tran-SPAWRTS
/tɹænˈspɔɹts/
transports is pronounced tran-SPAWRTS (/tɹænˈspɔɹts/). Transports is a verb (third-person singular present) or a noun meaning things that convey people or goods from one place to another, or the act of carrying them. In everyday use, it often appears as a verb meaning to carry or convey; in logistics contexts it can refer to modes of carrying or shipment. The pronunciation centers on ent- and -ports, with stress typically on the root syllable, yielding a crisp, single-stressed form in connected speech.
Transports is a verb (third-person singular present) or a noun meaning things that convey people or goods from one place to another, or the act of carrying them. In everyday use, it often appears as a verb meaning to carry or convey; in logistics contexts it can refer to modes of carrying or shipment. The pronunciation centers on ent- and -ports, with stress typically on the root syllable, yielding a crisp, single-stressed form in connected speech.
"The company transports goods across the country using refrigerated trucks."
"She transports patients to the hospital as part of the ambulance crew."
"The documentary highlights how ships transport cargo through global networks."
Pronounce it as /trænsˈpɔrts/ in US English and /trænˈspɔːts/ in UK English, with the primary stress on the second syllable of the verb form. The initial /tr/ is a compact cluster, then /æ/ or /æ/ in American usage, followed by /n/ and /s/. The second syllable carries /pɔrts/ in US and /spɔːts/ in UK; pay attention to the /p/ onset of the final syllable and the rhotic/non-rhotic differences. Mouth position: initial /tr/ with a light lift, mid-open /a/ or /æ/, then a clear /p/ and rounded /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ before final /ts/. audio reference: think of a crisp stop on the second syllable, not a prolonged vowel.
Two common mistakes are pronouncing it as tran-sports with a split syllable or swallowing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. In US English, drop the /r/ subtly only in non-rhotic accents; ensure you pronounce the /p/ as a brief, voiceless bilabial stop before the /ɔ/ vowel, and avoid turning /t/ into a light /d/ in rapid speech. Practice by isolating /træns/ then /ˈpɔrts/ with a crisp /p/ and final affricate /ts/.
In US English, you’ll hear /trænsˈpɔrts/ with a rhotic /r/ and final /ts/. UK English often emphasizes /trænˈspɔːts/ with non-rhoticity affecting the /r/ (less pronounced) and a longer /ɔː/; Australian English sits between, with a clear /r/ in some speakers and a broad /ɔː/ quality. Pay attention to vowel quality: US /ɔr/ vs UK /ɔː/ and to the presence or absence of rhotics in RP-like speech.
The difficulty lies in the rapid consonant cluster at the end: /ns/ + /pɔrts/ demands precise articulation of /n/, the /s/ transitioning into a stop /p/, and the final /ts/. The vowel on the second syllable shifts quickly from a lax /ɔ/ to a rounded /ɔː/ in some accents, which can be tricky in connected speech. Also, non-native listeners may misplace stress or slovakify the /t/ into a /d/ in rapid speech.
No letters are silent in standard pronunciations of transports. The only tricky element is the stress pattern: the primary stress falls on the second syllable in the verb form (transPORTS) and the word ends with an affricated /ts/ cluster that can be shortened in rapid speech. Understanding that the end is a strong /ts/ helps you avoid adding extra vowels or a /d/ sound.
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Transports comes from the verb transport, which derives from the Latin transportare, itself formed from trans- ‘across’ + portare ‘to carry’. The English form arrived via Old French transport (late 14th century) before stabilizing into transport as a verb with commensurate noun forms in Early Modern English. The root port is linked to the Latin portare and the Germanic trunk that yields words like portable and port. The word originally carried the sense of bearing or carrying something across a distance, with the modern sense narrowing to conveyance via vehicles or the act of transporting in logistics. In English, the pronunciation shift toward a monosyllabic, clipped -ports ending has become standard in rapid speech, while non-natives often hyperarticulate the -trans- prefix. First known use in English appears in the 14th century in contexts of bearing or carriage, expanding later into transport of goods, people, and even metaphorical “to transport” in the sense of captivating or delighting, as in “the audience was transported.”
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Words that rhyme with "transports"
-rts sounds
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