Sentences is the plural form of sentence, referring to a set of words that expresses a complete thought, typically containing a subject and predicate. In linguistics and everyday use, it designates units of written or spoken language that convey meaning, gesture, or assertion. This term also appears in studies of grammar, syntax, and discourse analysis as the basic unit of communicative expression.
US: Clear /t/ in the middle; slight vowel reduction in fast speech; final /z/ voiced. UK: More precise /t/ articulation; middle vowel slightly longer; final /z/ crisp. AU: Often non-rhotic in serious enunciation but with clear final /z/ in careful speech; vowel may be slightly more centralized. IPA references: US /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/; UK /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/; AU /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/. Consider rhotic vs non-rhotic tendencies influence where the /r/ is not present; focus on /t/ clarity and /s/ final sound. Accent notes: keep schwa neutral in all three; aim for syllable boundaries in careful speech, and relax into a rhythm in casual contexts.
"The teacher asked the class to analyze three sentences from the paragraph."
"In English, a sentence must have a verb or an implied verb."
"The judge’s sentence will be handed down next week."
"She wrote several sentences, each clearly stating her point."
The word sentence comes from Old French sentence, from Latin sententia, meaning a way of thinking or opinion, a verdict, or a sentence in grammar or law. Latin sententia derives from present participle of sentiire, meaning to feel, think, or perceive, which also yields sensory terms such as sentiment. The semantic arc widened from ’an opinion or thought expressed in words’ to the grammatical unit that communicates a complete thought. In English, the form appeared in Middle English as sentence, aligning with the Latin-rooted sense of a declarative expression. Over centuries, sentence extended its domain from rhetoric and law to general linguistics and computational linguistics, where it denotes the minimal syntactic unit that carries a full proposition. The concept is central to syntax, discourse analysis, and language pedagogy, where teaching and parsing of sentences underpins grammar and comprehension. First known use in English is attested in the 13th-14th centuries, with earlier Latin and Old French manuscripts attesting to the root concept. The evolution of sentence as a grammatical category mirrors broader changes in word order, punctuation, and the codification of universal grammar across European languages, while its legal “sentence” meaning (as a verdict) coexists with the linguistic unit sense in modern usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Sentences"
-nse sounds
-ces sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/ in most accents. The first syllable carries primary stress: SEN. The middle syllable is a schwa /tə/ or /tən/ depending on speed, and the final syllable is /sɪz/ with a voiced z. Keep the tongue relaxed for the schwa and avoid tensing the jaw on the middle consonant cluster. For reference, you can listen to standard pronunciations on Pronounce or YouGlish by searching ’sentences.’
Two common errors: 1) Dropping the middle vowel or reducing it too aggressively, saying /ˈsen.sɪz/ or /ˈsen.sənz/; keep a clear /tə/ or /tən/ either fully or in a reduced form as you speak. 2) Misplacing stress, giving the word equal emphasis on second or third syllable; maintain primary stress on the first syllable: SEN-tən-siz. Practice by isolating the middle syllable as a light, quick syllable rather than a heavy one, then reconnect with the surrounding sounds.
US and UK accents share the main features but differ slightly: US tends to a clearer /t/ in the middle syllable, sometimes realized as a light /d/ in rapid speech; UK often maintains a more defined /t/ or a glottalized /t/ in fast speech and may have a more discrete /sɪz/ at the end. Australian accents align closely with non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers, but many speakers produce a clear final /s/ with less vowel reduction in the middle if enunciating deliberately. Use IPA cues /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/ (US) vs /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/ (UK) vs /ˈsen.tən.sɪz/ (AU) with subtle vowel length differences.
Because of the consonant cluster and rapid transitions between syllables: the /t/ in the middle, the schwa in the second syllable, and the final /s/ require precise tongue placement and light, quick vowel transitions to avoid a choppy sound. The /t/ can soften in fluent speech, becoming a flap [ɾ] in some dialects, which can blur the syllable boundary. Focus on keeping a clean middle vowel /ən/ and crisp final /s/ to maintain intelligibility.
A unique aspect of this word is maintaining the boundary between the first and second syllables in fast speech. In careful enunciation you can hear the boundary: SEN-tən-siz. In casual speech, the middle vowel often shortens and the boundary blurs slightly, but you should still maintain a subtle separation to avoid merging with the final /s/. Visualize three distinct syllables and practice with slow-to-fast drills to preserve clarity.
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