TAK-spay-urz
/ˈtækˌspeɪɚz/
taxpayers is pronounced TAK-spay-urz (/ˈtækˌspeɪɚz/). Taxpayers refers to individuals or entities that are obligated to pay taxes to a government, collectively forming the taxpaying population. In everyday use, it often describes people who bear tax burdens or are subject to tax policies. The term is common in economic, political, and policy discussions and can imply responsibility or share of public funding through taxation.
Taxpayers refers to individuals or entities that are obligated to pay taxes to a government, collectively forming the taxpaying population. In everyday use, it often describes people who bear tax burdens or are subject to tax policies. The term is common in economic, political, and policy discussions and can imply responsibility or share of public funding through taxation.
"The government announced new credits for taxpayers who file early."
"Taxpayers are concerned about how the budget will affect public services."
"The debate highlighted how taxpayers’ money is allocated."
/ˈtæksˌpeɪərz/ (US) or /ˈtæksˌpeɪəz/ (UK/AU). The primary stress is on the first syllable: TA XPAY-ers. The second syllable uses a long
Common errors include misplacing stress (say ta-XS-pay-ers), pronouncing the middle as a short ‘pay-’ with a weak vowel, or turning the final z into s without voice, like /ˈtæksˌpeɪəz/. Correction: keep the second syllable as /peɪə/ or /peɪər/ with a clearly voiced final /z/.
US typically /ˈtæksˌpeɪərz/ with a clear /r/. UK/AU often use /ˈtæksˌpeɪəz/ with a non-rhotic onset but the /r/ can be less pronounced; vowel quality in the second syllable may be centralized. In Australian English you may hear a slightly broader diphthong in /eɪ/ and a softer /ə/ before z. IPA references still show the core /ˈtæksˌpeɪə(z)/ variations.
Two challenges: the cluster /ksp/ after the initial /tæ/ can be tricky, and the bipartite suffix -pay- + -ers creates a rapid transition from /peɪ/ to /ər/ or /ə/. Ensure you articulate the long /eɪ/ in pay, then glide into a light, quick /ər/ or /ə/ before the final /z/. Practice by isolating /tæks/ and /peɪər/ segments.
Focus on the pause and syllable boundary between /tæks/ and /peɪ/. The /k/ in /tæks/ ends abruptly before the long /eɪ/ vowel, so avoid linking /k/ to /p/ too closely. Also maintain voicing of the final /z/; voiceless sibilant would sound like /s/. Use minimal pairs to reinforce contrasts: /tæks/ vs /tæksˌpeɪ/; ensure /z/ remains voiced in fluent speech.
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The word taxpayers comes from the noun tax + the suffix -payer, formed in English to designate a person who pays. Tax derives from Latin taxare ‘to estimate, assess,’ from taxa ‘tare, charge,’ related to taxare ‘to value, estimate.’ The agent noun -payer was established in English to signify a person who pays something, often in a financial obligation. The compound tax + payer first appeared in early modern English, aligning with carpenters or laborers in tax-related contexts. By the 18th and 19th centuries, taxpayer was a common term in political and economic discourse, especially as tax systems evolved and public finance became central to governance. The plural taxpayers naturally followed the pattern of English agent nouns, with the base form maintaining the plural -s. Over time, taxpayers has taken on broader socio-political connotations, especially in debates about tax fairness, compliance, and public spending. First known uses align with discussions of taxation policy and the responsibilities of individuals and households in funding government operations. The term remains stable in modern usage, though it is frequently paired with adjectives like “honest,” “responsible,” or “silent” in rhetorical contexts, or with “burdened” and “low-income” to emphasize particular demographics within tax policy discussions.
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Words that rhyme with "taxpayers"
-ers sounds
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