One syllable: Peace Corps.
PEES KAWR
/ˈpiːs ˈkɔɹ/
Peace Corps is pronounced PEES KAWR (/ˈpiːs ˈkɔɹ/). It has one syllable (Peace Corps), with the stress on "Peace Corps". Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government that sends Americans abroad to assist with development projects. The name refers to the organization’s mission of fostering peace through service, development, and cross-cultural exchange. The term combines the societal ideal of peace with the corps-like structure of a disciplined, mission-driven group.
nounPeace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government that sends Americans abroad to assist with development projects. The name refers to the organization’s mission of fostering peace through service, development, and cross-cultural exchange. The term combines the societal ideal of peace with the corps-like structure of a disciplined, mission-driven group.
How to Pronounce Peace Corps
"I spoke with a returned Peace Corps volunteer about her experiences in rural Africa."
"The Peace Corps aims to reduce global poverty by supporting education, health, and farming initiatives."
"After joining the Peace Corps, he spent two years teaching English in a Southeast Asian village."
US: /piːs kɔr/ or /ˈpiːs kɔr z/ depending on intonation; actual two-word compound typically pronounced with primary stress on Peace: /ˈpiːs ˈkɔːr/ (rhotic US: /p iː s k ɔr/). UK: /piːs kɔːz/ (or /ˈpiːs kɔː/); AU: /ˈpiːs kɔːz/; pay attention to the final 'r' in non-rhotic accents where it is not pronounced after a vowel. The key is clear separation: [PEACE] followed by [CORPS], with a light separation. Audio reference in most dictionaries will show two-syllable, primary stress on Peace.
Common errors: (1) Running the two words together as a single 'peacecorps' without clear boundary; (2) Mispronouncing /ɔr/ as /ɔːr/ or confusing the /r/ in rhotic accents; (3) Not properly articulating /s/ at the end of Peace; correction: pause between syllables and articulate /kɔr/ with a clear rounded back vowel and /r/ in rhotic accents. Practice saying Peace as /piːs/ then Corps as /kɔr/ with a small breath between, ensuring syllable boundary. In non-rhotic contexts, avoid adding an /r/ sound after the vowel unless required by liaison.
US: rhotic /r/ pronounced in both syllables; clear /ɔː/ in Corps. UK: non-rhotic, /r/ not pronounced; final consonants may be less pronounced; Articulation is /ˈpiːs kɔːz/ in quick speech. AU: similar to UK but with Australian vowel quality; /ˈpiːs kɔːz/ with a slight centralized vowel in Corps depending on speaker. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality; often Peace is stressed, Corps less so; slow careful speech shows the two-word boundary more clearly.
Because it is a two-word proper noun with an internal boundary that must be preserved in speech, and the second word contains the /ɔː/ vowel that can vary with accent; the final /ps/ can be challenging in rapid speech, and many non-native speakers misplace stress or merge the words. In some accents, the /r/ in Corps becomes subtle or silent, making the pair sound like /ˈpiːs kɔː/ instead of /ˈpiːs kɔr/. Focus on crisp separation and the correct vowel quality.
A distinctive feature is the final consonant cluster in Corps: /kɔr/ in rhotic accents vs /kɔː/ in non-rhotic accents; the pause between Peace and Corps reinforces the boundary even when the final 'ps' is not pronounced as a distinct sound in rapid speech. Practicing with a short breath between syllables helps preserve clarity, and listening to native speakers in context reinforces natural stress patterns.
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US: rhotic, clear final 'r', longer 'o' vowel in Corps; UK: non-rhotic, /r/ silent, smaller r-coloring; AU: similar to UK but with broader flat vowel, nuanced /ɔː/; Vowel detail: Peace uses /iː/ in both accents; Corps uses /ɔː/ or /ɔr/ with r-color in US; IPA references: /piːs kɔːr/ (US), /ˈpiːs kɔːz/ (UK for some speakers with z-like/ s-like due to liaison).
Peace Corps was established in 1961 by executive action and legislation under President John F. Kennedy as a U.S. government program to promote world peace and friendship. The name reflects two core ideas: peace, as a moral/normative goal, and corps, borrowed from lyrical and military vocabulary to denote a body of organized personnel and shared mission. The term 'Peace' derives from Old French paix (modern French paix) from Latin pax, meaning a state of tranquility or absence of conflict. 'Corps' comes from French corps, meaning body or group, and in English is pronounced as /kɔːr/ or /kɔr/ but often silent in some connections (as in 'Peace Corps' where the final 'ps' is silent except for the 's'). The first known institutional use centers on the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, with Lyndon B. Johnson signing enabling legislation in 1961 and subsequent expansion. Since then, the proper noun has become a fixed compound, always capitalized, and widely recognized as a United States government service organization focusing on development assistance, education, health, and cross-cultural exchange. Over time, “Peace Corps” has become embedded in popular discourse as both a defining career/volunteer path and a symbol of American soft power and global engagement.
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Words that rhyme with "Peace Corps"
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