2 syllables: mer, cies. Stress on mer.
MUR-seez
/ˈmɝˌsiz/
mercies is pronounced MUR-seez (/ˈmɝˌsiz/). It has two syllables (mer-cies), with the stress on "mer". Mercies (noun, plural) refers to acts of compassion or forgiveness shown to others. In religious or formal contexts, it often means expressions of mercy from a deity. In everyday usage, it can denote kind or charitable actions. The word emphasizes benevolence and the alleviation of suffering or wrongdoing.
Mercies (noun, plural) refers to acts of compassion or forgiveness shown to others. In religious or formal contexts, it often means expressions of mercy from a deity. In everyday usage, it can denote kind or charitable actions. The word emphasizes benevolence and the alleviation of suffering or wrongdoing.
- You may flatten the first syllable into a schwa and say /ˈmərsiz/ instead of /ˈmɜːr siz/. Keep the back unrounded vowel /ɜː/ to avoid 'meh' sound. - Slurring the -cies ending into a muted /z/ or /s/, producing a voiceless sound or dropping the z entirely. - Over-resonant r sounds that linger in non-rhotic dialects or spill into the second syllable, disrupting the clean stress on the first syllable. - In connected speech, failing to release the final /z/ fully can result in a clipped ending; instead, maintain a light, audible voicing. - Mistaken vowel shift in the second syllable, pronouncing /ˈmɜːr.siz/ with an /iː/ or /i/ instead of /ɪ/ or /ɪ/.
"She prayed for mercies from the judge, hoping for leniency."
"The doctor’s mercies contrasted with the suffering he had seen."
"We asked for mercies after the accident, and neighbors brought food and support."
Standard US/UK/AU pronunciation is /ˈmɜː.siz/ or /ˈmɜːr.sɪz/ depending on the speaker’s rhoticity. The primary stress is on the first syllable: MER-cies. The second syllable features a voiced sibilant /z/. In careful speech, the -ies ending is pronounced as /-iz/ in many dialects, giving /ˈmɜːr·siz/ (US) or /ˈmɜː·sɪz/ (UK/AU). To produce correctly, start with an open back mid vowel in the first syllable, then glide into a crisp /z/ voicing. Audio reference: consult standard dictionaries with IPA, or Pronounce resource demos for a clear auditory model.
Two common errors: 1) Slurring the second syllable by turning /siz/ into a quick /si/ with no final /z/. 2) Misplacing stress on the second syllable as in meR-cies. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈmɜː.siz/; ensure the final consonant is voiced /z/, not voiceless /s/. Practice by isolating the final /z/ sound with a whisper legato to avoid devoicing. Use minimal pairs like ‘mercy’ vs ‘mercies’ to feel the /ɪ/ vs /iz/ transition.
In General American, you’ll hear /ˈmɜːrsiz/ with rhotic /r/ and a clear /z/. In many UK accents, /ˈmɜːsɪz/ with a shorter, centralized /ɪ/ in the second syllable and sometimes non-rhotic linking affecting the r. Australian tends to be /ˈmɜːsiz/ with clear vowel length and a light, sometimes non-rhotic r depending on speaker. The primary differences: rhoticity and vowel quality in the first syllable, plus whether the final /z/ is slightly fricative-voiced. Visualize your mouth: first vowel open-back /ɜː/, second syllable /ɪ/ or /ɪ/ depending on accent, final /z/ voiced.
The difficulty stems from maintaining a clear, tense first syllable vowel /ɜː/ or /ɜːr/ before a voiced /z/ in rapid speech, and the vowel shift in non-rhotic accents where the /r/ may be silent, altering the second syllable’s vowel length. The -ies ending requires you to produce a voiced sibilant /z/ rather than a voiceless /s/, which many speakers neutralize or shorten. Focus on sustaining the -ies as /-iz/ in careful speech and then blend when natural speech collapses the vowel.
- The stress is consistently on the first syllable: /ˈmɜːr.siz/ or /ˈmɜː.sɪz/, which may feel like a two-part force: MER- and -CIES. -ies is not silent; the final /z/ is voiced in standard dialects. There’s no silent letter here, but the influence of speaker’s dialect can mute or soften the second syllable’s vowel and the final consonant. Practicing the full /ˈmɜːr siz/ with careful, audible z gives you a more natural cadence in connected speech.
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- US: Emphasize rhotic /ɜːr/ with a clear /r/; the second syllable uses /ɪz/ or /iz/ with a brief, crisp /z/; keep the vowel slightly lax in rapid speech. - UK: Non-rhotic linking may drop the /r/; keep the first syllable vowel /ɜː/ and second syllable /ɪz/; maintain clear /z/ voice. The overall rhythm is slightly clipped. - AU: Similar to UK in non-rhotic days, but often more open vowels; maintain /ˈmɜːsiz/ with a crisp final /z/. IPA: /ˈmɜːsiz/. - Use IPA references: /ˈmɜː.siz/ (US), /ˈmɜː.sɪz/ (UK), /ˈmɜː.siz/ (AU). Practice with tongue placement: root of tongue high near alveolar ridge, tip lightly touching /t/ area, keep jaw position stable for a clean /ɜː/ in first syllable.
Mercies comes from the Old French mercie, via Latin misericordia, combining merces (mercy, pity) and cordia (heart). The path: Latin misericordia originally meant “pity of the heart,” a blending of miser (wretched, pitiable) with cor (heart). In English, mercy acquired sense of compassionate treatment, clemency, and forgiveness, often in religious or moral discourse. The plural form mercies appeared in Middle English, around the 13th century, as the word moved from abstract virtue to countable acts of kindness. Over time, usage broadened to include humanitarian acts that relieve distress, and to biblical phrases like “the mercies of God,” highlighting mercy as a benevolent attribute rather than a one-off event. In modern usage, mercies can refer to both divine mercies and human acts of mercy, often in formal, literary, or religious registers. The word carries connotations of forgiveness, relief, and benevolent intervention, with semantic ties to mercy, merciful, and mercifully. Its pronunciation has remained relatively stable, with stress typically on the first syllable, though regional vowel shifts have influenced its vowel quality over time. First known use evidence points to early Middle English writings that drew on French and Latin roots for legal, moral, and religious discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "mercies"
-ies sounds
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