teez
/tiz/
tease is pronounced teez (/tiz/). Tease is a verb meaning to provoke or mock someone in a playful, sometimes hurtful, way; it can also refer to pulling suddenly on something to jerk it. In informal use, it can describe tempting or enticing someone with words or actions. Noun forms exist in phrases like “a teasing remark.” The sense depends on context, tone, and cultural norms surrounding humor and sarcasm.
Tease is a verb meaning to provoke or mock someone in a playful, sometimes hurtful, way; it can also refer to pulling suddenly on something to jerk it. In informal use, it can describe tempting or enticing someone with words or actions. Noun forms exist in phrases like “a teasing remark.” The sense depends on context, tone, and cultural norms surrounding humor and sarcasm.
- You may be tempted to shorten the vowel to a lax /i/ (as in “sit”). Instead, hold the /iː/ long and steady for a clean /tiːz/. - Some speakers replace the final /z/ with /s/ or devoicethe /z/ in fast speech; ensure voicing by keeping vocal fold vibration audible. - Avoid adding an extra glide or trailing sound after /z/; finish with a crisp release for a sharp edge. - In rapid speech, the /t/ can be unreleased or tapped; aim for a brief, clear /t/ before /iːz/. - Misplacing the tongue: keep it high and front for /iː/ and ensure the tip contacts the alveolar ridge for /z/ without damping voicing.
"She loved to tease her little brother about his new haircut."
"The magician teased the audience with a hint of the final reveal."
"Don’t tease the dog too much, or it might bite in frustration."
Tease is pronounced /tiːz/. The long E vowel is held as a tense, steady high-front vowel; the final z is a voiced alveolar fricative. Make sure the tongue stays high and forward, with minimal lip rounding. Stress is on a single syllable, with a clean voicing from the vocal cords. Listen for a crisp, unvoiced onset followed by a smooth release into the /iː/ vowel and /z/ ending.
Common errors include mispronouncing the vowel as a short /i/ (as in 'tiss'), or voicing issues where the final /z/ is devoiced or pronounced as /s/. Also, some learners add extra vowel or reduce it to /tiːz/? with a clipped vowel. To correct: ensure a long /iː/ without diphthong drift, keep the tongue high and forward, and finish with a voiced /z/ rather than a voiceless /s/. Practice with word pairs like ease/tease and please/tease to feel the difference.
In US, UK, and AU, the core /tiːz/ stays the same: long E, final voiced /z/. Differences show up in vowel quality around surrounding words and in flapping in rapid US speech, which can momentarily soften the /t/ into a light touch; some speakers may release more with a slightly breathy onset. Rhoticity does not affect the word itself, but surrounding rhymes and intonation diverge. Overall, final /z/ remains voiced in all three.
The challenge lies in maintaining a clear long /iː/ followed by a voiced alveolar /z/, especially in rapid speech where vowels tend to diphthongize or reduce. Some learners also aspirate or soften the /z/, turning it into a softer /s/. Focus on the clean, tense /iː/ and a precise, voiced /z/ without voicing change in connected speech. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the vowel length and voicing.
There is no silent letter in tease. The word is a single syllable with an open onset /t/ followed by the long vowel /iː/ and ending with /z/. The /t/ is a typical voiceless stop that transitions quickly into the voiced fricative /z/. Many learners mispronounce by inserting an extra sound or gliding into the vowel; keep a crisp onset and a steady vowel for accurate production.
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- US: In American speech, you’ll often hear a slightly lighter, flapped-like onset when saying casually, but keep the /t/ crisp in careful speech; maintain the long /iː/ and a robust /z/. - UK: The /t/ is typically a clear alveolar stop; the /iː/ can be more rounded, with less vowel length variation in connected speech; keep the final /z/ voiced and precise. - AU: Similar to UK, but vowels can be slightly broader; ensure the /iː/ is fronted with consistent tension and the /z/ has stable voicing; avoid vowel reduction in careful pronunciation. - IPA references: /tiːz/; practice with slow, then speed; notice subtle differences in rhotic environments.
Tease traces to the 12th–13th centuries in Middle English as tesen, from Old French teasedir, meaning to pluck, pull, or pinch. Early uses described the act of pulling apart or taunting someone, often with a physical connotation of pinching or nipping. By the 16th century, tease broadened to the social behavior sense—mocking or tormenting someone with words or actions. The figurative sense of “tempt, lure, or tantalize” emerged in the 19th century, aligning with flirtatious or tantalizing behavior. In modern usage, tease retains duality between lighthearted joking and sharp provocation, with tone and context driving interpretation. The term is now common across varieties of English and frequently collocates with humor, sarcasm, and social interaction. First known printed uses appear in late medieval or early modern English sources, with evolving spellings and regional adaptations. The word has retained its core idea of provoking a response, but the emotional valence shifts depending on speaker intent, audience familiarity, and cultural norms surrounding teasing in different communities.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tease" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "tease" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "tease"
-ase sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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