steps
/stɛps/
steps is pronounced steps (/stɛps/). Steps is a plural noun or verb form referring to individual actions or moves in a sequence. It denotes discrete units of progress or stages, and can function as a countable noun or the third-person singular present tense of step. In everyday use, it often implies a procedural progression or a set of measures toward a goal.
Steps is a plural noun or verb form referring to individual actions or moves in a sequence. It denotes discrete units of progress or stages, and can function as a countable noun or the third-person singular present tense of step. In everyday use, it often implies a procedural progression or a set of measures toward a goal.
"She outlined the steps to bake the cake, from gathering ingredients to icing."
"The rescue team followed three critical steps to reach the damaged building."
"We reviewed the steps of the experiment before we began."
You pronounce it as /stɛps/. The initial consonant cluster /st/ is produced with the tongue at the alveolar ridge, the vowel is a short open-mid /ɛ/, and the final /ps/ is a voiceless cluster where the lips close as you release the p and immediately vocalize the s. Keep the /p/ light and the /s/ crisp to avoid making it sound like ‘step’ or ‘stepps.’ Think of it as one syllable with a sharp final sibilant.
Common errors include slipping to a longer vowel like /iː/ (as in ‘steep’) and turning the final /ps/ into a simple /s/ or /z/ instead of the crisp /ps/ release. Another frequent issue is adding an extra vowel after the final consonant (e.g., ‘step-suh’). To correct: end with a clean /p/ release followed immediately by /s/, almost like saying /stɛp+s/ quickly and compactly, with minimal vowel after the /s/.
All three accents share /stɛps/, but non-rhotic UK may have a slightly shorter vowel and crisper /p/ release; US rhotic patterns don’t change the /r/ here since there’s no r. Australian tends toward a tighter, slightly higher front vowel /ɛ/ and a clearer /s/ ending. The main variation is tempo and the degree of final sibilant sharpness; listening to native clips can illustrate subtle differences in vowel quality and consonant release across accents.
The challenge lies in the final consonant cluster /ps/, where you need a clean p release followed immediately by an /s/. It requires precise timing and a light p to avoid turning into /steps/ or /stεps/ with a long vowel. Additionally, maintaining a short, lax /ɛ/ without flaring into a broader vowel can be tricky in fast speech. Practicing the /p/ release and the /s/ transition in quick succession helps stabilize the pronunciation.
Both share /stɛps/, but as a verb the stress pattern remains on the word as a single syllable; in rapid phrases like ‘steps forward,’ you’ll hear a crisper onset to ensure clarity of plurality vs verb form, with minimal vowel change. Focus on the same IPA realization /stɛps/ regardless of function.
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The word steps traces to Old English stæpp, related to Middle English stap, sten, and to the Proto-Germanic stem *stapiz, from the PIE root *stā- meaning ‘to stand, to place’ or ‘step, stroke.’ Early uses distinguished physical steps or actions as things that one places one foot after another. Over time, steps broadened to denote stages in a process (logical steps) and a stair-step (each rise on a staircase) in various Germanic languages. The sense of sequence and order in performing tasks emerged in the medieval period as crafts and rituals documented procedural steps in manuals and treatises. In modern English, steps commonly appears in two grammatical functions: plural noun (e.g., “the first two steps”) and verb (e.g., “she steps forward”). The word’s core meaning about discrete actions within an ordered progression remains stable, but imagery shifted from literal stairs to metaphorical stages in planning, instruction, and movement.”,
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "steps" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "steps" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "steps"
-eps sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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