One syllable: Rhodes.
rohdz
/ɹoʊdz/
Rhodes is pronounced rohdz (/ɹoʊdz/). It has one syllable (Rhodes), with the stress on "Rhodes". Rhodes is a proper noun used mainly as a surname and as the name of a Greek island. It is pronounced as a single syllable in most contexts, rhyming with “roads.” The term frequently appears in discussions of geography, history, and travel, and it also refers to the ancient city-states and to Rhodesian-associated place names in former colonial contexts. The pronunciation emphasizes the long “o” sound and lacks a pronounced final consonant.
nounRhodes is a proper noun used mainly as a surname and as the name of a Greek island. It is pronounced as a single syllable in most contexts, rhyming with “roads.” The term frequently appears in discussions of geography, history, and travel, and it also refers to the ancient city-states and to Rhodesian-associated place names in former colonial contexts. The pronunciation emphasizes the long “o” sound and lacks a pronounced final consonant.
"I studied the ancient republics of Rhodes in my history class."
"We vacationed on the island of Rhodes and toured the medieval town."
"He traced his family’s roots to Rhodes and visited the shipwreck site there."
Rhodes is pronounced as ROHDZ in US/UK/AU varieties, with a long “o” vowel. IPA: US/UK/AU: /roʊdz/. The word is one syllable, with primary stress on the vowel and no final consonant cluster beyond /dz/. Mouth positions: start with an open-mid back vowel, then close to produce /oʊ/ before the voiced alveolar affricate /dz/. Audio example: listen to /roʊdz/ in natural speech or on pronunciation platforms.
Common errors include: 1) Over-drawing the vowel to a diphthong like /roʊ-ådz/—keep it a concise /roʊ/ before /dz/. 2) Adding a final /s/ or /z/ segment after /dz/ (Rhodes should end with /dz/ only). 3) Misplacing the tongue so it sounds like /roʊdz/ with a fricative instead of the affricate /dz/. Focus on a single, clean /dz/ release with the vowel merging smoothly into it.
US, UK, and AU all render Rhodes as a single syllable with /roʊdz/ or /rəʊdz/. The primary difference is the initial vowel: US /roʊdz/, UK /rəʊdz/ and AU /rəʊdz/; the rhoticity in non-rhotic UK accents means the r may be less pronounced before a vowel, but in Rhodes the r is still part of the onset. Stress remains on the single syllable; the final /dz/ is voiced and consistent across dialects. Overall, vowel quality and rhoticity influence the initial vowel’s exact height and backness slightly.
The challenge is smoothing the transition from the long-fronted /oʊ/ vowel to the affricate /dz/. Many learners mispronounce as /roʊz/ (ending with a simple /z/) or split into two syllables. The key is a quick closure of the tongue to release /dz/ immediately after the /oʊ/ nucleus, without inserting extra vowels or an intrusive /j/ or /w/. Paying attention to the precise tongue position for /d/ and /z/ helps achieve the correct, single-syllable rhythm.
Rhodes features a single stressed syllable ending in an affricate /dz/. Unique considerations include ensuring the /d/ portion of /dz/ is released with a brief stop before the voiced release, preventing a prolonged /d/ before /z/. The result is a crisp /roʊdz/ (US) or /rəʊdz/ (UK/AU) with a tight, quick closure that yields a seamless single-syllable pronunciation.
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Rhodes originates from the Greek island name Rhodes (Ῥόδος, Rhódos). The island’s name likely derives from an ancient Greek word related to “rose” or a description of its geographic shape and resources; multiple theories link it to the Greek word rhôdos (meaning “palisade” or “stake”) or to an epithet used by early Ionian settlers. In English, Rhodes has long functioned as a place-name and a surname, often transferred to people with historical ties to the island or to colonial-era settlements bearing the name. The form Rhodes expanded in medieval and early modern usage as English borrowed Greek toponymic terms, while in some languages the name is adapted (e.g., Rodos in Greek, Rodas in Spanish). First known English usages appear in the medieval period in reference to the island or to persons bearing the surname, with standardized spelling consolidating in modern times. The word’s persistence as both a geographic term and a family name reflects its dual role in identity and place-based memory.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Rhodes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Rhodes"
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