/stɹaɪdz/
strides is pronounced /stɹaɪdz/. Strides is the plural noun or verb form of stride, referring to notable steps or measures taken toward a goal. In noun use, it denotes advances or progress, often highlighted as “making strides.” As a verb, strides is the third-person singular present of stride, meaning to walk with long steps or to make progress in a determined way. The word emphasizes forward movement and momentum.
Say it backStrides is the plural noun or verb form of stride, referring to notable steps or measures taken toward a goal. In noun use, it denotes advances or progress, often highlighted as “making strides.” As a verb, strides is the third-person singular present of stride, meaning to walk with long steps or to make progress in a determined way. The word emphasizes forward movement and momentum.
"Companies are making strides in renewable energy technologies."
"Athletes train hard to reach new strides in their endurance runs."
"The administration is taking strides to reduce crime in the city."
Pronounce as /straɪdz/. It’s a single word with stress on the only syllable. Start with /s/ then /t/ clusters, followed by the long /aɪ/ diphthong, and finish with /dz/. In careful speech, crown the /dz/ as a voiced alveolar affricate, not a simple /z/ or /d/. See audio references in Forvo and Pronounceable dictionaries for native speaker models.
Common issues: 1) devoicing the final /z/ into a voiceless /s/ in rapid speech, 2) merging /straɪ/ with a shorter vowel due to fast speech, 3) dropping the /d/ in casual speech (strydes). Correction: hold the /dz/ ending as a distinct, voiced affricate; keep the /aɪ/ clear before /dz/; and articulate the /d/ before /z/ with a light tongue blade contact to avoid flapping or eliding. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the /dz/ clarity.
In American English, /straɪdz/ features a clear /aɪ/ vowel and a voiced /dz/ cluster. UK and AU accents keep the same core, but UK may have a crisper tongue tip for /d/ and slightly stronger /dz/ release; AU tends to be less rhotic, with subtle vowel shaping in surrounding words, but the /straɪdz/ nucleus remains the same. The primary differences are subtle timing and place of articulation rather than a different vowel quality.
The difficulty lies in the final /dz/ cluster, which requires a precise voicing transition from /d/ to /z/ without degradation into a simple /d/ or /z/. The /aɪ/ diphthong before a voiced affricate also needs stable tongue height and jaw position to avoid tension. Additionally, the word’s short, clipped nature in rapid speech makes the /t/ and /r/ timing important for a natural-sounding onset. Mastery comes from slow practice with deliberate release.
A unique aspect is the final /dz/ cluster in a pluralized form; this is a common source of confusion for learners who split it into /d/ and /z/ or aspirate it poorly. The correct sequence is /d/ followed immediately by a voiced /z/ without an extra vocalic break. Vocal clarity in speech often hides the transition, so focused practice helps you keep it distinct even in connected speech.
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Stride comes from Old English stondan/standan? Wait—sorry, the original etymology would be: Stride derives from Old English strada or stād? I’ll provide a thorough overview: The noun stride traces back to Old English strod or strada, cognate with Old High German strōd and Dutch snelheid? In earlier forms, stride signified a single step segment or a measured pace, evolving to denote a long step or manner of walking. Over time, stride broadened into “progress toward a goal,” capturing the sense of forward movement beyond walking. By Middle English, plural strides appeared as a regular inflection of stride, with stride itself borrowed from the Germanic family of languages and influenced by related terms such as stride (step, pace). The verb form stride (present tense: strides) developed to describe third-person singular action of stepping or moving forward, or figuratively making progress. First known uses center on literal walking stride in navigation and athletic contexts, later expanding to metaphorical gains (economic, social, scientific). The word’s core meaning—long steps, momentum, progression—remains stable, even as usage broadens across domains.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "strides" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "strides"
-des sounds
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