SIS-turz
/ˈsɪstɚz/
sisters is pronounced SIS-turz (/ˈsɪstɚz/). Sisters is a plural noun referring to female siblings or to a term of address or relationship among women. In everyday use, it denotes more than one sister and carries social nuances about kinship and affection. The word typically appears with plural verbs and possessive forms (sisters’).
Sisters is a plural noun referring to female siblings or to a term of address or relationship among women. In everyday use, it denotes more than one sister and carries social nuances about kinship and affection. The word typically appears with plural verbs and possessive forms (sisters’).
"My sisters are visiting this weekend."
"She laughed, calling her sisters to join the photo."
"In the choir, the sisters harmonized beautifully."
Stress is on the first syllable: /ˈsɪs.tərz/ in US; in careful UK usage you may hear /ˈsɪs.təz/ with a reduced second vowel. Start with a crisp /s/ + /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a soft, quick /s/ + /t/ cluster, followed by a released /ər/ or /ə/ before the final /z/. Visualize a slight lift on the first syllable and a short, almost quiet second syllable. Audio references: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries for recordings.
Two common errors are elongating the second syllable (sIS-terz instead of SIS-tərz) and mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ or /ɪz/ in fast speech. To correct: keep the second syllable light and briefly voiced (tə) and pronounce the final z as a clear voiced alveolar /z/. Practicing with minimal pairs like SIS-tərz vs SIS-terz helps lock the contrast.
US: stronger rhotic completion on the second syllable; final /z/ is clearly voiced. UK: more vowel reduction in the second syllable, often /ˈsɪs.təz/; non-rhotic linkage may reduce the /ɹ/ quality. AU: similar to UK but with sometimes sharper Q-length vowels and less vowel reduction in casual speech; final /z/ remains voiced. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable in all variants.
The difficulty lies in balancing the alveolar stop /t/ with the following /ər/ or /ə/ sequence and the final voiced /z/. The cluster /sɪs.t/ requires rapid, precise tongue-tip contact for the /t/ without creating extra air; then the schwa-like /ə/ can blur with /ər/ depending on accent. Mastery comes from steady timing: clear /t/ closure, minimal vocal folding changes, and a voiced final /z/ that doesn’t hiss. IPA cues help you stay precise.
Plosive-vowel transition is key: the /t/ in /sɪs.tər/ is a brief, crisp closure before a relaxed /ər/ or /ə/. In casual speech, English speakers often create a light /t/ or even glottal stop before /ər/ in some dialects. You’ll want to avoid a strong /t/ release that could push the following vowel into “ter” instead of “tər.” Use a short, clean /t/ followed by a quick schwA sound before the final /z/.
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Sisters derives from Old English swoster, swustor, related to Old High German swostar and Dutch zus, all from Proto-Germanic *swustiz. The term originally meant a female sibling. The plural form swusteras appeared in Middle English, influenced by a cluster of feminine kinship terms and the general plural -as/-es endings adopted from Norman French. By Early Modern English, the spelling “sisters” stabilized, with the phonology shifting the unstressed vowel in the second syllable toward a reduced schwa, though still clearly heard in careful speech. Throughout history, “sister” also extended metaphorically to denote a female companion or member of a religious order, which contributed to broad usage in phrases like “sisters in faith.” First known written uses appear in medieval English texts, with broader popularity in family and social contexts by the 16th–18th centuries as literacy expanded and family terminology became entrenched in everyday language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "sisters" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "sisters" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "sisters"
-ers sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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