Spouse (noun) refers to a husband or wife in a marriage. It can also describe someone’s partner in a committed, legally recognized relationship. The term emphasizes the social and legal bond, rather than romantic attributes, and appears in both formal and informal contexts."
"I invited my spouse to the wedding ceremony."
"Her spouse is from a different country, which makes travel easier."
"The job offers good benefits for a spouse and dependents."
"After ten years, the couple decided to remain partners and share custody with their spouse."
Spouse comes from the Old English spusa, meaning spouse, betrothed, or wife. Its roots trace to Proto-Germanic spusa, related to the verb spretan? No, disregard. The actual etymology is tied to the Latin complicatus? The true lineage is murky, but the modern sense develops in Middle English to denote a married partner. The word has parallels in German (Gatte) and Dutch (echtgenoot) in denoting a spouse, emphasizing the marital bond. Historically, the term moved from general partner to specifically denote the married partner in kinship terms. In usage, it has retained a formal nuance, often used in law, contracts, and formal speech, while remaining common in everyday language. First known written use in English appears in the medieval period, aligning with the codification of marriage norms in European societies. The semantic evolution reflects changing views on marriage: from alliance and property to partnership and companionship. More recently, the term is frequently used in gender-inclusive contexts, where “spouse” stands in for husband or wife in forms and documents. Across centuries, its pronunced form has shortened in modern use, but the phonetic footprint remains stable: a single-syllable noun typically stressed on the first syllable in English, with a close-mid rounded vowel in some dialects and a rhotic or non-rhotic influence depending on the accent.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Spouse" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Spouse"
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Spouse is pronounced as /spaʊs/ in US, UK, and AU. The first syllable has a short, clipped /p/ release followed by the diphthong /aʊ/ as in “how.” The final /s/ is clear but not overly sibilant. Mouth position: lips neutral to lightly rounded for the /aʊ/, tongue high at onset of /a/ and moves toward /ʊ/. Stress is on the single syllable, with a steady flow and no voicing on the final consonant beyond a light /s/. Audio reference: imagine saying “spa” with the /aʊ/ glide into /s/.”,
Common mistakes: (1) Over-articulating the /p/ or adding an unnecessary vowel after /p/, turning it into /spɔːs/ or /spəʊs/. (2) Slurring the /aʊ/ into a simple /a/ or /ɔ/. To correct: start with /p/ release, glide to /aʊ/ smoothly, then end with the final /s/. (3) Dropping the /s/ or making it a Z-sound; keep the voiceless /s/ clear at the end. Practice by isolating the diphthong, then adding the /p/ onset and final /s/ in a continuous flow.”,
In General American, /spaʊs/ with a bright /aʊ/ diphthong. In many UK varieties, the /aʊ/ diphthong may be shorter or have a tighter articulation, and non-rhotic accents may affect the perceived ending softness. Australian English typically exhibits a broader /aʊ/ with a slightly more centralized vowel quality and a crisp /s/. Across accents, the crucial contrast is the diphthong nucleus and the final sibilant; keep the /aɪ/-like glide steady rather than turning into /ɔɪ/. IPA reference: /spaʊs/ in all three.
The challenge lies in the short onset /sp/ cluster followed by the /aʊ/ diphthong and the final /s/. The /aʊ/ requires a smooth, fast glide from /a/ to /ʊ/ without turning into /ɔ/. Additionally, the /s/ must remain voiceless and clear in rapid speech, avoiding a voiced alveolar fricative. For learners, focus on the clean /p/ release, the precise diphthong movement, and a crisp /s/—timing the mouth movements to avoid extra vowels or consonants.
Question: Is there a potential silent letter or variation in pronunciation? Answer: No silent letters in the standard pronunciation; the word is a single syllable with a straightforward /spaʊs/ pronunciation. The challenge is achieving the correct diphthong and the crisp final /s/. Some speakers may misarticulate it as /spɔːs/ or /spɔːz/ due to overvariation in the mouth shape for /aʊ/ or due to assimilation in rapid speech; staying with /spaʊs/ ensures clarity.
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