/ˈmʌðɚz/
Say it backMothers is the plural noun for a female parent. In most contexts it refers to more than one mother, or to a group of mothers. Pronounced with two syllables and a light final /z/ sound, it often features a subtle vowel reduction in casual speech and may show a vowel merge in certain accents.
"The mothers at the playground organized a carpool."
"We invited the mothers to speak at the school assembly."
"Several mothers from the choir stayed afterward."
Pronounce as two syllables with initial stress on the first: /ˈmʌðərz/ in US; /ˈmʌðəz/ in many UK variants. Start with an open-mid back rounded vowel like “uh” but with the voiced dental fricative /ð/ (as in 'this'). The second syllable is a light schwa or /ə/ followed by a voiced /z/. In connected speech, the /ər/ cluster can reduce to a quick /ə/ before the final /z/. Practice by isolating /ˈmʌð/ then add /ərz/ quickly: “MUTH-ers.” Audio references: try listening to Forvo or YouGlish examples for exact speaker variation.
Common errors include treating the word as one syllable, saying /ˈmɒdərz/ with a long o, or replacing /ð/ with /d/ or /t/ (e.g., /ˈmo-ders/). Another frequent misstep is pronouncing the final as /z/ without voicing, making it sound like /ˈmʌðərs/ in some accents. To correct: keep the dental fricative /ð/ (tip of tongue between teeth) and ensure the vowel in the first syllable is the short /ʌ/ (as in 'cup'), then add the unstressed /ə/ and final voiced /z/. Slow practice with a mirror can help align tongue position.
In US English, /ˈmʌðərz/ with rhotic r and /ər/ spell-out; the final /z/ is voiced. UK English often yields /ˈmʌðəz/ or /ˈmʌðəz/ with a reduced second syllable and a weaker r-like sound; rhoticity is less pronounced, so /ˈmʌðəz/ may occur. Australian English resembles UK patterns but with slight vowel shifts; you might hear /ˈmɒðəz/ in some dialects, and a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable. Across all, the key contrasts are the treatment of /ɜr/ vs /ə/ and the degree of rhoticity.
Difficulties come from the dental fricative /ð/ (tooth-tip contact) and the subtle vowel in the first syllable /ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ in some accents, plus the fast linking into the /ər/ or /əz/ sequence. Learners often substitute /ˈmʌdərz/ or drop the /ð/ entirely. Focus on the precise tongue placement for /ð/: tongue tip touching the upper teeth, with a voiced airflow; keep the first vowel short and relaxed; practice the sequence /ˈmʌð-ərz/ in slow, then progressive speed.
A unique issue is the potential vowel reduction in the second syllable and the final /z/ voice in rapid speech, which can merge with preceding schwa as /ər/ + /z/ or /əz/. This can create a slightly reduced /ə/ or even an elided sound in casual speech. Focus on maintaining a clear /ð/ in the first syllable and ensuring the final /z/ remains voiced in connected speech; measure with IPA landmarks and listen to varied speaker samples.
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Mothers derives from Old English modor, the feminine form of father-related kin terms, with the plural -s added in modern English. The word modor traces back to Proto-Germanic *modōr, which itself is linked to Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr, the ancestor of related terms in many Indo-European languages. In Old English, modor evolved into mōdor, with variations across dialects like mōder and modore. By Middle English, mothers became common as a plural form in reference to multiple female parents. The shift from single to plural usage aligns with the broader English trend of adding -s to nouns to indicate plurality, while the vowel sound underwent typical Great Vowel Shift adjustments in various dialects. The core semantic field—female parent—remains stable, while phonetic realizations differ across accents, especially in vowel quality and the treatment of the initial consonant cluster. First known written attestations appear in medieval texts, with the modern plural form well established by the Early Modern English period. Over time, usage broadened to include metaphorical references (e.g., mothers of invention) and collective nouns referring to maternal figures in a community.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "mothers" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "mothers" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "mothers"
-ers sounds
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