/sɪnz/
Say it backSins refers to immoral acts or transgressions regarded as offenses against moral or religious law. In everyday use, it can denote any significant wrongdoing, often carrying a weighty or evaluative connotation. The term conveys ethical judgment, typically in plural form, and may be discussed in theological, literary, or social contexts.
"The preacher spoke about the seven deadly sins and their consequences."
"She admitted to her sins but sought forgiveness and redemption."
"In the novel, the protagonist battles ancestral sins that haunt the family."
/sɪnz/ (US/UK/AU). The word is one syllable with a short, lax vowel /ɪ/ as in 'sit' and ends in the voiced alveolar nasal + voiced alveolar sibilant cluster /nz/. Keep the /ɪ/ vowel light and the /n/ and /z/ tightly connected, with no vowel between them. The final /z/ should be released promptly to avoid sounding like /nz/ merged or blurred. A quick, clean release helps clarity, especially in fast speech. You can reference standard pronunciation audio from dictionaries or Pronounce, but aim to feel a small, quick lift of the tongue for the /n/ and a strong but brief /z/ frication.
Two common errors are over-voicing or slurring the final /z/ and mispronouncing the /ɪ/ as a schwa in fast speech. To correct, keep the vowel tense and short: bite the /ɪ/ quickly, then snap the /n/ with the tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth, and finish with a crisp /z/ without a following vowel. Practicing with a word pair like ‘sits’ helps separate /ɪ/ from a r-controlled vowel. Slow down to feel the articulation: /s/ keeps the mouth close, /ɪ/ is a concise vowel, /n/ is a light tongue lift, and /z/ is a voiced fricative that should not trail into an extra vowel.
In US and UK, /sɪnz/ is fairly similar, with only subtle rhotic or vowel quality differences: US speakers may have slightly tenser /ɪ/ and crisper /z/, UK speakers can exhibit a marginally more open /ɪ/ depending on regional vowel shifts. Australian pronunciation tends to be non-rhotic less affected in this word, with vowels sometimes slightly broader; however, /sɪnz/ remains a single syllable and the /z/ is strongly voiced. The main contrast lies in vowel quality and overall tempo rather than phoneme changes. Focus on keeping the vowel compact and not letting it drift toward a schwa in any accent.
The challenge lies in the short, lax /ɪ/ followed immediately by a voiced alveolar nasal and fricative cluster /nz/. Many speakers insert a schwa or break the cluster with extra vowel sounds when talking quickly, which blurs the word. Also, the /z/ requires precise voicing and a clean release. Practice the tight /ɪ/ vowel, keep the tongue close to the alveolar ridge for /n/, and finish with a clear /z/ without adding a vowel. Slow practice with minimal pairs like ‘sine’ and ‘signs’ can help fine-tune the dental-alveolar alignment.
No; in standard English, the initial /s/ remains a crisp, voiceless sibilant before the vowel /ɪ/. It should not be softened or devoiced. Ensure the /s/ is not turned into a hiss or lingered into the following consonants. The transition from /s/ to /ɪ/ should be smooth but distinct, with the alveolar ridge close to the upper teeth. A quick practice drill with the sequence /sɪnz/ at varying speeds will help you maintain a sharp onset even in rapid speech.
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Sins originates from Old English synn (or syn) meaning ‘a violation of moral or divine law,’ with the plural form sins emerging from the general pluralization pattern of nouns in early English. The root is linked to Proto-Germanic *sundiz (related to ‘separation’ or ‘cutting off’ from good conduct) and to Proto-Indo-European *sen- meaning ‘to cut’ or ‘to part.’ In religious and moral discourse, sins were framed as offenses against God’s commandments, and the concept expanded to secular moral failings. By Middle English, sins referred to acts violating divine law, with the term retaining strong religious and ethical overtones. Over time, usage broadened in literature, philosophy, and social commentary to mean any significant moral fault, even outside explicit theological contexts. The word’s semantic center remains moral culpability, with common collocations around confession, forgiveness, redemption, deadly sins, and moral accountability. First known uses appear in early medieval religious texts and legal-poetic works where moral transgression was a core theme, illustrating how societies codified normative behavior and social order through the language of sin.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "sins" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "sins" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "sins"
-ins sounds
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