A plural noun referring to traditional stories or legends that explain natural phenomena, human behavior, or cultural practices. The term often implies stories regarded as traditions rather than factual history. In everyday use, it can also denote widely circulated but unverified beliefs or ideas.
"Ancient civilizations told myths to explain the changing seasons."
"Some people say the town has its own myth about a hidden treasure."
"Scholars compare myths from different cultures to find shared themes."
"You’ll encounter myths about luck and fate in many folk tales."
The word myth derives from the Greek mythos, meaning ‘story, legend, speech, or tale,’ which originally referred to a speech or word, often in a storyteller’s recitation. In Classical Greek, mythos denoted a story of the gods or a narrative explaining natural or social phenomena, as in Hesiod’s Theogony. The Latin equivalent mythus and the later Old French mythe entered English in the medieval period, expanding to denote traditional narratives that explain beliefs about the world. By Early Modern English, myth shifted toward archetypal stories about gods, heroes, and cultural origins. The shift from “divine story” to “unverifiable tale” occurred as scientific and historical discourse emerged, but the word retained a sense of collective cultural storytelling. In contemporary use, myths often indicate widely held but unverified beliefs or stereotypes, including modern “myths” about science, health, or history. First known use in English appears in the 14th century, with related forms appearing in scholarly and ecclesiastical texts, indicating a long-standing tension between sacred narratives and empirical truth.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Myths" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Myths"
-ths sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /mɪθs/. Start with a short, relaxed /ɪ/ as in “kit,” then place the tongue against the upper teeth for /θ/ (like in “think”) and release into a crisp final /s/; keep the /θ/ voiceless. The stress is on the word’s single syllable. Imagine saying ‘mithe-s’ quickly; the key is the θ followed by a clean s sound. Audio guidance helps you feel the dental position.
Two common errors: replacing /θ/ with /s/ or /f/, producing ‘mis’ or ‘miffs’ instead of /mɪθs/. Another error is voicing the final /s/ as /z/, making /mɪθz/. To correct, place the tongue gently between upper and lower front teeth and push air for the unvoiced /θ/. Then release a crisp /s/—no vocal fold vibration. Practice saying ‘think’ without the vowel change, then add the s.
In US, UK, and AU, the word remains /mɪθs/. The main difference lies in the surrounding vowel quality and tendencies toward rhoticity in some speakers. US speakers may have slightly looser /ɪ/; UK speakers maintain a shorter, tighter /ɪ/; Australian tends toward mid-central vowel coloration. The /θ/ is consistently voiceless and dental; the final /s/ stays unvoiced. Overall, there’s minimal cross-accent variation in the core consonants.
The challenge is the /θ/ sound, which sits between a /t/ and /f/ in tongue position. It requires the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth with a light breath. Many speakers default to /t/ or /s/, causing blends like /mɪts/ or /mɪf/. Practicing with minimal pairs like think/sink and teeth/teats helps recalibrate the tongue placement and airflow, making the dental fricative clearer.
Think of the word as two small actions: ‘m’ with a quick mouth opening into the dental fricative /θ/. This helps you separate the sonorant /m/ from the voiceless dental fricative /θ/ without blending. A practical cue: place your tongue lightly on your teeth and blow a brief breath as you voice /θ/. End with a short, clean /s/ to avoid a voiced z.
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