VOH-turz
/ˈvoʊtɚz/
voters is pronounced VOH-turz (/ˈvoʊtɚz/). Voters refers to people who are eligible and have cast or intend to cast a vote in an election. It denotes a group defined by participation in the electoral process, rather than by specific demographics. The term is common in political discourse and media coverage of elections, campaigns, and civic engagement.
Voters refers to people who are eligible and have cast or intend to cast a vote in an election. It denotes a group defined by participation in the electoral process, rather than by specific demographics. The term is common in political discourse and media coverage of elections, campaigns, and civic engagement.
"The voters will decide the outcome of the referendum."
"Campaign volunteers spent the day talking to voters in swing districts."
"Voters lined up early to beat the long lines at the polling place."
Pronounce as /ˈvoʊtərz/ in most dialects. Start with the long O in 'go' for /oʊ/, then a soft schwa for /ə/ before the final voiced /z/ if enunciated; in American English the final z is often voiced as /z/ and the 'r' is rhotic. IPA: US /ˈvoʊtərz/, UK /ˈvəʊtəz/ or /ˈvɒtəz/ in some accents, AU /ˈvoːtəz/ or /ˈvoːtəz/ depending on vowel merging. Focus on clear separation: VOTE -rz, but the vowel in -er often reduces. Audio reference: imagine saying “vote” then quickly adding a soft -r and z.
Two common errors are: 1) pronouncing the first syllable with a short, lax vowel as in 'vot' instead of the correct /ˈvoʊ/ in many dialects; 2) failing to voice the final -z, using a sibilant /s/ or devoicing the /z/. Correction: use a clear /oʊ/ diphthong in the first syllable and keep the final consonant voiced /z/. A frequent US misstep is merging the /t/ and /r/ into a flap; avoid that by keeping /t/ clearly released before the schwa or /tər/ sequence.
US speakers typically produce /ˈvoʊtərz/ with rhotic /r/ and a full /oʊ/ vowel; UK speakers may say /ˈvəʊtəz/ or /ˈvɒtəz/, with a non-rhotic /r/ and a shorter first vowel; Australian speakers often blend toward /ˈvoːtəz/ with a broader /ɔː/ or /oː/ depending on region. The main differences are rhoticity (US rhotic vs UK non-rhotic) and vowel quality of the first syllable (long /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/ or /ɒ/).
The challenge lies in the rapid sequence of a vowel-consonant cluster and the final voiced s (/z/) after a t-/tʰ/ boundary. The /t/ release, followed by the liquid-like r in rhotic accents, can blur; several speakers also reduce the /tər/ to a quick schwa + r, which mutates to /tər/ or /təɹ/ depending on dialect. Mastery requires accurate vowel gesture, a crisp /t/ release, and maintaining voicing for /z/.
The primary stress falls on the first syllable: VOT-ers, with a secondary rhythm on the second syllable that is lighter. In connected speech you may hear a slightly reduced second syllable, but avoid turning it into a full weak syllable; keep the /ər/ as a light schwa or reduced vowel before adding the /z/. The stress undermines any heavy pause after the first syllable.
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Voters comes from the noun vote, formed in Middle English from the Old French vot (from Latin votum) meaning ‘a vow or wish’ and related to the act of choosing or electing. The agentive suffix -er, indicating a person who performs an action, gives us voter, ‘one who votes.’ In English, voter as a noun to describe a person who votes dates from the 16th–17th centuries, with usage broadening in political writing in the 19th and 20th centuries as mass suffrage expanded. The term migrates through modern political discourse as universal suffrage and electoral participation became central to democratic societies, stabilizing as a standard label for participants in elections. It is closely associated with “elector,” a more formal or British variant, and “voting public,” a broader phrase. Today, voter is almost exclusively used to refer to individuals with voting rights, and its plural form voters consistently collocates with terms like turnout, turnout among voters, swing voters, and likely voters in polling contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "voters"
-ors sounds
-ers sounds
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