MAW-rayz
/ˈmɔˌɹeɪz/
Mores is pronounced MAW-rayz (/ˈmɔˌɹeɪz/). Mores are the customs, norms, and behaviors that are widely accepted as socially obligatory within a community. They govern what is considered appropriate, moral, or proper conduct. In sociological terms, mores carry moral weight and violations typically provoke social sanctioning beyond mere etiquette.
nounMores are the customs, norms, and behaviors that are widely accepted as socially obligatory within a community. They govern what is considered appropriate, moral, or proper conduct. In sociological terms, mores carry moral weight and violations typically provoke social sanctioning beyond mere etiquette.
- You’ll likely produce the word with a reduced vowel or without the final z. Fix by pushing your voice forward to vocalize the /z/ clearly. - Another common slip is delaying the /z/ and adding a vowel sound after the consonant; keep it tight and end with vibrating lips. - Some learners say /ˈmoʊrɪz/ or /ˈmɔːrɪz/ by adding an extra syllable; keep it two syllables with the final /z/.
"In many traditional societies, certain mores about gender roles are deeply ingrained and highly enforced."
"Breaking the mores of a professional workplace can lead to swift disciplinary action."
"He argued that the new policy challenged the mores of the community, causing widespread resistance."
Pronounce as two syllables: MORES with stress on the first syllable. In US: /ˈmoʊrz/ (MOHRZ). In UK/AU: /ˈmɔːz/ (MAWZ). The final sound is a voiced z, so your lips close to produce a buzzing /z/ after the long vowel. Audio cues: think 'mow' + 'rz' with a short z at the end. Practicing elongate the first vowel slightly before the z.
Common errors: 1) Skipping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, giving /moʊz/ instead of /ˈmoʊrz/ (insert r sound). 2) Slurring the final /z/ into a voiceless /s/; ensure vocal fold vibration. 3) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈmoːreɪz/ or /ˈmɔːrɪz/; keep primary stress on the first syllable and use a clean /z/ at the end. Practice with voice-onset and a brief boundary after the word to maintain clarity.
US tends to use /ˈmoʊrz/ with a clear rhotic /r/ and a rounded /oʊ/ vowel. UK/AU often render as /ˈmɔːz/ or /ˈmɔːrz/ depending on speaker; some Australians drop the /r/ in non-rhotic contexts but will voice /z/ in careful speech. Pay attention to /ɔː/ versus /oʊ/. In fast speech, Americans keep the /r/; Brits may have reduced vowel quality and a crisper /z/.
Because it involves ending with a voiced sibilant /z/ after a tense, rounded vowel /oʊ/ or /ɔː/. Non-native speakers may mispronounce as /moːrz/ or skip the r entirely when speaking British English. The challenge is sustaining voicing into the final /z/ without adding an extra vowel and maintaining strong first-syllable stress. Practice with minimal pairs and a sustained /z/ after the vowel.
The word has a true final sibilant /z/ that voices; do not devoice to /s/. Ensure the /r/ is pronounced in rhotic accents if the speaker is rhotic; in non-rhotic varieties the /r/ remains linked to the preceding vowel as a rhotacized vowel but often not fully pronounced as a separate /r/. Focus on a clean onset /m/, and a mid-back vowel quality that shifts slightly before the /z/.
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- US: /ˈmoʊrz/ with a rhotic /r/ and a diphthong /oʊ/. The vowel is rounded; lips form a small circle. - UK: /ˈmɔːz/ or /ˈmɔːrz/ with a longer /ɔː/ and often non-rhotic; the /r/ may be silent unless linking. - AU: /ˈmɔːz/ with a similar Australian vowel as UK, but you may hear slight vowel narrowing and an unreleased /r/ in non-rhotic contexts. - Mouth positions: start with lips rounded for /o/ or /ɔː/, tongue bunched back, then close to produce /z/ with z-voice.
Mores comes from the Latin word mos, plural morēs, meaning ‘customs, morals, manners, or dispositions.’ In Classical Latin, mos referred to habitual behavior or manner, which extended to social norms and moral expectations. The term entered English in the 19th century, popularized by sociologists like Émile Durkheim and later by Robert K. Merton, who used it to distinguish obligatory social norms from laws and mere etiquette. Its usage crystallized in sociological discourse to describe those codified values that a community deems essential to its social fabric. Historically, morēs carried a sense of collective consent and sanction, beyond personal preference, shaping how actions are judged as right or wrong within a given group. The word’s plural form underscores the pluralistic and sometimes competing systems of standards across societies; one culture’s mores may be viewed as mere habits by another. In contemporary usage, mores continue to represent the moral backbone of a society, often influencing policy debates, education, and media portrayals of virtue and propriety.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mores" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Mores"
-res sounds
-ors sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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