STUHM-uhks
/ˈstʌməks/
stomachs is pronounced STUHM-uhks (/ˈstʌməks/). Stomachs is the plural form of stomach, referring to the internal organ that digests food, or to multiple bellies or bowls in figurative uses. In medical or anatomical contexts it denotes the organ itself; in everyday talk it often appears in phrases like “empty stomachs” or “stomach acid.” The word combines a root with a plural suffix, changing the pronunciation from the singular form slightly in natural speech. It is pronounced with two syllables and a stress on the first: STOM-achs.
Stomachs is the plural form of stomach, referring to the internal organ that digests food, or to multiple bellies or bowls in figurative uses. In medical or anatomical contexts it denotes the organ itself; in everyday talk it often appears in phrases like “empty stomachs” or “stomach acid.” The word combines a root with a plural suffix, changing the pronunciation from the singular form slightly in natural speech. It is pronounced with two syllables and a stress on the first: STOM-achs.
"The patient’s stomachs were examined after the procedure."
"She wore a belt to ease the cramps in her stomachs."
"The explorers filled their backpacks, keeping a stomach-ration for the journey."
Pronounce as /ˈstʌm.əkz/. Start with STUM, a short “uh” in the second syllable, then a clear -ch- followed by z. The stress is on the first syllable: STUM-. The final -achs is pronounced as /-əkz/ rather than /-æks/ in most dialects. Keep the tongue close to the alveolar ridge for the /t/ and /d/ like release, and finish with a quick, light voiced /z/. Audio reference: listen to typical medical narrations or dictionaries' pronunciation tabs for /ˈstʌm.əkz/.
Common errors: 1) Pronouncing the second syllable as /æ/ like ‘stom-acks’ instead of /ək/. 2) Slurring the /k/ into the /z/ producing /-kz/ or /-ks/ without a true /ə/ vowel. 3) Misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable, yielding /ˌstɒm.əkz/ or /ˈstɒm.kəz/. Correct by ensuring a reduced vowel in the second syllable and a clean /z/ voice on the final consonant. Practice with a slow, deliberate pace, then speed up.
In US/UK/AU, the main differences are vowel quality and vowel reduction in the second syllable. US typically uses /ˈstʌm.əkz/ with a centralized /ə/, and a clear /z/. UK may preserve slightly crisper /ə/ with reduced vowel length; AU often mirrors US but may have a broader vowel in the first syllable and flatter intonation, maintaining rhoticity as applicable. The final /z/ remains voiced across all, but vowels before it can shift slightly (“uh” vs. schwa). Listen to accent-specific dictation resources for subtle differences.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the stressed /stʌm/ to the unstressed /ək/ and then the voiced /z/, with subtle vowel reduction in the second syllable. Coarticulation between /m/ and /ə/ can blur the syllable boundary, and the final /z/ requires a precise voicing without an extra plosive. Practicing with minimal pairs helps anchor the /ʌ/ vs /ə/ contrast and the /m-ə-k/ sequence to avoid blending.
Yes. The plural form adds a suffix -s after a vowel-ending syllable; you should avoid regenerating the /æ/ from ‘stomach’ and instead maintain a crisp /əkz/ at the end. The tongue position shifts from alveolar contact for /t/ and /m/ to a relaxed jaw and mid-central vowel in the /ə/; the voicing of /z/ follows the /k/ transition. Keeping the first syllable crisp ensures clarity for the plural.
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Stomachs derives from Middle English stomach, borrowed from Old French estomac, from Latin stomachus, which itself comes from Greek stomachos, likely from stoma (mouth, opening) with a diminutive suffix. The ancient word referred to the “organ of digestion” and carried metaphorical senses of appetite or inclination. Over time, English plural form acquired -s to denote more than one organ or multiple instances of the organ in anatomy, while also entering figurative speech (“stomach for something,” “to stomach a meal”). The term appears in English by the 14th century as stomach, with stomaches attested in later medical and everyday usage to denote multiple organs or multiple individuals’ stomachs in a single discourse. The pronunciation of the plural aligns with standard English pluralization: /-z/ or /-s/ after sibilants; however, in careful speech you may hear a lightly reduced final schwa before the plural suffix in rapid speech. Historical medical texts used the single form, while modern usage consistently marks plural as stomachs for ordinary and clinical contexts. First known uses occur in medical and anatomical writings as the body’s organ for digestion, with expansions to figurative senses in literature projecting emotional “stomachs” or metaphorical stomachs. Overall, stom- maintains the strong first-syllable stress from the root word stomach, with a voiceless alveolar fricative in the final cluster, shaping the modern plural’s phonetic profile.
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Words that rhyme with "stomachs"
-mbs sounds
-ums sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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