TAK-seez
/ˈtæksiz/
taxis is pronounced TAK-seez (/ˈtæksiz/). Taxis is the plural of taxi, referring to multiple taxi cabs. In biology, taxis denotes movement toward or away from a stimulus, but the common usage for this entry is the urban transport sense. The word is pronounced with two syllables, stress on the first: /ˈtæk.sɪz/ in many varieties of English. Its pronunciation is distinct from the singular taxi but shares the same initial sound.
Taxis is the plural of taxi, referring to multiple taxi cabs. In biology, taxis denotes movement toward or away from a stimulus, but the common usage for this entry is the urban transport sense. The word is pronounced with two syllables, stress on the first: /ˈtæk.sɪz/ in many varieties of English. Its pronunciation is distinct from the singular taxi but shares the same initial sound.
"The city expanded its fleet of taxis to reduce wait times."
"Researchers observed taxis in bacteria showing directed movement toward nutrients."
"Several taxis lined up outside the airport terminal after the flight landed."
Pronounce it as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈtæk.sɪz/. Start with a clear ‘t’ followed by the short, checked vowel /æ/ as in cat, then a reduced /ɪ/ in the second syllable, and end with the voiced /z/. In careful speech, separate syllables: TAX-iss; in faster speech, it may sound like /ˈtæk.sɪz/ with a slightly weaker second vowel. Pay attention to not turning the second syllable into /ɪz/ as in “is” without proper tensing. Audio resources: try Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries for audio reference; you’ll hear a crisp initial /t/ and a light, voiced final /z/.”,
Common errors include pronouncing the first vowel as /eɪ/ (like taxi as in “tacks-eye”) or flattening the second syllable to /siz/ without the slight vowel reduction. Another frequent slip is an unvoiced final /s/ instead of the voiced /z/ in /sɪz/. Correction tips: emphasize /æ/ in the first syllable and use a short, lax /ɪ/ in the second, closing with a clear /z/. Practice with minimal pairs like TAX-iz vs TACK-ees, and record yourself to ensure the final consonant is voiced.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the pronunciation of taxis remains /ˈtæk.sɪz/ with initial /t/ and /æ/ in the first syllable. The main variation is in vowel lowering in fast speech and the length of the second vowel; some speakers may reduce /ɪ/ slightly, but the final /z/ tends to be voiced consistently. The non-rhotic tendency in some UK dialects can influence the surrounding vowels but not the core /tæ sɪz/ structure. Overall, the difference is subtle; the primary stress and the two distinct syllables remain consistent.
The difficulty lies in maintaining two distinct vowel cues in quick speech: a crisp /æ/ followed by a reduced /ɪ/ and a voiced final /z/. The sequence /tæ/ requires precise tongue placement, and the transition to /sɪz/ can slip into /siz/ or /zɪz/ if voicing or tongue height isn’t controlled. Additionally, the final voiced fricative /z/ can blur with an /s/ in rapid speech. Focusing on clear voicing and a distinct /æ/ helps stabilize the word.
Yes. Unlike some English plurals where the pronunciation shifts with the plural ending, taxis retains the same two-syllable pattern when pluralized in speech; you simply use the plural noun form and keep the same stress pattern: TAX-iz. The nuance is more grammatical than phonetic, but in careful or formal diction, you maintain the /ˈtæk.sɪz/ rhythm consistently even when listing multiple anatomical or biological taxis terms.
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- US: Clear /æ/ in the first syllable; keep /ɪ/ in the second syllable short; final /z/ is voiced, avoid devoicing; ensure timing: TAX-iss. - UK: Similar structure; watch for non-rhoticity if surrounding words drop R, but taxi/taxis pronunciation remains stable; keep /æ/ and /ɪ/ distinct; the /z/ should not become /s/ in rapid speech. - AU: Similar to US; pay attention to vowel length and the same two syllables; keep the /æ/ crisp and the /ɪ/ reduced; ensure the /z/ remains voiced in connected speech.
The word taxis comes from the Greek taxis (τάξις), meaning arrangement, order, or mounting. In biology, it was adopted in the early 20th century to describe directional movement of organisms toward or away from a stimulus, from the Greek roots taxis (order) and the concept of movement. In the language of transportation, taxi derives from taxicab, which itself is a clipped form of taximeter cab, dating to the late 19th century, with ‘taxi’ borrowed into English from French taximètre. The plural taxis is formed by adding the conventional English plural -es to taxi-derived terms. The earliest sense of the plural likely appears in scientific literature when researchers described multiple taxis in bacterial movement and later to describe multiple taxicabs in urban contexts. The biological sense became widely used in the 1920s and 1930s as experimentation with microorganisms producing directed movement. In everyday urban usage, the term taxi (and by extension taxis in plural) emerged in the late 19th to early 20th century, associated with meter-based passenger transport. Over time, the word has maintained its two-syllable rhythm, with primary stress on the first syllable in standard varieties of English.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "taxis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "taxis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "taxis"
-xis sounds
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