TOO-turz
/ˈtutɚz/
tutors is pronounced TOO-turz (/ˈtutɚz/). Tutors is the plural of tutor, referring to people who provide individualized instruction or coaching. In everyday use, it denotes multiple instructors or helpers in educational settings. The term carries a professional, instructional tone and often appears in discussions of private lessons, academic support, or language coaching.
Tutors is the plural of tutor, referring to people who provide individualized instruction or coaching. In everyday use, it denotes multiple instructors or helpers in educational settings. The term carries a professional, instructional tone and often appears in discussions of private lessons, academic support, or language coaching.
"- The tutors meet with students after school to review difficult math concepts."
"- Our language tutors helped me practice pronunciation and grammar."
"- The tutoring program pairs tutors with learners based on subject and level."
Most speakers pronounce it with two syllables: /ˈtuː.tərz/ (US) or /ˈtjuː.təz/ (UK/AU). The first syllable carries primary stress. Start with a long U sound, then a quick, schwa-like second syllable before the final z. If you shorten the second vowel in rapid speech, you’ll still be heard as /ˈtuː.tərz/ in American English. Keep the final /z/ voiced. Audio reference: imagine the vowel length in 'tube' for the first syllable, then a light, unstressed second vowel and a voiced sibilant.
Common mistakes: (1) Reducing the first syllable too much, making /ˈtʊ.tərz/ or /ˈtuː.ɹəz/. Correction: hold the long /uː/ in the first syllable and release clearly. (2) Merging the second syllable into the first, producing /ˈtuː.tərz/ with a sloppy break. Correction: insert a small boundary between syllables. (3) Not voicing the final /z/, leading to /ˈtuː.tər/ without the sibilant. Correction: ensure vocal fold vibration for the final /z/.
US: /ˈtuː.tərz/ with rhotic r in the second syllable and clear /z/. UK: /ˈtjuː.təz/ or /ˈtjuː.tɔːz/, with less pronounced r and a potentially more clipped second syllable. AU: often /ˈtjuː.təz/ or /ˈtuː.təz/, vowel qualities approaching UK but with Australian vowel flattening and less pronounced R. In all, stress remains on the first syllable; the second syllable vowel quality shifts: US prefers a mid-central vowel; UK/AU may show a shorter, more centralized vowel.
Two main challenges: (1) Vowel length and quality in the first syllable, especially differentiating /uː/ from /ʊ/. (2) The final /ər/ or /ər/ cluster in non-rhotic varieties can blur into a reduced vowel; practice maintaining a distinct second syllable with an audible /z/. Pay attention to the transition between the stressed first syllable and the unstressed second syllable, using a brief release and a voiced final consonant.
There are no silent letters in tutors. Each syllable carries a distinct vowel sound: the first shows /uː/ or /juː/ depending on accent, the second has a reduced vowel, and the final sound is a voiced z. Focus on ensuring the /t/ at the start is crisp and not swallowed, and that the final /z/ is audible.
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The word tutor originates from the Latin tutor, meaning a guardian, watcher, or protector. In medieval Latin, tutor referred to a person who safeguarded a youth’s education. The sense broadened through Middle English to denote a private instructor or guardian who provides individualized instruction. The modern plural tutors appears in English as the noun tutor took on a specialized meaning: someone who teaches or instructs in a particular subject. The term gained prominence in educational contexts from the 18th to 19th centuries as private tutoring became a formalized service for exam preparation, languages, and specialized skills. First known uses appear in English texts referring to private tutors in households or academies, evolving to encompass both the role of one-on-one instruction and small-group coaching. Over time, “tutor” also acquired figurative senses (e.g., someone who guides learning in a supportive capacity), but the primary sense relevant here remains an instructor who facilitates individual or small-group learning. In contemporary usage, tutors can be professionals, volunteers, or peers, and the plural form simply indicates more than one such instructor.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tutors" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "tutors"
-ers sounds
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