2 syllables: pau, ses. Stress on pau.
PAW-zuhz
/ˈpɔzəz/
pauses is pronounced PAW-zuhz (/ˈpɔzəz/). It has two syllables (pau-ses), with the stress on "pau". Pauses refers to brief interruptions in speech, during which airflow is momentarily halted and then released. They guide rhythm, emphasis, and meaning, marking boundaries between phrases or ideas. In plural form, pauses can be intentional (to emphasize) or natural (between words).
Pauses refers to brief interruptions in speech, during which airflow is momentarily halted and then released. They guide rhythm, emphasis, and meaning, marking boundaries between phrases or ideas. In plural form, pauses can be intentional (to emphasize) or natural (between words).
- Misplacing stress or assuming a short /ɔ/ instead of the full /ɔː/ vowel (/ˈpɔː.zɪz/). • Keep the primary stress on the first syllable and maintain a clear voiced /z/ before the /ɪz/ suffix. • Dipping the tongue or letting the /z/ fuse with the following /ɪ/ can blur the plural, so practice a clean transition from /z/ to /ɪ/ with a brief pause if needed. Focus on the tongue’s alveolar contact for /z/ and a smooth glide into /ɪ/ before /z/.
"There were several pauses in the speaker's monologue as the audience waited for the next point."
"She took a deep breath and held a short pause before answering."
"The professor's pauses helped emphasize key concepts."
Pronounce as /ˈpɔː.zɪz/ in US/UK/AU variants. The stress falls on the first syllable. Start with an open back vowel /ɔː/ as in ‘call,’ then a light /z/ voiced fricative, and end with the plural suffix /-ɪz/ which sounds like a quick /ɪz/ after /z/. Keep the final /z/ sound soft and extended slightly when emphasizing. You can listen to native examples on Pronounce or Forvo for reference.
Two frequent errors: (1) Trying to pronounce it as /ˈpɔːsɪz/ with a hard /s/ instead of the /z/ voiced sibilant; ensure the final is /-ɪz/. (2) Underestimating the vowel: many say /pɔːzɪz/ with a lax vowel; instead, use the longer /ɔː/ or /ɔːr/ quality depending on accent. Practice by isolating the vowel in /ˈpɔː/ and then adding the /z/ before /ɪz/. Slow repetition helps fix the final voicing and the palatal release transition.
US/UK/AU share /ˈpɔːzɪz/ typically, with rhoticity affecting the following vowel in connected speech. In US accents, the /ɔː/ may sound closer to /ɔ/ or even /ɑ/ in some dialects, and the /ɪ/ can be reduced in fast speech. UK accents often maintain a clearer /ɔː/ and may have a slight border between /z/ and /ɪz/. Australian accents commonly exhibit a broad /ɔː/ with a more fronted /ɪ/; the final /ɪz/ tends to be compact. In all cases, the key is voicing of /z/ and the syllabic rhythm around the plural suffix.
The challenge lies in the voiced final cluster /zɪz/ after /ɔː/. You must transition from a long, tense /ɔː/ to a raised vocalic shield /ɪ/ quickly, with consistent voicing on /z/. The plural suffix /-ɪz/ is often reduced in rapid speech, so you might hear /-zɪz/ or /-ɪz/. Training with minimal pairs and slow mouth positioning helps—concentrate on the alveolar voice onset of /z/ and the i-z combination as a linked syllable.
Yes. In slower speech, you’ll hear a small boundary before /z/ as you move from the long /ɔː/ to the /z/ onset, almost like a tiny stop before the fricative. In natural phrasing, this boundary can be subtle, but it helps avoid slurring the /z/ into /ɪz/. Practicing with a light pause before the /z/ can enhance clarity.
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- US: rhotic vowels may color /ɔː/ toward /ɔːɹ/ in some regions; ensure non-rhotic pronunciations still voice the /z/ clearly. • UK: keep a taut, precise /ɔː/ with crisp /z/; avoid swallowing the /ɪ/ in the suffix. • AU: slightly broader /ɔː/ with real-time /ɪ/ before /z/; keep mouth relaxed but with a longer jaw drop into /ɔː/. Use IPA: /ˈpɔː.zɪz/ across variants, listening for subtle schwa reduction before the /ɪ/.
The noun pause comes from the French pause, from Latin pausa, which in turn derives from the Greek pausa meaning a stopping or cessation. The term entered English via French in the 16th century, originally in music and stage directions to denote a temporary stop. In English usage, pause broadened to refer to any temporary halt in motion, speech, or activity. The plural pauses follows standard English pluralization with -es. Over time, pausing acquired nuance in rhetoric and broadcasting, distinguishing deliberate rhetorical pacing from incidental breaks. In linguistics, pauses are analyzed as silences or gaps in oral speech, often indicated in transcripts with ellipses or brackets, and studied for their role in syntax, prosody, and discourse structure. First known usages appear in early modern English texts describing dramatic pauses or musical notation, cementing the term as a fundamental element of fluent speech and performance.
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Help others use "pauses" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "pauses" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "pauses" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "pauses"
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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