suh-STAYNZ
/səˈsteɪnz/
sustains is pronounced suh-STAYNZ (/səˈsteɪnz/). Sustains is the third-person singular present tense of sustain, meaning to keep in existence or uphold. In pronunciation terms, it’s a two-syllable word beginning with /sə/ or /sʌ/ depending on the speaker, with a final /-teɪnz/ or /-teɪns/ cluster that carries the verb’s stress on the first syllable in typical usage. The word often appears in formal contexts (e.g., laws, policies) and in general discourses about support or maintenance.
Sustains is the third-person singular present tense of sustain, meaning to keep in existence or uphold. In pronunciation terms, it’s a two-syllable word beginning with /sə/ or /sʌ/ depending on the speaker, with a final /-teɪnz/ or /-teɪns/ cluster that carries the verb’s stress on the first syllable in typical usage. The word often appears in formal contexts (e.g., laws, policies) and in general discourses about support or maintenance.
"The charity sustains its operations through donations."
"The bridge sustains heavy traffic during rush hour."
"The data sustains his argument about environmental policy."
Pronounce it as /səˈsteɪnz/ in standard American and British English. The syllable stress falls on the second syllable: su-STAINZ. Start with a short, relaxed schwa in the first syllable, then glide into a clear /eɪ/ vowel in the stressed second syllable, and finish with the voiced alveolar nasal /n/ before the /z/ sound. In fast speech, the /ə/ in the first syllable may be reduced, but keep the /steɪnz/ sequence intact. IPA: US/UK/AU /səˈsteɪnz/.
Common mistakes include linking the /s/ directly to /t/ without a perceptible /ə/ in the first syllable (s-stains) and mispronouncing the final /nz/ as /n/ or /z/ alone. Another error is not delivering the /eɪ/ clearly in the stressed syllable, making it sound like /suːˈstains/ or /səˈstɪnz/. Correct by ensuring a light, unstressed initial syllable with a clear /eɪ/ in the second syllable and keeping the /nz/ cluster intact: /səˈsteɪnz/.
In US, UK, and AU, the primary difference lies in vowel quality and rhoticity. US and AU typically have a rhotic influence with a darker /ɜr/ in some related forms, but sustains keeps /ə/ in the first syllable. UK English tends to be non-rhotic in some regions, sometimes reducing the schwa more aggressively, while US/AU maintain slightly crisper articulation in /ə/ and /eɪ/. Across accents, the /s/ onset and /st/ cluster retain stability, but the final /nz/ can be realized as /nz/ with subtle voicing differences; ensure the final /z/ is voiced. IPA references: /səˈsteɪnz/ for all three, with small vowel quality shifts.
The difficulty centers on the two-syllable rhythm with a strong second syllable, and the /st/ cluster followed by /nz/ in rapid speech, which can blur into /stn/ or /z/. Beginners often misplace the stress or blur the /eɪ/ into a schwa, reducing the clarity of the diphthong. Focus on a crisp /steɪ/ nucleus and maintaining the /nz/ closure. Practicing with slow, deliberate enunciation before speeding up helps stabilize the transition between the /t/ and /n/ sounds in the cluster.
A unique query is: Is the final consonant cluster /nz/ ever realized as a vowel-like nasal only in rapid speech, and how should you adjust to keep the /z/ audible? Answer: In careful speech, the final cluster remains /nz/ with voiced /z/. In rapid or informal speech, the /z/ may be reduced slightly, but you should aim to keep it audible by tightening the vocal tract just before release, ensuring you don’t elide the /z/ entirely. IPA reminder: final cluster /nz/ should stay intact in careful pronunciation.
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Sustains derives from the Old French sustainer, from Latin sustinere, meaning to hold up or support, itself built from sub- ‘under’ and tenere ‘to hold. The English sustain emerged in the 14th–15th centuries with figurative uses such as to support life or to endure. The form sustains (third-person singular) appears in Early Modern English as a present tense inflection aligning with third-person subjects. Across centuries, the semantic drift expanded to mean not only physical support but also to maintain, preserve, and prolong conditions, resources, or arguments. The word has kept a stable core sense of ongoing support or endurance, and modern usage spans legal, musical, philosophical, and everyday contexts where something must be kept in operation, extended, or defended.
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Words that rhyme with "sustains"
-ins sounds
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