WAK-siz
/ˈwæksɪz/
waxes is pronounced WAK-siz (/ˈwæksɪz/). Waxes is the third-person singular present tense of wax, meaning to grows or increases, and more broadly the plural noun form referring to substances like candle wax. In verb use, it’s often paired with wane (as in 'wax and wane'), and in noun form it can denote multiple waxes or a category of waxy substances. The word is monosyllabic in standard stress and commonly used in formal and informal contexts.
Waxes is the third-person singular present tense of wax, meaning to grows or increases, and more broadly the plural noun form referring to substances like candle wax. In verb use, it’s often paired with wane (as in 'wax and wane'), and in noun form it can denote multiple waxes or a category of waxy substances. The word is monosyllabic in standard stress and commonly used in formal and informal contexts.
"The moon waxes as it becomes more illuminated each night."
"Industrial processes waxes the surface of the metal to prevent corrosion."
"She waxes poetic when recounting her travels."
Phonetically, waxes is /ˈwæksɪz/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable, which is one concise open front vowel /æ/ as in 'cat'. The cluster starts with /w/ followed by /æ/ then /ks/ and ends with a voiced /z/. In rapid speech you may hear a subtle /ɪ/ before the final /z/, producing /ˈwæksɪz/. Tip: keep the jaw open for /æ/, then snap the /ks/ sharply before voicing the final /z/. If you say ‘wax’ quickly, just add a light /ɪ/ before the /z/ in connected speech: /ˈwæksɪz/.
Common mistakes: 1) Targeting a long /eɪ/ vowel as in ‘waxes’ with /weɪksɪz/, which shifts meaning. 2) Dropping the final /z/ or making it a /s/ sound; keep the voiced /z/. 3) Slurring /æ/ into /e/ or /ɪ/ in fast speech; maintain a clear /æ/ to distinguish from ‘waxes’ as a noun? Correction: practice with /ˈwæksɪz/ in isolation, then add final consonant voice by vibrating the vocal cords. Use minimal pairs: waxes vs wacks (nonword), wax vs wacks to feel the contrast. Always end with a voiced alveolar sibilant /z/ for the present-tense verb form.
US/UK/AU share /ˈwæksɪz/, but rhoticity affects surrounding sounds in connected phrases. In US, you’ll hear a clearer /ɹ/ in surrounding words, and the /æ/ is slightly more tense. UK tones may show a crisper /ɪ/ in some speakers and a less prominent /ɹ/ because non-rhotic contexts; AU often mirrors UK but with flatter vowel qualities and softer r-coloring. The key shared trait is initial /w/ and the /æ/ vowel, followed by /ks/ and final /z/. In rapid speech, the middle vowel can reduce to /ɪ/ or even a schwa in some varieties: /ˈwɪksɪz/.
Because it packs a short, tense vowel (/æ/) between a consonant cluster /wæks/ and a voiced alveolar fricative /z/. The transition from /k/ to /z/ requires precise voicing; many speakers slip into /s/ or drop the final consonant entirely in quick speech. Also, the /ks/ blend is tricky when you’re moving quickly because it blends two consonants into a single consonant cluster. Practice by isolating the /æ/ with a strong /k/ release, then add the /z/ with voicing at the end. Emphasize clean tongue placement for /æ/ and a sharp /k/ release to prevent wobbling.
The word is a compact present-tense verb with a tight onset /w/ and a short, tense /æ/ vowel, followed by a /ks/ cluster and a final /z/. Its uniqueness lies in the crisp /ks/ blend and the voiced endpoint, which can be deceptively easy to mispronounce as /waks/ or /wexiz/ in rapid speech. The final /z/ requires vocal cord vibration, and careful timing ensures the /ks/ cluster cleanly precedes the voiced /z/. Focus on maintaining a short, bright vowel and a clear /k/–/s/ linkage before voicing the final /z/.
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Waxes comes from Old English wæksian, related to wax. The noun wax traces back to Proto-Germanic waksan, from PIE root *hweg- meaning to grow or increase, aligning with the verb form. Historically, waxes appeared in two main senses: as a noun describing the material (ceramic wax, beeswax) and as a verb meaning to increase in size or intensity. In early Middle English, the verb usage was common in poetry and astronomy (as the moon waxes toward fullness). Over time, the spelling solidified around modern English with the -es suffix for third-person singular in present tense. The nuance between ‘wax’ as a noun and ‘waxes’ as a verb developed in parallel with English word formation, but both retain the core sense of growth or accumulation in quantity, intensity, or size. Modern usage doubles as a phrasal partner—wax and wane—signaling cyclical growth and decline in diverse domains from astronomy to finance. First known uses can be traced in late Old English legal and poetic texts, with more explicit references appearing in 14th- to 16th-century prose literature as the verb form became standardized.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "waxes" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "waxes"
-xes sounds
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