/ɹəˈdusəz/
Say it backReduces is the verb form meaning to make something smaller or less in amount, extent, or degree. It commonly appears in discussions of costs, emissions, or risk, and can appear as a third-person singular present tense or in phrases like “reduces emissions.” The pronunciation shape subtly shifts with surrounding sounds and syllable stress, making careful articulation important for clear meaning in fluent speech.
"The new policy reduces greenhouse gas emissions."
"Falling demand reduces the company’s revenue growth."
"Regular maintenance reduces the risk of costly repairs."
You pronounce it as /rɪˈdjuː.sɪz/ in US and UK. The primary stress is on the second syllable: re-DUC-es. The first syllable is a short /rɪ/; the second syllable features a /dʒ/-like quality from the /d/ plus /juː/ as in 'you', then /sɪz/ for the -ses ending. In careful speech, you may hear a clear /ˈ/ before duc, but in fast speech it reduces to /rɪˈduː.sɪz/ with a lighter schwa. Mouth position: start with relaxed lips, raise the tongue to create the /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a palatalized /dʒ/ onset for the second, followed by /juː/ and a plural /z/ voice on the final /ɪz/.
Common mistakes: 1) Stress on the first syllable (re-DUC-es), which sounds like the word ‘reduces’ is a noun or misplaces emphasis. 2) Slurring the /dʒ/ part into a /d/ or a /j/ on its own, producing /rɪˈdjuːzɪz/ instead of the correct /rɪˈdjuː.sɪz/. 3) Final -es pronounced as /ɪz/ vs /ɪz/; in rapid speech the final cluster can be devoiced to /s/ or even reduced to a barely audible /z/. Correction: maintain the /dʒ/ (as in 'duce') onset, keep the secondary stress on the second syllable, and articulate the final /z/ clearly in careful speech.
In US English, /rɪˈduː.sɪz/ with rhotic r and a clear long /uː/ in the stressed syllable. UK English often features a lighter /juː/ quality after /d/ and can exhibit a slightly shorter /uː/ while keeping rhoticity weaker depending on speaker. Australian English tends to have a broader /uː/ with clearer lips rounding and could show a subtle vowel lengthening before z, with a more flapped or tapped /d/ in rapid speech. All varieties maintain final /ɪz/ or /əz/ depending on stress and connected speech.
The difficulty centers on the palatalized /dʒ/ transition from /d/ to /juː/ and the final cluster /z/ with light voicing. The second syllable houses /djuː/ which blends the /d/ with the /juː/ smoothly; professionals often mispronounce as /djus/ or split into /duːs/. Achieve it by maintaining a rounded lips posture for /juː/, ensuring the /d/ doesn’t become a hard /d/ in isolation, and keeping the final /z/ voiced without trailing off. IPA cues: rɪˈduː.sɪz.
A unique feature is the combination of a stressed syllable with a palatalized onset (/dʒ/ element-ish) following a short /ɪ/ vowel, then a long /uː/ vowel and a voiced /z/ at the end. The word’s rhythm is a two-beat pattern with stress on the second syllable, and in rapid connected speech it may coalesce to /ɹɪˈdjuːzɪz/ in certain dialects, but standard articulation emphasizes /rɪˈduː.sɪz/ in careful speech.
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Reduces comes from the Latin reducere, meaning to lead back or bring back. The prefix re- indicates repetition or backward motion, while duc- derives from ducere, “to lead.” The Latin form reduco developed into Old French reduire and then into English as reduce, with the -es/ -s suffix shaping the third-person singular present tense in modern usage. Early use in English appears in the late Middle Ages as a general verb for bringing something back to a smaller size or amount. Over time, the sense broadened to cover mathematical subtraction, decreasing quantities, or simplifying processes. In contemporary English, reduces is the third-person singular present of reduce, or a present-tense form after a plural subject or in certain modal constructions. The sense of diminishing remains dominant, but it also collocates with technical domains like economics, science, and environmental policy, where precise reduction of variables is discussed. First known uses occur in legal and scientific texts, where “reduce” often carried the sense of bringing down measurements, temperatures, or demands, reflecting its Latin roots and evolving into a versatile, widely used verb in modern English.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "reduces" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "reduces"
-ces sounds
-ses sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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