MIS-uhz
/ˈmɪsəz/
misses is pronounced MIS-uhz (/ˈmɪsəz/). Misses is the plural noun or verb form of miss: the noun refers to errors or failures to hit or reach a target; the verb (third-person singular) refers to failing to hit, catch, or notice something. In common usage, it can describe overlooked opportunities or failures to attend, as in 'she misses the bus' or 'he misses the mark.' The pronunciation remains the same across senses, with stress on the first syllable in most forms.
Misses is the plural noun or verb form of miss: the noun refers to errors or failures to hit or reach a target; the verb (third-person singular) refers to failing to hit, catch, or notice something. In common usage, it can describe overlooked opportunities or failures to attend, as in 'she misses the bus' or 'he misses the mark.' The pronunciation remains the same across senses, with stress on the first syllable in most forms.
"She keeps missing the bus in the morning."
"The coach says the team misses the target on offense."
"Her misses in the game cost them the lead."
Pronounce it as /ˈmɪs·ɪz/. The first syllable has a stressed short i as in 'sit'; the second is a weak, reduced vowel /ɪ/ in many accents, followed by z. In slow speech you may hear two distinct schwa-like /ɪ/ sounds, but in fluent speech it’s typically /ˈmɪsɪz/. Lip position: relaxed, corners neutral. Start with a short, crisp /m/ closure, then /ɪ/ then /s/ and a voiced /z/ at the end. Audio references: consult Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries or pronunciations on Forvo.
Common errors: 1) Overpronouncing the second syllable as /miːz/ or doubling the /s/? 2) Devoicing the final /z/ to /s/ in careful speech. 3) Reducing the second syllable too much, making it /ˈmɪs/ only. Corrections: keep the second syllable as /ɪz/ with voiced /z/, avoid lengthening the /ɪ/; practice with minimal pairs like /ˈmɪsɪz/ versus /ˈmɪsɪs/ slowly, then increase speed.
US: /ˈmɪsɪz/ with rhotic, neutral rhotics; UK: /ˈmɪsɪz/ and often crisper /s/ and a shorter /ɪ/ in some dialects; AU: /ˈmɪsɪz/ similar to UK but with subtle vowel quality shifts; all include final /z/ voiced. The main variations are vowel quality before the final consonant and the voicing of final consonant depending on connected speech. The stress remains on the first syllable in most cases.
Key challenges include maintaining a clear distinction between /s/ and /z/ in sequences, especially when connected to a preceding voiced sound, and stabilizing the vowel /ɪ/ quality in rapid speech. The transition from /s/ to /z/ requires voicing control and precise tongue positioning to avoid slurring into /s/ or /z/. In some contexts, the second syllable reduces toward a schwa-like vowel, which can blur the contrast with nearby words.
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US: emphasize rhotic vowels and crisp /ɪ/; UK: slightly shorter /ɪ/ with less vowel length difference; AU: vowel quality closer to /ɪ/ but with subtle vowel reduction in rapid speech. IPA: US /ˈmɪsɪz/, UK /ˈmɪsɪz/, AU /ˈmɪsɪz/. Vowels remain lax and short; final /z/ is voiced. Rhoticity differences mainly affect surrounding words, not crucial within 'misses'.
Misses derives from the verb miss, from Old English mysian, meaning to fail to hit or to fail to notice. The noun form miss likely emerged in Middle English as an agent noun or pluralized sense of the verb, indicating multiple misses or errors. The verb miss historically intersects with Germanic roots related to loss or absence, with semantic expansion to include failing to attend (as in 'missed the meeting') and failing to hit a target ('miss the shot'). Over time, English usage separated miss into distinct grammatical functions (miss as a verb; misses as third-person singular present tense; misses as a plural noun in contexts like 'the misses' in some dialects or within family speech). The word retains core sense of absence or failure to achieve, migrating into modern vocabulary as both action and error description, while orthography and pronunciation have remained relatively stable for the plural/third-person form across centuries.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "misses" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "misses" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "misses"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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