4 syllables: Pri, or, i, ties. Stress on or.
preye-AW-ruh-teez
/pɹaɪˈɔɹətiz/
Priorities is pronounced preye-AW-ruh-teez (/pɹaɪˈɔɹətiz/). It has four syllables (Pri-or-i-ties), with the stress on "or". Priorities are the things that you consider most important and focus your time, energy, and resources on. They guide decision making and help structure plans, schedules, and actions to align with those focal aims. In everyday use, the word often signals a hierarchy of tasks or goals.
nounPriorities are the things that you consider most important and focus your time, energy, and resources on. They guide decision making and help structure plans, schedules, and actions to align with those focal aims. In everyday use, the word often signals a hierarchy of tasks or goals.
"Your top priorities this quarter are to improve client retention and reduce churn."
"We need to reorder our to-do list because our priorities have shifted."
"She clarified her priorities before agreeing to the project timeline."
Phonetically: /ˌpraɪˈɔːrɪtiz/ (US) or /ˌpraɪˈɔːrɪtiz/ (UK/AU). Start with a stressed secondary beat on the 'pri' part: /ˌpraɪ/ as in 'pry'. The main stress lands on the second syllable: /ˈɔːr/ with an open variant vowel; the final /ətiz/ sounds like “uh-tiz” with the z voice at the end. Keep the /r/ clear, and end with a light /z/ or /ɪz/ depending on dialect. You’ll hear a slight length on the /ɔː/ and a quick touch of the /r/ before it. Audio reference: you can compare with listening exercises on Pronounce or YouGlish by searching “priorities pronunciation.”
Two frequent errors: (1) misplacing primary stress on the first syllable instead of the second: say /ˌpraɪˈɔːrɪtiz/ with the main stress on /ɔːr/. (2) softening the /r/ in non-rhotic accents or dropping the final /tiz/ into /tiz/ or /tiz/ as /tɪz/; ensure you release the /t/ and end with a voiced /z/ or /ɪz/. Practice with minimal pairs to reinforce the correct rhythm: pri-OR-i-ties.
In US and AU accents, /ˌpraɪˈɔːrətiz/ features a rhotic r in /ˈɔːr/, with a longer vowel in that nucleus. UK generally uses /ˌpraɪˈɔːrɪtiz/ with non-rhotic r in some speakers, resulting in a slightly softer /r/ or vowel. AU tends toward a robust /ɔː/ similar to UK but often with more pronounced linking in connected speech. Pay attention to the /ɪ/ before the final /tiz/ in many UK/AU speech patterns. Listening: compare YouGlish/Pronounce results labeled US, UK, AU.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable rhythm with stress on the second syllable and the tricky /ɔːr/ sequence that follows, which can blur in fast speech. The presence of /pr/ onset, the mid-/ɔː/ vowel, and the final /tiz/ cluster requires precise tongue position and voicing. Additionally, the second syllable carries primary stress in most contexts, which can surprise speakers who expect a flatter three-syllable rhythm. IPA cues and slow practice help stabilize the flow.
No. In priorities, the initial 'pri' preserves the long /aɪ/ vowel, as in 'pry', not a reduced /prɪ/ as in some unstressed forms. The word stems from priority, but the pronunciation retains the strong /aɪ/ into the first syllable, followed by the secondary-stressed /ɔːr/ and the final /ətiz/. Keep the /aɪ/ crisp and avoid turning the first syllable into a schwa.
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Priorities derives from the noun priority, which comes from the Medieval Latin prioritus, from priority meaning ‘precedence, priority’ and from Latin primāris ‘first, principal’, itself from primus ‘first’. The sense evolved in English to denote the state or condition of being first in rank, order, or importance. Historically, priority appeared in English in the 15th century with legal and military contexts implying precedence. By the 17th–18th centuries, general use adopted “priorities” to indicate a list or grouping of things that must be addressed first. The plural form emerged as speakers referred to multiple tasks or values deserving precedence, especially in business and organizational discourse. Today, priorities commonly contrast with tasks of lesser urgency, shaping planning, productivity, and time management across diverse domains, from personal development to corporate strategy.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Priorities" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Priorities" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Priorities"
-ies sounds
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