NEYEN-teez
/ˈnaɪntiz/
nineties is pronounced NEYEN-teez (/ˈnaɪntiz/). Nineties refers to the decade from 1990 to 1999 or, in casual usage, to a group of people born in that decade. It can describe styles, culture, or statistics from that period. The term is pluralized with an -s and pronounced with two syllables, stressing the second syllable, often sounding like 'NYN-teez' depending on accent.
Nineties refers to the decade from 1990 to 1999 or, in casual usage, to a group of people born in that decade. It can describe styles, culture, or statistics from that period. The term is pluralized with an -s and pronounced with two syllables, stressing the second syllable, often sounding like 'NYN-teez' depending on accent.
- Saying /ˈnaɪnˌtɪz/ or /ˈnaɪnˈtiz/; correct to /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/ with a long /iː/ in the second syllable and a clear /z/ at the end. - Misplacing stress as /ˈnaɪnˌtiz/; retain primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/. - Final consonant assimilation in rapid speech can turn /tiːz/ into /tiːz/ with a reduced transition; practice with held /iː/ through the /z/. Correction tips: exaggerate the second syllable’s /iː/ for a moment while saying the final /z/ to lock in the groove.
"The nineties saw a surge in grunge music and neon fashion."
"Researchers tracked economic trends that peaked in the nineties."
"She collects vinyl from the early nineties."
US: /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/; UK/AU: /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/. Stress falls on the first syllable: NYNE-tees. The second syllable is a long 'tee' /tiː/ with a voiced z in the final consonant. When speaking quickly, the /t/ can sound like a flapped [ɾ] in casual speech, but careful pronunciation keeps /tiːz/. Audio reference: listen for /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/ spoken clearly in news or podcasts.
Mistakes include saying /ˈnaɪnˈtɪz/ with a short first vowel in the second syllable and ending with /z/ instead of /z/ voiced; and misplacing the stress as /niˈnɛtiz/. Correct it by maintaining a clear /tiː/ in the second syllable and keeping primary stress on /ˈnaɪn/; ensure the final is /z/ as in 'zees' rather than /s/.
US and UK/AU share /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/ with primary stress on the first syllable and a long /iː/ in the second; Australia may have slight vowel height differences, with more centralized vowel quality in some speakers. Rhoticity generally does not affect the word itself, but surrounding vowels may shift. Listen for a crisp /tiː/ and a voiced final /z/ across accents.
The challenge lies in the long /iː/ in the second syllable and the cluster /nt/ following a stressed primary syllable, which can blur in rapid speech. Beginners often reduce /tiː/ to /tɪ/ and misplace the laryngeal timing between /n/ and /t/. Focus on a distinct /tiː/ and a clean /z/ at the end, with primary stress on /ˈnaɪn/.
The noun often appears with the final /z/ pronounced as a voiced sibilant; some speakers in rapid speech may devoice to [s], especially in casual conversation. To maintain clarity, keep the final sound voiced: /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/. Also ensure the /tiː/ is not reduced to /tɪ/ in careful speech.
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US: rhotic but word does not change; maintain /ˈnaɪnˌtiːz/ with full vowel height in /tiː/. UK/AU: similar, but some UK speakers may reduce preceding consonants; keep /naɪn/ as a single syllable then /tiːz/. Vowel quality: /aɪ/ diphthong in first syllable, /iː/ long vowel in second. Emphasize crisp /t/ and voiced /z/; avoid /s/ at the end.
The word nineties comes from the number nine with the plural -ties, formed to denote the decade beginning with the digit 9 in the ordinal counting of decades. It follows the pattern of other decades (eighties, seventies). The form is built from nine (Old English nigoþa, from Proto-Germanic *naïx, related to neo- in some cognates) and -ties from the Old English suffix -tīg or -tēa, indicating a set or period. The term “nine” as a decade marker dates back to English usage that grouped years by tens; by the 19th century, “nineties” had become standard in English to specify the 1990s. The sense of culture, fashion, and events specific to that time solidified the term as a historical period label in contemporary usage.
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Words that rhyme with "nineties"
-ies sounds
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