STAW-reez
/ˈstɔɹiz/
stories is pronounced STAW-reez (/ˈstɔɹiz/). Stories is the plural of story: spoken narratives or accounts, especially those told for entertainment or to convey information. In everyday use, it refers to multiple narratives or a collection of tales, often fictional, though it can also describe accounts of events. Pronunciation focuses on a clear /ˈstɔːriz/ in non-rhotic accents, with a light second syllable and pluralization that remains an unstressed /-ɪz/ or /-əz/ sound.
Stories is the plural of story: spoken narratives or accounts, especially those told for entertainment or to convey information. In everyday use, it refers to multiple narratives or a collection of tales, often fictional, though it can also describe accounts of events. Pronunciation focuses on a clear /ˈstɔːriz/ in non-rhotic accents, with a light second syllable and pluralization that remains an unstressed /-ɪz/ or /-əz/ sound.
- Focus on keeping the first syllable stressed: /ˈstɔːriz/ with a clear on-glide from /st/ into /ɔː/; avoid reducing /ɔː/ to /ɔ/ too early. - Ensure the second syllable carries a light, quick /ɪ/ or /i/ before the /z/; don’t slump into /z/ without the preceding schwa or /ɪ/. - Final /z/ should be voiced; avoid devoicing in rapid speech or stopping the airflow before the /z/.
"She shared two stories from her childhood during the workshop."
"The bedtime stories kept the children curious all night."
"Historian notes five overlapping stories to explain the event."
Pronounce as /ˈstɔːriz/ in US and UK standard accents; stress on the first syllable. Start with /st/ as a consonant blend, then /ɔː/ for the vowel, followed by /r/ and a voiced /i/ plus /z/ at the end. In many American and British varieties, the final is a voiced /z/ sound, with the /ɪ/ reduced in some rapid speech to a schwa: /ˈstɔːrɪz/ or /ˈstɔːriz/ depending on dialect. Mouth position: lips neutral to slightly rounded for /ɔː/, tongue bunched or retracted for /r/ and /ɪ/ near the center, ending with a clean, voiced alveolar sibilant /z/. Audio resources: youglish or pronunciation videos can reinforce the /ˈstɔːriz/ pattern.
Common errors: flattening /ɔː/ to a short /ɔ/ or /ɑ/; dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents; mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ due to voiceless context; pronouncing the second syllable with a strong diphthong instead of a reduced /ɪ/. Correction: maintain the long /ɔː/ in the first syllable, ensure the /r/ is pronounced as a rhotic or approximant depending on dialect, and end with a voiced /z/. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈstɔːriz/ vs /ˈstɔːris/ to feel the voicing.
In rhotic accents (US, Canada, Ireland), you’ll hear a clear /r/ in the second syllable: /ˈstɔːrɪz/ or /ˈstɔːriz/. In non-rhotic accents (some UK dialects), the /r/ is less pronounced or non-rhotic in coda position; the first vowel may be lengthened; the final /z/ remains voiced. Australian English typically features a similar rhotic pattern to American, with potential vowel quality variation: /ˈstɔːɹɪz/ or /ˈstɔːɪz/? depending on speaker. Overall, the primary differences are rhotic articulation and vowel quality around /ɔː/ and /ɪ/.
Key challenges: sustaining a long, rounded /ɔː/ before a voiced /r/ and a final /ɪ/ plus /z/ sequence in rapid speech; ensuring the /r/ is not elided in rhotic dialects; avoiding a vowel reduction that leaves “storr-eez” or “stor-ess.” Also, the cluster /st/ demands precise tongue position and a crisp onset. Practice the transition from /ɔː/ to /r/ and the unvoiced-voiced boundary before /z/ to keep voicing consistent.
A distinctive feature is the shift in the second syllable from a simple /ɪ/ to a short /ɪ/ or schwa in fast speech, and the final /z/ being a voiced sibilant that can assimilate with preceding consonants in connected speech (e.g.,
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/; maintain clear /ɔː/ with rounded lips; final /z/ remains voiced; allow a slight vowel reduction in fast speech but keep /ɔː/ well-defined. - UK: can be less rhotic in some regions; ensure /r/ is not overly rolled; keep /ɔː/ long and the /ɪ/ reduced or relaxed; final /z/ is voiced. - AU: typically rhotic; vowel quality similar to US but with subtler /ɔː/; keep /z/ voiced; practice with Australian intonation patterns to avoid monotone.” ,
Stories originates from Old French esteure (story) via late Middle English; ultimately from Latin historia, meaning inquiry or account, with Proto-Indo-European roots in *ister- and *aus- related to knowing and telling. The modern English word arose through Anglo-Norman French histoire meaning ‘a tale’ or ‘history,’ and English adapted it to mean a narrative or tale. The plural form stories follows English pluralization conventions by adding -s to a singular story. The shift in usage from “history” or “tale” to “story” occurred in the late medieval/early modern period as vernacular storytelling became more common; by the 16th-17th centuries, “story” was widely used to denote a simple narrative or anecdote, separate from formal historical accounts. First known uses appear in Middle English texts, with increasing frequency in early modern English literature, aligning with the rise of print culture and the demand for short, digestible narratives in everyday speech.
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Words that rhyme with "stories"
-ies sounds
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