/ɹiˈkwaɪɚz/
Say it backRequires is a plural third-person singular verb meaning to have need of something or to make demands necessary for a outcome. In everyday use, it indicates necessity or obligation, often implying that something must be done or provided. It functions as a present-tense form of require, connecting to subjects like 'this process requires effort' and 'the project requires funding.'
"This job requires careful planning and attention to detail."
"The new policy requires employees to complete training."
"Deliveries require a signature upon receipt."
Pronounce as rɪˈkwaɪəz in most non-rhotic UK and AU contexts, with primary stress on the second syllable: /rɪˈkwaɪ.əz/ or /rɪˈkwaɪəz/. In US speech, you’ll commonly hear /rɪˈkwaɪərz/ with the final -s voiced as /z/ after a rounded /ɪə/. Focus on the /kwai/ cluster, then a subtle /ə/ or /ər/ before the final /z/. IPA: US /rɪˈkwaɪərz/, UK/AU /rɪˈkwaɪəz/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying re-QUIRES) and softening the /r/ or mispronouncing the /kw/ blend as /kw/ collapsing to /kwi/; another frequent error is pronouncing the final -s as /s/ instead of /z/ in some accents. Correction: keep stress on the second syllable /ˈkwaɪ/ and ensure the final /z/ or /əz/ is audible. For the /r/ in US, articulate /ɹ/ clearly before the /ɪə/ sequence: rɪˈkwaɪə(r)z.
In US English, you’ll hear /rɪˈkwaɪərz/ with an rhotic /r/ and a fully voiced final /z/. In UK and AU, the ending often becomes /ə/ plus /z/ ( /rɪˈkwaɪəz/ ), with non-rhotic tendencies reducing post-vocalic r coloring, and the /r/ being less pronounced or absent before a vowel. The primary stress remains on the second syllable /ˈkwaɪ/. Vowel quality of /ɪ/ and /aɪ/ stays; the main variation is rhotics and the precise ending consonant.
The difficulty centers on the /r/ after the first syllable in US speech and the /kw/ cluster within /kwaɪə/. For many learners, the transition from the /ɪ/ to /kw/ is tricky, and placing the stress on the second syllable while keeping the /r/ or /ə/ sound accurate at the end requires precise tongue tension. Practicing the exact /ɹ/ or lack thereof in non-rhotic dialects and the subtle final /z/ or /əz/ helps stabilize pronunciation.
Requires has no silent letter; each letter contributes to the syllable structure: re- QUIRES. The potential confusion comes from the unstressed spelling and the pronunciation of the final -es as /əz/ in many accents. The second syllable carries the strong stress, so you’ll feel the mouth move most noticeably there. Remember the /ɪ/ and /aɪ/ sequence in /ɪˈkwaɪ/ and the final voiced /z/ or /z/ depending on dialect.
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Requires comes from the verb require, which traces to the Latin root re- ‘again, back’ combined with quaerere ‘to seek, ask, demand.’ The Latin form requerere developed into Old French requeir and English require by the Middle English period. The sense evolved from ‘to ask for back’ to ‘to demand as necessary,’ aligning with legal and practical usage of declaring prerequisites. In Early Modern English, requires appeared as the third-person singular present form, extending to a broad range of contexts: obligations, needs, and conditions that insist upon certain actions. Throughout its development, the core idea has remained constant: a condition or action that is indispensable to achieve a result, with nuance depending on whether something is merely desired, or legally/experimentally necessary. Modern usage frequently pairs with nouns indicating prerequisites (funding, permission, resources) and verbs implying action (provide, complete, meet). First known use in print aligns with legal and scholarly texts from the 16th–17th centuries, reflecting its formal, prescriptive roots alongside everyday usage in modern English.
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Words that rhyme with "requires"
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