/ˈʌpwɚdz/
upwards is pronounced /ˈʌpwɚdz/. Upwards is an adverb or adjective meaning toward a higher place or position, or in an increasing direction. In everyday use it describes movement or progression in a direction away from the ground or baseline. It is also used figuratively to indicate improvement or escalation. The pronunciation features a final /z/ in most dialects when used as an adverb (upwards).
Say it backUpwards is an adverb or adjective meaning toward a higher place or position, or in an increasing direction. In everyday use it describes movement or progression in a direction away from the ground or baseline. It is also used figuratively to indicate improvement or escalation. The pronunciation features a final /z/ in most dialects when used as an adverb (upwards).
"Sales rose upwards after the campaign launch, reaching a new peak."
"She looked upwards at the tall tree and wondered how to climb it."
"The temperatures drifted upwards as the season changed."
Pronounce as /ˈʌpwɚdz/ in US and /ˈʌpwɔːdz/ in UK, AU often closer to /ˈʌpwədz/. The primary stress is on the first syllable UP, with the second syllable reduced: 'up-wərds' or 'up-wawdz' depending on accent. Start with the rounded lips and mid-back vowel in the first syllable, then move quickly to the schwa-like second syllable with a voiced 'd' ending. Audio references: consult Cambridge and Oxford pronunciations for precise intonation. IPA anchors: US ˈʌp-wɚdz, UK ˈʌp-wɔːdz, AU ˈʌp-wəds.
Common mistakes include misplacing the primary stress (e.g., uPwards), over-articulating the second syllable (too clear 'wards'), and treating the final -s as an /s/ instead of /z/ in connected speech. To correct: keep initial stress on UP and reduce the second syllable to a quick schwa, then voice the final /z/ as in 'cards' rather than a voiceless /s/. Practice with incremental speed to maintain natural rhythm and voicing.
In US English you’ll hear /ˈʌpwɚdz/ with a rhotic nucleus in the second syllable and a clearly voiced final /z/. UK English tends toward /ˈʌpwɔːdz/ with a longer second vowel and slightly rounded lips, while Australian English often sits between, like /ˈʌpwədz/ with a shorter, more centralized second vowel and a more relaxed diphthongization. All share initial stress on UP, but vowel quality and rhoticity influence the overall feel.
The difficulty lies in the rapid vowel transition from /ʌ/ to a mid-centralized /ɚ/ or /ɔː/ and the final voiced /dz/ cluster in connected speech. The tongue must move quickly from a high back-to-mid position to a more central vowel, while the lips round and then relax for the /d/ and voiced /z/. Mastery requires precise timing of the weak second syllable and consistent voicing, especially in fast conversations.
A key nuance is the optional reduced vowel in the second syllable in many accents, turning 'wards' into a lighter, almost schwa-like /wɚdz/ or /wədz/ in rapid speech. This makes the word sound more like /ˈʌpwədz/ in casual contexts. Paying attention to whether your final /dz/ is fully voiced can help you sound natural; in careful speech you’ll hear a clearer /dz/ than in everyday talk.
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Upwards derives from the combination of the preposition up with the suffix -wards, forming a directional adverbial or adjectival sense. The root up traces to Old English up(u) with Germanic cognates across West Germanic languages, originally signifying motion toward a higher place. The suffix -wards (or -ward in singular) is a productive directional marker in English, producing words like towards, forwards, and backwards. The earliest attestations of upwards appear in Middle English texts where the usage began to stabilize into two pronunciations: -s in written form and the pronunciation of -wards with a final z if the word functioned as an adverbial particle in rapid speech. Over time, the form gained traction in formal and informal registers as a straightforward directional term, frequently appearing in nautical, architectural, and growth contexts. The semantic evolution reflects both literal spatial orientation and metaphorical progression (toward improvement, ascent, or escalation). First known uses are documented in English literature dating from the late medieval period, with more consistent usage appearing in Early Modern English corpora as printing and standardization spread. Contemporary pronunciation is typically /ˈʌpwədz/ or /ˈʌpwɔːdz/ depending on accent, with the final -wards realized as a pluralized adverbial form in many dialects, though some variants farther favor the colloquial /-wɚdz/ or /-wɜrdz/ sequences.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "upwards" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "upwards"
-rds sounds
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