widths
/wɪdθs/
widths is pronounced widths (/wɪdθs/). Widths refers to the plural form of width, indicating the measurement across something from side to side. It can also describe a range or variety of widths in a collection. The term is used in technical, architectural, and design contexts and is pronounced with a single syllable for the unit-like meaning and with emphasis on the first consonant cluster in most English varieties.
Widths refers to the plural form of width, indicating the measurement across something from side to side. It can also describe a range or variety of widths in a collection. The term is used in technical, architectural, and design contexts and is pronounced with a single syllable for the unit-like meaning and with emphasis on the first consonant cluster in most English varieties.
"The table comes in several widths to fit different spaces."
"Check the widths of the boards before cutting them to size."
"The corridor walls vary in widths, influencing the placement of furniture."
Pronounce it as /wɪdz/ in US and UK. Start with a voiced /w/ lip rounding, then the short lax /ɪ/ as in kit, and finish with /dz/, a voiced alveolar affricate produced by quickly releasing /d/ into /z/. Stress is on the syllable onset (one syllable total). For Australian speakers, the ending can be a slightly softer /dz/ with a quick, light release; still, /wɪdz/ is standard. You can reference audio samples on pronunciation resources for confirmation.
Common errors include saying /wɪt/ or /wɪds/—losing the /d/ element, or replacing /dz/ with /z/ or /s/. Another mistake is delaying the /d/ into a separate syllable, producing /ˈwɪd z/ or /wɜːdz/. To correct, ensure final /d/ is released directly into /z/ without a voiceless stop separation. Practice delicate tongue-tip contact for /d/ and immediate voicing for /z/. Listening to native audio helps you align the release timing.
In US and UK, /wɪdz/ with a fast, compact final /dz/ is standard. Some UK speakers may realize the /d/ as a darker or slightly aspirated release, while American speakers often have a crisper /dz/. Australian pronunciation /ˈwɪdz/ tends to be close to US/UK but may feature subtler vowel reduction in rapid speech and a slightly softer final affricate, keeping the same IPA. Across all three, you should not substitute /t/ or /s/ in place of /dz/.
The difficulty comes from the final voiced alveolar affricate /dz/, which requires a precise, quick release of /d/ into /z/ without a prolonged stop or a fricative-only ending. The /ɪ/ vowel is short and lax, so you must keep it compact before the fast /dz/ release. Also, the plural 'widths' ends with a consonant cluster that can invite flapping or mis-timing in fast speech. Clear, controlled tongue-tip contact and practiced pacing prevent slurring or mispronunciation.
The word ends with an affricate cluster /dz/ that is not present in many common plurals; it makes the final release the key feature. Practicing the exact tongue tip position for /d/ followed by immediate voicing into /z/ trains cadence and prevents an extra vowel or lag. This is a defining cue: if you can land the /d/ and immediately merge into /z/, your pronunciation will feel precise and natural.
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Width is from Old English wide, meaning ‘having great extent from side to side’. The noun width emerged in Middle English with the sense of breadth or measure of how wide something is. The modern plural widths follows standard English pluralization by adding -s to nouns ending with a consonant sound after a short vowel. The semantic extension into design and architecture contexts occurred as people described varying cross-sectional dimensions. The word has cognates in several Germanic languages, reflecting a common Proto-Germanic root related to ‘wide’ and ‘spread’. The first known usage appears in medieval texts describing fabric widths and structural measurements, evolving through early modern engineering and architectural manuals to common usage in technical specifications. In general, width retains its literal geographic sense—across, broadness—and extends metaphorically to ranges and categories in catalogs and inventories. The plural form widths likely solidified in the 17th–18th centuries as standardized measurement terminology expanded with commerce and construction. Overall, width has remained a stable, concrete noun in both everyday and technical discourse, with the plural used whenever multiple measurements are discussed.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "widths" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "widths"
-eds sounds
-ads sounds
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