vah-luhn-TIRZ
/ˌvɑləˈntɪɹz/
volunteers is pronounced vah-luhn-TIRZ (/ˌvɑləˈntɪɹz/). Volunteers are people who freely offer to do work or take part in activities without being paid. They typically commit time or effort to a cause, organization, or community project, driven by altruism or interest. The term also refers to the act of offering such service themselves, often in formal programs or campaigns.
Volunteers are people who freely offer to do work or take part in activities without being paid. They typically commit time or effort to a cause, organization, or community project, driven by altruism or interest. The term also refers to the act of offering such service themselves, often in formal programs or campaigns.
- You often misplace the main stress. If you say vol-UN-teers, you haven’t clearly marked the peak syllable. Practice vo-LUN-teers with the stress on the middle syllable. - The middle vowel sequence /ən/ can collapse; keep a light schwa before the /l/ and avoid turning /ən/ into a quick /ən/. - The final /tɪəz/ or /tɪrz/ should have a crisp /t/ release; don’t glide into /ɪəz/ or merge into /rə/.”
"The volunteers helped rebuild the community center after the flood."
"Many volunteers signed up for the charity run to raise funds."
"She volunteered to lead the workshop, despite a busy schedule."
Pronounce as /ˌvɑːlənˈtɪərz/ in UK, /ˌvɒlənˈtɪrz/ in US, with primary stress on the second syllable of the root (vol-un-TEERZ). The sequence begins with v (labiodental fricative), followed by /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in stressed syllable, then /lən/ blended to /lən/. The final syllable is /tɪərz/ or /tɪrz/, with a carbon of /ɹ/ in rhotic accents. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, upper teeth contact lower lip for /v/, mid-back vowel for /ɒ/ or /ɑː/, tongue slightly lowered for /ə/ before /n/, and a tense mid-front vowel for /ɪə/ or /ɪ/. In fast speech, the /t/ can become a flap or alveolar stop, and /ər/ can reduce to /ər/ or /ɚ/ depending on accent.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying vol-UN-teers instead of vo-LUN-teers), mispronouncing the /ɜː/ or /ɪə/ sequence as simple /ɪ/ or /iː/, and omitting the linking /lən/ blend between /vɒl/ and /tɪər/. Correction tips: practice the stressed syllable vo-LUN- with a clear /lən/ link, ensure the /t/ is a crisp stop before the /ɪər/ or /ɪrz/, and emphasize the final /z/ with a light, voiced sibilant. Use a slow tempo, then accelerate while keeping the vowel quality stable.
US often sounds /ˌvɑːlən'tɪərz/ with rhotic /r/ in the final cluster and a stronger /ˈtɪrz/. UK tends to /ˌvɒlənˈtɪəz/ with a clearer /ə/ before the ending and a non-rhotic /r/ that isn’t pronounced. Australian blends similar to UK but with a broader /ɒ/ and sometimes weaker /t/ release. Pay attention to final syllable length and the presence or absence of linking /r/; US usually links more in connected speech.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic stress pattern and the vowel sequences in the middle: the unstressed /ə/ in /ˌvɒlənˈtɪəz/ can blur, and the final /ər/ or /əz/ cluster can reduce or articulate differently across accents. The /tɪəz/ vs /tɪrz/ variation depends on rhoticity and vowel rounding. Mastering the clear mid-back vowel in the stressed syllable and the final plural /z/ is key to natural-sounding speech.
Is the stressed syllable always the second phoneme cluster, or does rapid speech occasionally shift the emphasis to the third syllable in fast delivery? Typically stress remains on the 'teers' syllable in careful speech, but in casual speech you may hear reduced or shifted emphasis. Practicing with controlled tempo helps you keep the primary stress consistent while maintaining natural prosody.
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- US: rhotic accent with /r/ in final syllable, more pronounced /ɚ/ in unstressed coda; practice by saying vo-LUN-tɚz rapidly. - UK: non-rhotic; final /z/ depends on voicing; /tɪəz/ often realized as /tɪəz/ with a clear /z/ at the end; keep /ɒ/ or /ɒl/ clear. - AU: similar to UK, but with slightly broader vowel qualities; tend to reduce /t/ with a softer release; maintain /ˈtɪəz/ with less friction in the vocal tract.
Volunteers derives from the noun volunteer, from Old French voluntier, from Latin voluntarius, meaning ‘of one's free will,’ from voluntas ‘will, wish.’ In the 14th–15th centuries, English adopted volunteer to describe a person who offers services by choice, rather than obligation. The sense evolved to include the act of offering one’s services, not just the person, leading to the verb form volunteer and the plural volunteers. During humanitarian and religious reform movements in the 18th–19th centuries, volunteer work became a formal concept, with organized groups and institutions relying on unpaid labor. The modern usage expands beyond charitable or religious contexts to any person who offers time or effort without pay, often within community, civic, or nonprofit sectors. The word’s root lies in Latin voluntas (will), reinforcing the idea of a voluntary initiation prompted by personal choice rather than external pressure. First known usage in English can be traced to Middle English texts, with attestations in 14th to 15th centuries, evolving through print in the 16th–18th centuries as volunteer and volunteers became common in pamphlets, church résumés, and civic records. The plural form volunteers follows standard English inflection, reflecting multiple individuals acting under the same voluntary impulse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "volunteers" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "volunteers" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "volunteers"
-ers sounds
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