2 syllables: pa, ges. Stress on pa.
PAY-juhz
/ˈpeɪdʒəz/
pages is pronounced PAY-juhz (/ˈpeɪdʒəz/). It has two syllables (pa-ges), with the stress on "pa". Pages refers to multiple leaves of a book or document, or to a social media-like feed in some contexts. It can function as a noun or verb in phrases like 'turn the pages' or 'the pages load slowly.' The term combines a plural noun form with a common noun-derived plural ending, signaling quantity rather than a single item. Clarity often depends on context and pronunciation of the final -s variant.
Pages refers to multiple leaves of a book or document, or to a social media-like feed in some contexts. It can function as a noun or verb in phrases like 'turn the pages' or 'the pages load slowly.' The term combines a plural noun form with a common noun-derived plural ending, signaling quantity rather than a single item. Clarity often depends on context and pronunciation of the final -s variant.
"She flipped through the pages of the old manuscript."
"The web pages loaded faster after the update."
"Please turn to the pages indicated in the syllabus."
You pronounce it as /ˈpeɪ.dʒɪz/ in US and UK accents, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with /peɪ/ (the long 'a' as in 'pay'), then /dʒɪz/ as in 'd-zhiz' where the /dʒ/ is the letter J sound, followed by a voiced z.
Common errors include pronouncing /dʒ/ too softly or as /j/ (yod) as in 'pages'—you should hit the /dʒ/ as in 'judge.' Another error is eliding the /ɪ/ and saying /ˈpeɪdʒz/ without the clear vowel in the second syllable. Ensure the /z/ is voiced, not /s/.
In US/UK, the /ˈpeɪ.dʒɪz/ pattern is consistent, with rhoticity affecting preceding /r/ none here; vowels remain /eɪ/ then /ɪ/ in the second syllable. Australian English is similar but vowel quality can be slightly higher or tenser; you may hear a subtle lifting of the second vowel /ɪ/ in rapid speech.
The challenge lies in the /dʒ/ blend transitioning into a voiced /z/. It requires precise tongue tip contact for /dʒ/ and immediate voicing for /z/. The adjacent vowels /eɪ/ and /ɪ/ are distinct and must be kept separate in rapid speech, avoiding vowel merging. Practicing minimal pairs helps isolate the glide and release.
A page-specific nuance is maintaining the clear /dʒ/ onset before the /ɪ/ in the second syllable, ensuring the z- sound remains fully voiced. In careful speech, you’ll keep a tiny pause or a light release between /dʒ/ and /ɪ/ to maintain clarity.
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Pages comes from the Latin pagina, meaning a leaf of a manuscript or a page in a book, which itself derives from Old French page. The root Latin pagina is often linked to the Greek paignion, a slim sheet or fold. The term entered English via medieval manuscripts, where a page was literally a single leaf. The plural form pages arose as the language adopted a productive plural ending for countable objects. Over time, the word broadened to non-physical contexts (e.g., web pages). The sense of a page as a unit of a book crystallized in print culture, with the term appearing in English texts by at least the 14th century. The modern sense of 'pages' as multiple individual leaves or, in digital form, as discrete units of content, reflects both the manuscript heritage and the information-age extension of the concept. The evolution underscores the shift from physical leaves to digital screens while retaining the core idea of a distinct, countable surface.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "pages" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "pages" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "pages"
-ges sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
