3 syllables: pa, rish, es. Stress on pa.
PAR-ish-iz
/ˈpæɹɪʃɪz/
parishes is pronounced PAR-ish-iz (/ˈpæɹɪʃɪz/). It has three syllables (pa-rish-es), with the stress on "pa". Parishes is the plural form of parish, a church district or local administrative area. In everyday use it often denotes multiple church jurisdictions or communities within or across regions. The plural carries a soft final /ɪz/ or /ɪz/ ending depending on syllable count and preceding consonants, and is commonly pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable.
Parishes is the plural form of parish, a church district or local administrative area. In everyday use it often denotes multiple church jurisdictions or communities within or across regions. The plural carries a soft final /ɪz/ or /ɪz/ ending depending on syllable count and preceding consonants, and is commonly pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable.
"Several parishes collaborated to fund the restoration of the cathedral."
"The diocese encompasses several rural parishes in the county."
"In the UK, parish councils operate at the most local level."
Pronounce as /ˈpær.ɪ.ʃɪz/ in US and UK forms, with the primary stress on the first syllable. Think: PAIR-uh-shiz, but with a short, clipped second syllable and a soft /ʃ/ before the final /ɪz/. In fast speech, you may hear a slight reduction of the middle vowel, but maintain /ˈpær.ɪ.ʃɪz/. Audio references include Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries online—listen for the two syllables after the initial stressed vowel and the /ʃ/ blend before /ɪz/.
Common errors include flattening the /ɪ/ to a schwa in the second syllable (pronouncing pa-r-ishes as /ˈpæɹɪʃɪz/ with unclear second vowel) and misplacing the /ʃ/ or shortening the final /ɪz/. Another error is pronouncing the second syllable as /eɪ/ (pair-ishez). Correct by maintaining /ɪ/ in the second syllable and clearly articulating /ʃ/ before /ɪz/, ensuring the final s is voiced as /z/. Practice with minimal pairs like parish vs parishes to train the /ɪ/ and /ʃ/ sequence.
In US and UK, the first syllable carries primary stress: /ˈpær.ɪ.ʃɪz/. The middle vowel in the second syllable remains a short /ɪ/; the /r/ is rhotic in US but not strongly rhotic in some UK accents, though most British speakers still retain an /r/ in connected speech. Australian speakers often use a closer fronted /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a less rhotic or non-rhotic presentation; the final /z/ remains voiced. Overall, the core is the same, with subtle vowel quality and rhotic differences. IPA reminders help anchor the distinctions.
The difficulty stems from the cluster /riʃ/ in the middle and the final /ɪz/ after /ʃ/. The /ʃ/ sound before /ɪz/ can blur in rapid speech, making it sound like /ˈpær.ɪ.ʃɪs/ to untrained ears. You must preserve the alveolar blending for /ˈpær/ and keep the /ʃ/ crisp before the /ɪz/ to avoid a mispronunciation such as /ˈpeɪr.ɪz/ or /ˈpæɹ.ɪz/. Practice with word pairs and vocal focus on the /ʃ/ and /ɪ/ sequence.
The emphasis is on the first syllable, and the middle segment is /-ri-/, not /-re-/. Think PAIR-uh-shiz, with the /r/ lightly pronounced in non-rhotic accents. Use a light, quick release into /ɪz/, avoiding an overly long vowel in the second syllable. Practicing the two syllable approach helps: PAIR-uh-shiz, keeping /ʃ/ clearly released into /ɪz/.
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Parish derives from Old French parrochie, from Medieval Latin parochia, from Late Latin parrochia, from Greek paroikia ‘a residence in a foreign land’ from paro- ‘beside, alongside’ + oikos ‘house, dwelling.’ In ecclesiastical use, parochia referred to the jurisdiction of a parish priest. The sense extended to a church district containing a church, then to a civil administrative district in some regions. In English, parish appears in Middle English as parische or parisch, with the plural parishes emerging as standard in Early Modern English to denote more than one such district or community. The suffix -ees, as in parishes, is typical for forming plurals from words ending in -ish (though the plural s is used broadly). First known use in English attests to the 14th–15th centuries in religious and civic documents, reflecting the fusion of ecclesiastical and civil governance in medieval Europe.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "parishes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "parishes"
-hes sounds
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