/taɪmz/
times is pronounced /taɪmz/. Times is a plural noun and verb form related to counting occurrences or marks on a clock or calendar, as well as the verb phrase 'time(s) out' or 'times' as a multiplication factor. In everyday usage, it typically refers to frequency (how many times) or to periods on clocks and calendars. The word often functions as a quantifier, noun, or verb in different grammatical contexts.
Say it backTimes is a plural noun and verb form related to counting occurrences or marks on a clock or calendar, as well as the verb phrase 'time(s) out' or 'times' as a multiplication factor. In everyday usage, it typically refers to frequency (how many times) or to periods on clocks and calendars. The word often functions as a quantifier, noun, or verb in different grammatical contexts.
- Mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/; fix by practicing minimal pairs and emphasizing voicing: /taɪmz/ vs /taɪms/. - Over-voicing or adding an extra vowel after /z/; remedy with closed-mouth stop and immediate release: say /taɪm/ + /z/ quickly, no extra vowel. - Dropping the /m/ or turning it into a nasal tunnel; correct by focusing on the bilabial closure before the nasal and ensuring /m/ is a full bilabial closure before the /z/.
"- How many times have you visited that museum this year?"
"- The clock shows five times around the dial before noon."
"- In math, 3 times 4 equals 12."
/taɪmz/ in US/UK/AU; the vowel is the long I /aɪ/ followed by /m/ and a voiced /z/ at the end. Stress is on the word as a whole since it’s a single syllable; mouth starts with a high front vowel gliding to a mid alveolar nasal /m/ and ends with a voiced alveolar sibilant /z/. Listen for a clean final /z/ without voicing into a syllabic l or silent consonant. Reference: IPA /taɪmz/.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /taɪms/ with a voiceless or clipped /s/ instead of /z/, and misplacing the tongue so the final /z/ becomes a vowel-like or extra syllabic sound. Another mistake is lengthening the /m/ into a slight pig-latin sound, or turning it into /taɪm/ without the final /z/. Correct by ensuring final /z/ is voiced and crisp, with the mouth closed for the nasal and then a quick alveolar fricative.
In US English, /taɪmz/ with a clear voiced /z/. UK English often mirrors /taɪmz/, but some speakers may have a slightly weaker vowel and softer /z/; rhoticity is not a factor here since there’s no /r/. Australian English is similar to US/UK, often with a very crisp /z/; some speakers may produce a marginally higher tongue blade for the /ɪ/ vowel before the /m/ depending on regional vowel quality.
The challenge lies in the quick transition from the diphthong /aɪ/ to the voiced alveolar fricative /z/, requiring the vibration of the vocal cords and precise tongue placement. Some speakers under-voice the final /z/ or substitute with a /s/ or /ɪ/ vowel due to tongue tension. Practicing a short, crisp /z/ after the /m/ helps avoid a dropped consonant and ensures a voiced, audible ending.
There are no silent letters in times, but the /s/ is not silent; it follows the /z/ sound as a voiced alveolar fricative. A common search concern is whether it’s pronounced with an extra syllable in fast speech. In natural speech, times remains monosyllabic: /taɪmz/ with a single stressed syllable and a quick, tight mouth movement.
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- US: clear, strong /z/ with stable /aɪ/; ensure no vowel intrusion between /m/ and /z/; /taɪmz/ is compact. - UK: similar to US, but some speakers may show a slightly more centralized /aɪ/ before /m/; keep it crisp. - AU: /taɪmz/ with a crisp /z/, sometimes a hint of /s/ or a lenient release; keep the /z/ voiced and short.
Times derives from Middle English times, from Old English tijd (time, period) and from Proto-Germanic *tīmiz, related to the concept of time and measure. The sense evolved from a general notion of period or season to concrete counts of occurrences (how many times) and to the prolonged, cyclic phenomena of clock time. In mathematics, times becomes a multiplication operator, as in ‘two times three.’ The spelling reflects assimilation and standardization through Norman influence and later Early Modern English usage, with first attestations aligning to the 12th–14th centuries as literacy and calendar-keeping expanded. By the 15th–16th centuries, ‘times’ also solidified its dual role as noun and verb, with phrases like ‘times two’ or ‘times around the clock’ becoming common in commerce, science, and daily speech.
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Words that rhyme with "times"
-mes sounds
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