VIZ-its
/ˈvɪzɪts/
visits is pronounced VIZ-its (/ˈvɪzɪts/). Visits is the plural of visit, referring to instances of going to a place or person to see them. It functions as a noun or verb in past tense constructs (e.g., 'he visits' or 'the visits occurred'). The word centers on movement and encounter, and carries neutral formality, often used in everyday planning, reporting, or description of social and professional activity.
Visits is the plural of visit, referring to instances of going to a place or person to see them. It functions as a noun or verb in past tense constructs (e.g., 'he visits' or 'the visits occurred'). The word centers on movement and encounter, and carries neutral formality, often used in everyday planning, reporting, or description of social and professional activity.
"We make two visits to the clinic next week."
"Her visits to the archive increased after the catalog was updated."
"The company records several client visits each quarter."
You pronounce it as /ˈvɪzɪts/. The first syllable carries primary stress: VIS-its. The middle vowel is a short /ɪ/ as in 'sit', and the final consonant cluster is /ts/ produced with a quick tongue contact at the alveolar ridge. In rapid speech, the /ɪ/ in the second syllable can be slightly reduced, but keep it recognizable as /ɪ/ to avoid 'viz-its' mispronunciations. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈvɪzɪts/.
Common errors include grouping as 'vizz-its' with a long /ɪ/ or mispronouncing the final /ts/ as /t/ or /s/ separately. Another frequent issue is weakening the first syllable’s vowel, producing /vɪzɪts/ with reduced stress. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, ensure the /ɪ/ remains short and crisp in both syllables, and execute a compact /t/ followed immediately by /s/ without a separating vowel.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the distribution of stress and the pronunciation of /ɪ/ are similar: /ˈvɪzɪts/. The main difference lies in vowel quality: some UK speakers may have a slightly 'shorter' or more centralized second /ɪ/; AU tends to be non-rhotic less distinctly affecting the word unless linked to a following vowel. The /ts/ cluster remains a sharp, affricate-like ending in all. Overall, minimal audible difference beyond vowel quality occurs.
The challenge lies in the near-staccato /z/ to /ɪ/ transition followed by a rapid /ts/ cluster. The second syllable’s /ɪ/ is brief and may be reduced in fast speech, causing blends like 'viz-its' that blur individual sounds. Also, the /t/ and /s/ consonants must stay tightly linked to avoid an intrusive pause or an overemphasized 't' sound. Mastery requires precise tongue contact and steady airflow through the final cluster.
No, there are no silent letters in visits. Every letter contributes to the sound: V (vowel onset), I (short /ɪ/), Z (voiced /z/), I (short /ɪ/), T (voiceless /t/), S (voiceless /s/). The final /s/ is not silent; it adds the plural or third-person singular meaning with a crisp /s/ sound. The trick is maintaining the /ts/ blend without a pause between /t/ and /s/ in fluent speech.
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Visit comes from the Latin visitare, meaning to go to see, which itself derives from venire ‘to come, to go.’ The form traveled into Old French as visiter before entering Middle English. In English, it originally described the act of going to someone’s house or place of business; over time, it broadened to include any act of going to see someone or some place. The plural form visits retains the consonant cluster -s after the verb stem visit, reflecting standard English pluralization rules. The first known English usage traces to early medieval texts, aligning with religious and royal travel records where rulers and emissaries performed visits as formal acts. In modern usage, visits can function as noun (plural instances) or verb (third-person singular: visits) and can be completed in various tenses, maintaining similar pronunciation patterns across dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "visits" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "visits" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "visits"
-its sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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