VEYE-suhz
/ˈvaɪsəz/
vices is pronounced VEYE-suhz (/ˈvaɪsəz/). Vices is the plural of vice, referring to immoral or wicked behaviors or faults. In broader usage, it can denote sins or temptations, often contrasting with virtues. The term appears in legal, literary, and moral discussions, and can also describe habitual weaknesses in individuals or societies. It implies negative conduct or temptations that are socially disapproved as harmful or immoral.
Vices is the plural of vice, referring to immoral or wicked behaviors or faults. In broader usage, it can denote sins or temptations, often contrasting with virtues. The term appears in legal, literary, and moral discussions, and can also describe habitual weaknesses in individuals or societies. It implies negative conduct or temptations that are socially disapproved as harmful or immoral.
- You may flatten the /aɪ/ to a shorter /a/ or /ɪ/ sound; replace with a clear /aɪ/ by practicing “high” style vowel movement. - The /s/ and /z/ can blend in fast speech; practice separating the voiceless /s/ from the voiced /z/ with precise voicing, then blend. - Final vowel reduction: in rapid speech the /ɪ/ may reduce; keep it audible to maintain the /ˈvaɪ/ rhythm.
"The company's leadership should address vices in its corporate culture, not just its profits."
"He struggled with personal vices, like procrastination and envy, that held him back."
"Debates about governance often cite economic vices—greed and corruption—as root causes."
Say it as two syllables: /ˈvaɪ.sɪz/. Emphasize the first syllable with a clear /aɪ/ as in “high.” The final -ces sounds like /zɪz/ after the /ɪ/. Mouth: start with a wide-open jaw for /aɪ/, then a light, quick /s/ to /z/ transition before the final /ɪz/. Listen to native samples: Pronounce as /ˈvaɪsɪz/ in many contexts, note the /z/ voice at the end. IPA helps ensure accuracy across accents.
Common errors: 1) Pronouncing as /ˈvɪsɪz/ with a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable instead of /aɪ/. 2) Slurring the /s/ into a /z/ or not voicing the final /z/ clearly in connected speech. 3) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈvaɪsəz/ or /ˈvaɪsiːz/. Correct by ensuring the first syllable uses /aɪ/ and the final cluster ends with a voiced /z/ after an /ɪ/ vowel. Practice slow, then natural speech with minimal pairs.
In US and UK, both typically /ˈvaɪsɪz/. US may have a slightly lighter final /z/ in fast speech; UK tends to be crisper with final z sound. Australian usually aligns with /ˈvaɪsɪz/ but with a more centralized or flattened vowel quality in some speakers, and might show subtle vowel height differences depending on region. Overall rhoticity doesn’t alter the /ˈvaɪ/ stress. IPA remains the best guide across accents.
Two main challenges: 1) The diphthong /aɪ/ in the first syllable can be misarticulated as a short /ɪ/ or /eɪ/. 2) Ending /s/ followed by a voiced /z/ in connected speech can become devoiced or elide in rapid talk. Focus on clearly voicing the final /z/ and finishing the /ɪ/ before it, maintaining the /s/ as a crisp onset to /ɪz/. IPA cues help you lock the exact tongue height and voicing.
The word’s primary stress is on the first syllable. A common nuance is sustaining a clear, light onset for /v/ then gliding into the diphthong /aɪ/. The transition from /aɪ/ to /s/ should be smooth, not staccato, so you maintain the word’s flowing rhythm when integrated into sentence-level speech. Keep the final /z/ audible, especially in careful pronunciation.
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- US: emphasize rhoticity lightly; US speakers typically keep /ɹ/ in surrounding words when possible. Maintain a crisp /z/ final. - UK: crisp, clear /z/ with slightly tensed /ɪ/ in connected speech; keep non-rhoticity if applicable to your region. - AU: more centralized vowel quality; keep /aɪ/ distinct and ensure the final /z/ remains voiced in connected speech. IPA cues: /ˈvaɪsɪz/ across.
The word vices derives from the Latin vices, plural of vitium meaning fault, defect, or blemish. In Latin, vitium referred to flaw or moral fault, extended from vitium “fault, defect” and related to vī realitatis stem in other Romance languages. The term entered English via Old French vois or vice, with early use in moral and religious texts to denote sins or immoral behaviors. By Middle English, vices carried legal and philosophical overtones, describing harmful acts or tendencies that violated social or divine law. Over time, the word broadened to include habitual faults or problematic tendencies, not strictly religious sins. In modern usage, “vices” often appears in discussions of ethics, governance, and psychology to describe patterns of vice as impediments to virtue, sometimes used in secular contexts to critique behaviors such as corruption, greed, or addictive behaviors. First known uses appear in moral treatises of the 14th–15th centuries, with widespread literary adoption in Tudor and Elizabethan prose where contrasts between vices and virtues were a common rhetorical device. The plural form emphasizes multiple faults or temptations rather than a single moral failing, reinforcing social critique by cataloging a range of negative behaviors.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "vices" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "vices" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "vices"
-hes sounds
-zes sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
