Minus (n.) refers to something that is deducted or lacking, or to the negative sign in mathematics. It denotes a reduction or removal and can describe a quantity less by a specified amount. In everyday speech, it also serves as a small, informal marker for indicating subtraction or a deficit.
"The score dropped by five points, a minus in the final tally."
"In math class, you’ll subtract 7 from 23 to get 16, a minus operation."
"The budget shows a minus in the projected revenue for Q3."
"He added a minus sign to indicate negative temperature."
Minus comes from Latin minus, meaning ‘less, smaller, less important.’ The term was adopted into English via Old French as menor? no, actually Latin ‘minus’ meaning ‘less, smaller.’ In mathematics, its use to denote subtraction developed in the 15th-17th centuries as algebraic notation expanded across Europe, aligning with other operators for addition and subtraction. The general sense of “less” carried into everyday usage as a prefix or descriptor in phrases like “minus the taxes.” Over time, minus acquired industrial and technical meanings (e.g., “temperature minus 10 degrees”). Its first known uses appear in scholarly Latin texts describing arithmetic and measurements, which were then translated and standardized as arithmetic notation advanced in universities. Today, minus is a common word in mathematics, science, and everyday language to indicate subtraction, a negative value, or a deficit in any context. Its etymology reflects a direct semantic lineage from the Latin word for less, preserved across Romance languages and borrowed into English with minimal modification.
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Words that rhyme with "Minus"
-ous sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˈmaɪ.nəs/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Start with the “my” sound as in 'my,' then follow with the unstressed “nəs.” Ensure the final schwa is relaxed. You’ll hear the first syllable elongated slightly in careful speech, then a quick, softer second syllable. IPA reference: /ˈmaɪ.nəs/.
Common mistakes: (1) Stress misplacement, placing equal stress on both syllables instead of stressing the first. (2) Rushing the second syllable and making it too weak or mispronouncing the final ‘s’ as a plural /z/ sound. (3) Skipping the schwa; keep the /ə/ sound for the second syllable. Correction: emphasize /ˈmaɪ/ with a clear, long vowel, then relax into /nəs/ with a light, unstressed second syllable.
In US/UK/AU, the core /ˈmaɪ/ vowel cluster is consistent, but rhotics differ. US tends to be rhotic; the /r/ is not present here, but the following nucleus may sound slightly more lax in non-rhotic UK varieties where the ending /əs/ may be slightly clipped. The final /əs/ tends to be a clear schwa in US/UK/AU; AU may have a slightly broader /ɐ/ or /ə/ depending on regional speech. Overall, the main difference is subtle: vowel quality in the nucleus and the pace of the final syllable.
Key challenges: the diphthong /aɪ/ in the first syllable requires a smooth glide from /a/ to /ɪ/. The second syllable relies on a relaxed /ə/ (schwa) followed by a clear /s/—avoid adding a tongue-tip /z/ or an aspirated /s/. Beginners often mispronounce it as /ˈmaɪns/ or add an extra syllable. Practice focusing on the transition from the diphthong to a short schwa, keeping the final /s/ crisp but not loud.
The word has a strong initial stress and L+ syllable separation; pay attention to the boundary between the two syllables (/ˈmaɪ/ and /nəs/). A unique point is the lightly articulated final /s/ after a soft /ə/ vowel, which can slide into a whisper in careful speech. Visualize the lips transitioning from a rounded /aɪ/ glide into a neutral, barely-there /ə/ before the /s/.
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