2 syllables: pau, pers. Stress on pau.
PAW-purz
/ˈpɔpɚz/
paupers is pronounced PAW-purz (/ˈpɔpɚz/). It has two syllables (pau-pers), with the stress on "pau". Paupers is the plural of pauper, meaning people who are very poor, traditionally lacking material wealth and social standing. In modern usage it often appears in discussions of poverty or historical contexts, or in literature to evoke destitution. The term carries a slightly archaic or formal tone and can be found in both narrative and analytical writing.
Paupers is the plural of pauper, meaning people who are very poor, traditionally lacking material wealth and social standing. In modern usage it often appears in discussions of poverty or historical contexts, or in literature to evoke destitution. The term carries a slightly archaic or formal tone and can be found in both narrative and analytical writing.
"The town’s paupers relied on charity and the new relief program."
"Historical novels frequently depict paupers living in crowded urban tenements."
"The policy aimed to help paupers access basic services rather than stigmatize them."
Phonetically it is /ˈpɔːpərz/ in US and UK, with the stress on the first syllable and a voiced schwa in the second: pau- perz. The final -ers is pronounced as a voiced z-like ending in connected speech. In careful speech you may hear a slight hiatus between the syllables, but in fluent speech it tends to flow as PAW-puhz. Mouth positions: start with an open back rounded vowel for /ɔː/, then a relaxed /p/ and a schwa-like /ər/ depending on accent, and end with /z/.
Common mistakes include reducing the first syllable too much (saying ‘poppers’ or ‘poppers’ with a short /ɔː/), and mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ in rapid speech. Another error is fusing /ər/ into a dull /ɜ˞/ or dropping the r-coloring in non-rhotic accents. To fix: ensure /ɔː/ is long, keep /p/ voicelessly released before the schwa, and end with a clear voiced /z/ rather than /s/.
In US and UK rhotic varieties, the final /r/ is not an issue since /ər/ is a reduced r-controlled schwa; however, US speakers may have a slightly stronger rhotic coloration on the second syllable, while UK non-rhotic varieties may hear a weaker r in /ər/. Australian English tends to be non-rhotic with a clear but brief /ə/ in the second syllable and a more centralized vowel in /ɔː/. The primary differences lie in vowel quality of /ɔː/ and the r-color in /ər/.
The difficulty lies in producing the long open-mid back vowel /ɔː/ in stressed first syllable while maintaining a clean release into a reduced second syllable with a voiced /z/. Non-native speakers often misplace lip rounding and tongue height, leading to a shorter /ɔː/ or to a fricative rather than a clear /z/ at the end. Coordinating the flapped or rolled r (if present in some accents) with a proper /z/ also adds complexity.
It's a plural noun form with a relatively uncommon base word and a final voiced consonant cluster that can be challenging in connected speech. Learners may hyper-articulate the second syllable or omit the final /z/; or they may mispronounce the /ɔː/ as /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on their native language. Focus on a clear first syllable vowel, a light, quick /ər/ or /ə/ in the second, and a final voiced /z/.
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pauper comes from Middle English pauper, borrowed from Old French pauper, which itself stems from Latin pauper ‘poor, poor person.’ The Latin term is linked to pauper formation with the suffix -er denoting an agent or person associated with the quality described. The word entered English in the late Middle Ages, often in religious, legal, or moral contexts to describe someone lacking property or standing. Over time, pauper retained its pejorative and social welfare connotations, appearing in political and literary discourse, especially through Victorian-era poverty debates. In modern usage, pauper retains its formal or historical flavor, frequently appearing in discussions of policy, history, or literature rather than daily colloquial speech. First known uses appear in Middle English texts around the 13th-14th centuries, with formal Latin and French roots reinforcing its status as a term tied to social hierarchy and economic condition. As a plural, paupers is used when referring to multiple individuals lacking financial means, often within accounts of charity, census, or poverty studies.
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Words that rhyme with "paupers"
-ers sounds
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