2 syllables: Re, cess. Stress on cess.
ris-ES
/ɹɪˈsɛs/
Recess is pronounced ris-ES (/ɹɪˈsɛs/). It has two syllables (Re-cess), with the stress on "cess". Recess (Noun) refers to a short break from work or study, or a hollowed space in a figure or structure. In schools, it denotes a designated break period during which students rest and socialize. It can also describe a recess in a wall or indentation. The term emphasizes temporary pause and retreat from routine activity.
nounRecess (Noun) refers to a short break from work or study, or a hollowed space in a figure or structure. In schools, it denotes a designated break period during which students rest and socialize. It can also describe a recess in a wall or indentation. The term emphasizes temporary pause and retreat from routine activity.
"During the meeting, we took a brief recess to stretch and regroup."
"The students spent recess outside, chatting and playing games."
"The architect designed a decorative recess in the lobby wall."
Recess is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈriː.ses/ (US) or /ˈriː.ses/ (UK/AU) with the main stress on the first syllable. Start with a long 'ee' vowel as in 'reed', then a soft 's' for the second syllable, ending with a short 'es' like 'ess'. If you’re listening, you’ll hear the first syllable held a touch longer in careful speech. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈriː.ses/. Audio cue: think 'reed-ses' with the 's' sound clearly enunciated and the final 'es' pronounced as a weak, unstressed reduplication.
Two common errors are pronouncing it as /ˈriːkəs/ (merging the /s/ with a /k/ or misplacing the vowel) and devoicing the final /z/ into /s/ or using a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable. To correct: keep the long /iː/ in the first syllable, clearly articulate the /s/ between syllables, and end with /z/ rather than /s/; the final consonant should be voiced. Practice is easiest by slow, isolated syllable repetition: /ˈriː/ + /z/ + /əz/ with tongue positioning avoiding tongue-dental blends.
In US/UK/AU, the word retains /ˈriː.ses/ with a long first vowel; the difference lies mainly in vowel quality and rhotics. US tends to be rhotic but the /r/ is not strongly pronounced in the syllable boundary, while UK English is non-rhotic in many dialects, keeping a crisper /s/ onset of the second syllable. Australian English often aligns US vowel length slightly closer to /iː/, with moderate rhotic influence; nevertheless the final /z/ remains voiced. Overall, the main variance is vowel duration and the presence or absence of a pronounced /r/ before the first vowel in some accents.
The challenge lies in balancing the long /iː/ vowel in the first syllable with the short, unstressed second syllable while maintaining a voiced final /z/. Many learners mispronounce by shortening /iː/ or misplacing the tongue for the /z/ leading to a hissy /s/ or an unvoiced ending. Also, transitions between syllables require quick but clear articulation, avoiding a glide that merges /iː/ into /s/. Practicing with minimal pairs helps solidify the distinct /riː/ and /ses/ segments.
Focus on keeping the first syllable clearly long with /iː/ and ensuring the second syllable starts with a soft /s/ following the /r/ in 're-'; the final /z/ must be voiced, not devoiced. In careful speech, you’ll notice a slight vowel reduction in rapid talk, but in clear pronunciation, avoid reducing /riː/ to /ri/ and maintain the crisp /ses/ ending. Visualize the mouth positions: raised tongue blade behind the teeth for /s/, and rounded lips only lightly for the /iː/.
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Recess comes from the Latin recessus, meaning a going back or retreat, from recedere ‘to go back’. The word passed into Old French as recess, retaining the sense of a retreat or space set back from a main area. In English, recess acquired two principal senses: a time window of rest (a retreat from work or activity) and a structural indentation (a back-lying space). The semantic shift from social/temporal retreat to architectural niches reflects a common metaphor: a deliberate return or withdrawal into a sheltered space. The earliest uses in English date from the 15th century, with “recess” seen in legal and architectural contexts before expanding to everyday school breaks and figurative pauses. By the 16th–17th centuries, the sense of a pause in a process or an interval in a plan became common, reinforcing the word’s flexible applicability to time, space, and architecture. Modern usage retains both major senses, often with context providing which meaning is intended, and occasional figurative uses such as “a recess in a discussion.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Recess" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Recess"
-ess sounds
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