WAW-ruhn-teez
/ˈwɔɹəntiz/
warranties is pronounced WAW-ruhn-teez (/ˈwɔɹəntiz/). Warranties are promises by a seller or manufacturer to repair or replace a product if it fails within a specified period. The plural form, warranties, refers to multiple such promises. In everyday use, warranties convey legal assurances and consumer rights, often accompanying sales agreements or product documentation.
Warranties are promises by a seller or manufacturer to repair or replace a product if it fails within a specified period. The plural form, warranties, refers to multiple such promises. In everyday use, warranties convey legal assurances and consumer rights, often accompanying sales agreements or product documentation.
- Difficulty: dividing into three distinct syllables WAR-ən-ties; many speakers blend to WAR-ən-tiz or WAR-ən-TEEZ. Correction: enforce syllable separation: WAR-ən-tiz, keep the schwa compact and the /t/ released before the /iz/. - Common slip: mispronouncing the first vowel as a short /æ/ (as in cat) instead of /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ depending on accent. Correction: hold the back-of-the-mouth vowel longer, use /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ in non-rhotic accents, and avoid fronted /æ/. - Final cluster confusion: often the final /z/ is devoiced or ambiguous. Correction: ensure a voiced /z/ with slight vibration and avoid a hissy /s/. Practice with tactile cues: place your finger at your throat to feel voiced vibration on the final consonant.
"The store offers two-year warranties on all electronic devices."
"He read the warranties carefully before signing the contract."
"Some warranties require you to register the product to activate coverage."
Pronounce as /ˈwɒr.ən.tiz/ in US and UK; in Australian English it is /ˈwɔː.ən.tiz/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: WAR-ran-ties. Ensure the middle syllable is weak but not elided: keep a short, schwa-like /ə/ or reduced /ən/ before the final /tiz/. Tip: practice by saying ‘war-uhn-tee’ quickly, then add the final /z/ sound.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying waR-RAN-ties or war-RAN-ties, which sounds off; (2) Slurring the /t/ into the following /i/ or making the final /z/ too voiced or devoiced. correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable /ˈwɒr/ or /ˈwɔː/ depending on accent, insert a clear /ən/ in the second syllable, and pronounce /tiz/ with a crisp boundary between /t/ and /i/ and final /z/. Practice minimal pairs to anchor the rhythm: warrant-ies, warrant-y?
In American English you’ll hear /ˈwɔːr.ən.tiz/ with rhotic /r/ and a flat /ɔ/ in the first syllable; UK English often uses /ˈwɒr.ən.tiz/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a shorter vowel before /n/. Australian tends to be /ˈwɔː.ən.tiz/ with broad /ɔː/ and a more drawn-out final vowel; some speakers link the first two syllables slightly, producing a lighter /ə/ in the middle. Focus on rhoticity and vowel quality differences across regions.
The difficulty lies in the cluster of three syllables with a soft middle /ən/ and a final voiced /z/ after a stopping /t/. Positioning the tongue for /w/ and the subsequent /ɒ/ or /ɒː/ varies; the /r/ in rhotic accents is tricky for non-native speakers, and the /t/ before /iz/ can create a slight alveolar stop, causing a rushed transition. Pause briefly after the first syllable and ensure the /t/ is released before the final /iz/ for clarity.
Note that the word ends with a plural suffix -ies pronounced /iz/. The preceding /t/ is a voiced alveolar stop: avoid turning it into /s/ or merging it with /i/. Also the middle syllable uses a reduced vowel /ə/ or schwa; avoid over-pronouncing it, which can flatten rhythm. Emphasize: WAR-ən-tiz, with a clear boundary between /ən/ and /tiz/ for easy articulation.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; keep /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ consistent and ensure a strong /r/ before the schwa. - UK: non-rhotic; /r/ is often silent except before vowels; the /ɔː/ is rounded and longer. Pay attention to a non-rhotic environment, letting /r/ disappear in coda position. - AU: generally rhotic but with vowel shifts; /ɔː/ remains broad; watch for a wider mouth opening and longer nucleus. IPA references: US /ˈwɔːr.ən.tiz/, UK /ˈwɒr.ən.tiz/, AU /ˈwɔː.ən.tiz/.
Warranty comes from Old French warrantie, from garanter (to guarantee) from garanter (to guarantee, secure) from Frankish *warjanōną, related to ward or guard. The sense evolved in Middle English to denote a legally binding promise or security. In the 14th–15th centuries, warranty referred to a guarantee or surety underpinning merchant contracts and feudal obligations. By the 18th–19th centuries, it expanded to consumer product guarantees in commerce, particularly in the era of mass manufacturing and retailer liability. The modern plural warranties emerged as businesses offered multiple coverages or promised protections for various products, while legal language standardized the term across jurisdictions. First known uses appear in medieval trade charters and legal glosses, with the general sense of a warranty or warranty deed appearing in English law texts by the 1400s. Over time, warranties became a common feature in consumer protection, evolving from a purely legal pledge to include consumer-friendly terms and specific coverage periods. Today, warranties are central to sales disclosures, consumer rights, and product support ecosystems.
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Words that rhyme with "warranties"
-ies sounds
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