/ˈɹeɪzəz/
Say it backRaises is the third-person singular present tense of raise, or a plural noun meaning lifts or increases. In verb form, it means to lift or elevate something or to cause something to increase. The noun use refers to instances of lifting or increases, often in contexts like salaries, prices, or emotions. Clear distinction between /ˈreɪzɪz/ (verb) and /ˈreɪzɪz/ in plural noun forms with stress on the first syllable.
- You’ll often hear people say /rɪzɪz/ or /ˈriːzɪz/; correct by maintaining the /eɪ/ diphthong in the first syllable and stressing it. - Final cluster confusion: the ending is /zɪz/, not /z/; practice by saying ‘zīze’ with a light /ɪ/ before the last /z/. - Linking errors: avoid inserting extra vowels between syllables; keep it as two syllables: /ˈreɪ/ and /zɪz/ with a clean glide in the middle. - Slurring the start: ensure the initial /r/ or /ɹ/ is crisp in US and AU; UK speakers may have slightly softer onset; practice with isolated syllables first, then in phrases.
"The manager raises the team’s training budget each quarter."
"Inflation raises prices across the board over time."
"She raises her hand to ask a question during the lecture."
Pronounced /ˈreɪ.zɪz/ in both verb and plural noun senses. Primary stress on the first syllable: RAY-ziz. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /eɪ/ vowel in the first syllable and a voiced /zɪz/ at the end. Mouth position: start with a mid-front tongue position for /eɪ/ then close for /z/ and end with a light, voiced /z/ followed by a schwa vowel and /z/ (as in /zɪz/). In rapid speech, the /ɪ/ can reduce toward a very light /ɪ/ or even an unstressed schwa before the final /z/. Audio reference: think of “ray” plus “ziz.” keywords: pronunciation, stress, IPA, syllable, rhythm.
Two frequent errors: (1) De-emphasizing the first syllable and making it /rɛzɪz/ or /ˈriːzɪz/; keep the /eɪ/ diphthong and stress on the first syllable. (2) Slurring the final -es into a simple /z/ or mispronouncing the /ɪ/ as a full vowel; aim for a light /ɪ/ before the final /z/. Practice with slow repetitions: /ˈreɪ.zɪz/; exaggerate the diphthong in slow speech, then normalize.
US: /ˈreɪ.zɪz/, rhotic, clear /ɹ/; UK: /ˈreɪ.zɪz/ with non-rhotic tendency in some variants, same vowel but softer /ɹ/ or approximant; AU: /ˈreɪ.zɪz/ with Australian vowel quality, slightly more centralized /ɪ/ and a likely stronger non-rhoticity depending on speaker; general pattern remains /ˈreɪ.zɪz/ across, but vowel quality and rhoticity details shift slightly.
The challenge lies in the sequence of a tense, high-front diphthong /eɪ/ followed by a voiced alveolar sibilant cluster /zɪz/. Coordinating the transition from /eɪ/ to /z/ requires precise tongue blade positioning and air flow. The final /zɪz/ also risks vowel reduction or devoicing; keeping a light, relaxed /ɪ/ before the final /z/ maintains natural contrast with singular forms like /reɪz/.
In raises, the final -es is pronounced as a voiced /z/ in both verb and plural noun senses, so the whole word ends with /z/. There is no silent -e in standard American/UK/AU English for this word; the spelling reflects the plural or third-person verb ending, but pronunciation remains /ˈreɪ.zɪz/.
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- US: Rhotic /ɹ/; keep the /ɹ/ solid, then glide into /eɪ/ smoothly; final /zɪz/ should be tight and voiced. - UK: Non-rhotic tendencies mean the /ɹ/ may be weaker or omitted before vowels; not silent, but lighter; keep the /eɪ/ diphthong clear and the final /z/ voiced. - AU: Similar to US in rhoticity; vowel quality often a bit more centralized; ensure the /ɪ/ in /zɪz/ is short and not reduced to a schwa in careful speech. Practical IPA notes: /ˈreɪ.zɪz/ across accents; emphasize the first syllable and keep the middle consonant clean.
Raises comes from the verb raise, which originates from the Old French refraisser ‘to raise, bring up’ via Latin radi- ‘to raise, lift’ (root reg- meaning ‘to lead, set upright’). In Middle English, raise appeared as raisen/rysen with sense extensions to cause to rise or to multiply. The form with -es as a present-tense third-person singular for verbs ending in -e, and as a plural noun in some contexts, evolved in parallel with standard English inflection. The core meaning—“to lift or cause to rise”—was established early, with metaphorical uses expanding to raise spirits, raise funds, raise concerns, and raise salaries. First known usages appear in late medieval texts discussing construction, agriculture, and economic activity, gradually formalizing in dictionaries by the 16th–17th centuries as standard English verb conjugation and plural noun morphology matured.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "raises" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "raises"
-zes sounds
-ses sounds
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