VOHL-tuh-juhz
/ˈvoʊltədʒəz/
voltages is pronounced VOHL-tuh-juhz (/ˈvoʊltədʒəz/). Voltages refers to plural measurements or quantities of electrical potential differences in electrical circuits or devices. The term appears in contexts ranging from theoretical electronics to practical engineering specs, indicating multiple instances of voltage values. It is a technical plural noun used in formal or semi-formal technical writing and discussions among engineers and technicians.
Voltages refers to plural measurements or quantities of electrical potential differences in electrical circuits or devices. The term appears in contexts ranging from theoretical electronics to practical engineering specs, indicating multiple instances of voltage values. It is a technical plural noun used in formal or semi-formal technical writing and discussions among engineers and technicians.
"The lab report lists several voltages across the circuit to verify proper operation."
"Different voltages are required for the power supply unit to deliver stable performance."
"Manufacturer specifications specify voltages within a tight tolerance to ensure safety."
Pronounce as VOL-tih-jiz with the primary stress on VOL. IPA: US ˈvoʊl.tɪdʒɪz; UK ˈvəʊl.tɪdʒɪz; AU ˈvɒl.tɪdʒɪz. Start with an open back rounded vowel in US/UK depending on accent, then an unstressed 't', and end with a soft /ɪdʒɪz/ sound cluster; keep /dʒ/ as in 'judge' and note the final z as /z/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (say VOL-tages with equal stress); mispronouncing the /t/ as a hard /d/ in rapid speech; misarticulating the final /ɪdʒɪz/ cluster as /ɪdʒɪz/ or dropping the /dʒ/. Correction tips: keep /t/ clearly released before the /ɪ/; maintain a brief /dʒ/ onset in the final cluster; practice the sequence VOL-tɪ-dʒɪz with a light, quick transition to avoid a drawn-out /d/.
US tends to with a clear /ˈvoʊl.tɪ.dʒɪz/ with diphthong /oʊ/; UK uses /ˈvəʊl.tɪ.dʒɪz/ with a longer /əʊ/ and less rhoticity in some speakers, though rhotic variants exist; AU often reduces /ʊ/ vs /ɒ/ in /vɒl/ depending on speaker, producing /ˈvɒl.tɪ.dʒɪz/. In all, the final /ɪz/ is typically clear, the /t/ is a light alveolar stop, and the /dʒ/ remains as in “judge.”
Because it blends a stressed syllable with two consonant clusters: VOL-tages has a strong initial triliteral /ˈvoʊl/ followed by /tɪ.dʒɪz/. The transition from a stressed vowel to /t/ then to the affricate /dʒ/ can be slippery; rapid speech may slur /tɪ.dʒ/ into a single /tʒ/ sound. Also, non-native speakers may mismanage the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthongs and misplace the primary stress.
A unique feature of voltages pronunciation is the potential for reduced schwa in fast speech, but preserving the /ɪ/ in the second syllable and the /dʒ/ onset in the third syllable in careful enunciation. You’ll hear a crisp /dʒ/ before /ɪ/ in careful dictation; in rapid contexts, the /d/ may be lightly released and the /ɪ/ may be shortened to a near schwa.
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US: rhotic American rhythm, clear /oʊ/; UK: non-rhotic tendencies, broader /əʊ/ and less rhotic 'r' influence; AU: often shorter /o/ or /ɒ/ depending on region; keep /tɪ/ distinct before /dʒɪz/; IPA references: US ˈvoʊl.tɪ.dʒɪz, UK ˈvəʊl.tɪ.dʒɪz, AU ˈvɒl.tɪ.dʒɪz.
Voltages derives from voltage, which originates from the Latin word voltas, meaning “a turning, twist, or bend.” The scientific sense of voltage emerged in the 19th century with the study of electric potential differences; early usage framed voltage as a potential difference driving current, often attributed to Lombard mathematicians and later Heaviside and Kirchhoff’s circuit theories. The suffix -age is a productive English derivational morpheme implying a state or condition, here translating to “the amount of voltage.” The term voltages as a plural form simply notes more than one measurement or level of voltage within circuits. First known uses appear in technical journals and textbooks as electrical engineering matured, with the compound appearing in the late 19th to early 20th centuries as manufacturing and research required precise language for multiple voltage levels in complex systems.
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Words that rhyme with "voltages"
-ges sounds
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