standz
/stændz/
stands is pronounced standz (/stændz/). Stands is the third-person singular present-tense form of stand, used to describe someone or something that remains upright or is in a particular position. It can also function as a plural noun referring to elevated platforms or structures. In use, it signals a state of vertical stability or a stance taken in a discussion or contest.
Stands is the third-person singular present-tense form of stand, used to describe someone or something that remains upright or is in a particular position. It can also function as a plural noun referring to elevated platforms or structures. In use, it signals a state of vertical stability or a stance taken in a discussion or contest.
- You may default to a long, tense vowel before the /nd/ when pronouncing stands, leading to /stɑːndz/ in US contexts. Solution: practice with a relaxed jaw and a quick, crisp /æ/ or /ɑ/ depending on dialect, ensuring the /n/ is clear before the /dz/ release. - Another error is softening the final /z/ into a whispered or muted sound, making it indistinct from /stænd/ or /stants/. Solution: keep a short, energized voicing for the /z/ and finish with a small breathy release so listeners hear the final /z/. - Some next-level speakers blend /nd/ with /d/, creating /ndz/ but missing the stop. Practice by articulating the /d/ fully before the /z/: touch the alveolar ridge with the tongue tip for /d/ then release into /z/. - In rapid speech, the vowel before /nd/ may reduce to a schwa; ensure you maintain a clear quality of /æ/ (or /ɑː/ in some accents) before the /nd/ instead of a neutral vowel.
"The statue stands tall in the plaza after the restoration."
"She stands by her decision despite the criticism."
"These stands hold the books securely in the library."
Pronounce as /stændz/ in US and AU. UK often uses /stɑːndz/ due to non-rhoticity and a lengthened a. Start with an /st/ cluster, then a flat open-mid back vowel for /æ/ or /ɑː/ depending on accent, and end with a voiced /z/. Tip: keep the tongue high for the /n/ before the /dz/ release; the final /z/ should be audible but not overly buzzy. Listen to native speakers for subtle vowel length differences.
Two common errors: using a long /ɑː/ in US draws and spreading the vowel, producing /stɑːndz/ or misplacing the tongue so it sounds like /stænd/ without the final /z/. Another pitfall is voicing the final /z/ too faintly, sounding like /stænd/ or /stants/. To correct: ensure a crisp /n/ before the /d/ and release into a clear /z/, closing with slight voicing and a short vowel before the consonant cluster.
In US English, /stændz/ with a short, lax /æ/ and clear /z/. UK speakers may produce /stɑːndz/ with a longer /ɑː/ in non-rhotic contexts, and less vowel reduction before voiceless consonants. Australian English often resembles US for /æ/ but with a slightly closer mouth shape and quicker syllable transition. Variants also include subtle vowel height and length differences, but all share the final voiced /z/.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the vowel to the consonant cluster /ndz/ and maintaining clear voicing of /z/ in connected speech. The /æ/ vs /ɑː/ split can trip speakers from other language backgrounds, and the /nd/ to /dz/ release requires careful timing. Mastery requires precise tongue placement for /n/ and a clean release into /z/, without adding extra consonants or blending into /s/ or /t/.
A useful query is whether the final /dz/ cluster can influence preceding vowel quality in fast speech. In careful speech, /æ/ remains distinct; in connected or casual speech, some speakers may shorten the vowel before a voiced consonant, leaning toward /æ/ as in ‘stands’ vs. ‘stonds’ in some dialects. Keeping the vowel stable before /ndz/ helps maintain clarity and prevents mishearing in rapid dialogue.
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- US: pronounce /stændz/ with a crisp /æ/; keep rhotic vowel sounds for allied words but here the /æ/ is monophthongal. IPA guide: /stændz/. - UK: /stɑːndz/, longer /ɑː/ with less vowel reduction; keep the /z/ voicing precise in fast speech. - AU: often /stændz/ or /stɑndz/ with slightly rounded lips and a relaxed /æ/ or /a/. Maintain non-rhotic tendency in careful speech but here the word stands itself carries a clear final /z/. Common differences: vowel length and rhoticity, but final consonant remains voiced /z/.
Stands comes from Old English standan, from Proto-Germanic *standaną, with cognates in Dutch staan and German stehen, all linked to the Proto-Indo-European root *stā- meaning 'to stand, stand up'. The noun sense of a support or position derives from the verb, through the notion of something being in an upright, fixed position. In Middle English, standen preceded the modern form stands, aligning with the third-person singular present tense ending -s that developed as English verb conjugation simplified in the transition from Old to Early Modern English. The verb has remained semantically stable: to be in an upright position, to endure, or to perform in a specific capacity. Over time, stand also gained idiomatic uses, such as to stand up for something or to stand a competition, while the noun sense expanded to include structures like music stands and display stands. First known uses chronicle the verb in the sense of “to remain upright” in early medieval texts, with sustained usage through the evolution of English literature and legal language, leavening into contemporary usage across domains from architecture to performance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "stands" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "stands"
-nds sounds
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