3 syllables: mul, ti, ples. Stress on mul.
/ˈmʌltəpəlz/
Say it backMultiples refers to more than one in number; the term is commonly used in mathematics and statistics to denote products or sets that share a common factor. It can also describe repeated occurrences or copies. In everyday language, it often implies several instances or units of something rather than a single example.
"The teacher asked for the multiples of five up to fifty."
"We collected several multiples of the same digit for the experiment."
"In finance, you compare the price-to-earnings ratios across multiples of revenue."
You say MUL-ti-ples with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəlz/, UK /ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəlz/, AU /ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəlz/. The first syllable uses the /ʌ/ vowel as in 'strut', the middle is a short /ɪ/, and the final is a schwa-like /ə/ before the final /lz/ cluster; the trailing /z/ is vibrated. Keep the /l/ light, and avoid tensing the jaw at the transition to -ples.
Common errors: flattening the first syllable so it sounds like 'mull-'; over-articulating the middle /ɪ/ turning it into /iː/; dropping the final /z/ or turning it into /s/. Correction: maintain full /ʌ/ in the first syllable, keep /ɪ/ brief, and end with /əz/ rather than /əs/ or /z/ alone. Practice the sequence MUL-til-pəl-z with clear transitions.
In US/UK/AU, the main differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality. US and AU are rhotic; /ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəlz/ with a clear rhotic influence in connected speech, UK tends toward a non-rhotic realization in careful speech, sometimes sounding /ˈmʌl.tɪ.pə(l)z/ with a weaker or silent 'r' in some contexts. The /ɜ/ sound is not typical here; the /ʌ/ remains consistent, and /pəl/ tends to be compact with light schwa. All share the same final /z/.
Two main challenges: the multi-consonant cluster -ples ending requires quick, precise transition from /p/ to /l/ to /z/. The ending /z/ must vibrate without adding extra voicing to the previous consonants. The middle /ɪ/ should be short and not reduced to a schwa in careful speech. Practicing with slow to normal rate and listening to native models helps solidify the exact transitions and timing.
Note the /əlz/ sequence: the /l/ acts as a light consonant between a schwa-like /ə/ and the /z/. You can practice by saying ‘mul-tuh-pul-z’ slowly, then speed up keeping the same vowel qualities. Emphasize the first syllable and ensure the final /z/ is voiced distinctly, not devoiced to /s/.
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Multiples comes from the Latin multiplicis, from the root mutliplicitus meaning “made up of many parts.” The word’s modern mathematical sense emerged in the late 16th to 17th centuries as scholars formalized arithmetic operations. The Latin root multiplic- denotes ‘many,’ from more formal progenitors like mul- (to multiply) and -plicare (to fold, to enfold). The term evolved from adjectival uses such as ‘a multiples quantity’ to a specific mathematical noun describing numbers that can be obtained by multiplying a given integer by another integer. Early usage appeared in treatises on arithmetic and algebra as scholars distinguished between factors, products, and multiples. Over time, “multiples” consolidated its identity in teaching materials, problem sets, and formal definitions, eventually becoming a standard term in number theory and applied mathematics. First known English attestations appear in the 17th-18th centuries in educational texts, aligning with the broader codification of multiplication as a fundamental operation. Modern usage extends to any context describing a set of items that share a common multiplier, not just numerical products, though math remains the primary domain of its precise definition.
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Words that rhyme with "multiples"
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