It also denotes the concept of belonging to or constituting the larger share of a population. The term is commonly used in political, sociological, and statistical discussions to describe prevailing opinions or populations.
"In the vote, the majorities favored the proposed policy."
"The majorities in the survey were abstainers from the poll."
"Ethnic majorities can influence local governance and resource allocation."
You say /ˈmeɪ.dʒɒ.rɪ.tiz/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable: MAJ-or-ə-tiz. The middle syllable is a light /ɒ/ or schwa depending on accent, and the final -ties sounds like /-ɪtiz/.
Common errors: (1) Stress wrong place, saying /ˌmeɪ.dʒəˈrɪ.tiz/ or /ˈmeɪ.dʒɒ.rɪˌtiz/. (2) Reducing /ɒ/ to a schwa in the first syllable, producing /ˈmædʒə.rɪ.tiz/. (3) Final /ɪtiz/ reduced to /-təs/ or /-tiz/ as /-tiːz/. Correction: emphasize MAJ- as /ˈmeɪ.dʒɒr/ and keep final /-ɪtiz/; practice with minimal pairs and slowed repetition.
US/UK generally share /ˈmeɪ.dʒɒ.rɪ.tiz/ with final /tiz/. US often tenses the /ɒ/ toward a more rounded /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on region; UK may have slightly more open /ɒ/ and clearer /r/ in rhotic varieties. Australian tends to use slightly flatter vowels, with less conspicuous rhoticity in non-rhotic contexts, so /ˈmeɪ.dʒɒ.rɪ.tiz/ can sound a touch closer to /ˈmeɪ.dʒə.ɹɪ.tiz/ depending on speaker. In all, main differences are vowel quality and r-coloring, not the syllable count.
Two challenges: the multisyllabic rhythm and the cluster /dʒ/ followed by /ɒ/ in rapid speech. The sequence MAJ-OR-i-ties forces precise vowel length and a quick transition from /dʒ/ to /ɒ/ or /ɒr/. Keeping final -ɪtiz clear without devoicing the /t/ or slurring into /s/ requires controlled mouth movements, especially in connected speech.
The word’s plural -ities ending can trigger pluralization contrasts, so you’ll often hear a light, almost de-emphasized final /tiz/ in fast speech. Focus on preserving the /t/ before the voiceless /s/ and not tensing the preceding vowel too much. It’s common to misplace the primary stress slightly, especially in rapid listing; keep MAJ clearly stressed.
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The word majority comes from Old French majorité, from Latin maior, ‘greater, larger,’ with the abstract noun suffix -itas indicating a state or condition. The term entered English via Norman French in the late medieval period, aligning with political and legal discourse about power, property, and representation. Over centuries, majorité evolved to denote not just numerical superiority but the dominant portion of any set or group, especially in voting, governance, and social definitions. The modern sense crystallized around the 15th-16th centuries as statistical and political language expanded, with the plural form majorities arising to describe more than one such dominant faction or group. First known uses appear in legal and political writings as a way to quantify the majority portion within assemblies, elections, and demographic analyses. The term has since broadened into everyday usage, often in phrases like “the majorities favored” or “a majority of respondents,” while maintaining its core sense of “the greater number.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "majorities" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "majorities"
-ies sounds
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