sweeps
/swips/
sweeps is pronounced sweeps (/swips/). Sweeps is the plural noun or third-person singular verb form of sweep, referring to broad, continuous motions that move things aside or across an area. In grammar, “sweeps” can describe the act of sweeping in lines or strokes; in music or film, it can describe sweeping camera movements or sweeping gestures. The word conveys rapid, expansive motion and, as a verb, is commonly used in contexts like cleaning, searching, or moving quickly over a space.
Sweeps is the plural noun or third-person singular verb form of sweep, referring to broad, continuous motions that move things aside or across an area. In grammar, “sweeps” can describe the act of sweeping in lines or strokes; in music or film, it can describe sweeping camera movements or sweeping gestures. The word conveys rapid, expansive motion and, as a verb, is commonly used in contexts like cleaning, searching, or moving quickly over a space.
"The vacuum cleaner makes long, graceful sweeps across the carpet."
"She sweeps the floor every morning before the sun comes up."
"The drone captures sweeping sweeps of the coastline for the documentary."
Pronounce it as /swiːps/. The initial consonant cluster is an s + w blend, so you start with a light /s/, then glide into /w/ before the long /iː/ vowel, ending with the voiceless /ps/ cluster. Stress is on the only syllable: SWEEPS. Keep the lips rounded for the /w/ and release cleanly into /iː/ and final /ps/. Listen for a crisp /ps/ release rather than a drawn-out /s/ before the /p/.
Common errors include treating it as /swɛps/ with a short /e/ or dropping the /w/ in the cluster, producing /siːps/ or /sips/. Another trap is delaying the /p/ before the final /s/, or voicing the final /s/ (sounding like /z/). Correct by keeping the /w/ tight after /s/, using a clear long /iː/ vowel, then a precise, unvoiced /p/ followed immediately by /s/. Practice with a short stop before the final /s/ to avoid slurring the consonants together.
In US and UK, the core /swiːps/ structure stays, but rhoticity affects surrounding vowels if adjectives or phrases are involved. The US often shows a slightly tenser /iː/ and a slightly more pronounced /r/ in adjacent words, while UK English retains non-rhoticity, with a smooth /iː/ and a crisper final /ps/. Australian English generally preserves /swiːps/ but may exhibit a softer /iː/ and a faster overall timing, with a tendency toward broader vowel color. The final /ps/ remains unreleased as a consonant cluster in all.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /sw/ immediately followed by /iː/ and a final unvoiced /ps/ cluster. The /w/ must be tightly connected to the /s/ without creating a separate vowel, and the /p/ must be released cleanly into /s/ without voicing. Additionally, the long /iː/ must be held with enough tension to avoid a merging with the /p/ sound. In rapid speech, the /p/ and /s/ can blur; keep a crisp, brief closure of the lips before the /s/ release.
For the possessive form, the pronunciation remains /swiːps/; only the surrounding phrase changes. When used in compounds like 'dust-sweeps' or 'sweeps of light', the tempo may affect the vowel length slightly in rapid speech, but the core phonemes stay the same. Be mindful of connected speech where /s/ may be syllabic or link to a following word beginning with a consonant, which can momentarily soften the release if not paced carefully.
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Sweeps originates from the verb sweep, from Old English sweapan (to sweep, sweep away, or cleave). The noun form sweeps emerged to describe instances of sweeping actions or the result of such actions. In Middle English, forms like swepens and swepes appeared as spellings varied regionally, with the meaning tied to the act of sweeping or to long, curved motions (as in sweeping views). The sense of vast, continuous movement—especially in a sweeping arc or broad areas of motion—developed over time, reinforced by metaphorical uses such as a sweep of time or a sweep of sound. By Early Modern English, sweeps was established in both noun and verb senses in the plural and third-person singular, cementing its role across domains like cleaning, navigation, cinematography, and music. First known uses cite sweeping actions in household tasks and curved motions in weaponry or scything contexts, eventually expanding to domains like meteorology (a sweep of the radar), science (data sweeps), and everyday descriptive language. The word remains productive in contemporary English, sustaining multiple metaphorical extensions such as sweeping changes or sweeping gestures.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "sweeps" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "sweeps"
-eps sounds
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