WIN-urz
/ˈwɪnɚz/
winners is pronounced WIN-urz (/ˈwɪnɚz/). Winners is the plural noun for someone who wins or has achieved victory, often used to refer to people who have triumphed in a competition or contest. It can also function attributively as in “winners circle.” The term emphasizes success and favorable outcomes, typically in competitive or evaluative contexts. It shares the -ers suffix pattern that marks agents or participants in an action, here the action being winning.
Winners is the plural noun for someone who wins or has achieved victory, often used to refer to people who have triumphed in a competition or contest. It can also function attributively as in “winners circle.” The term emphasizes success and favorable outcomes, typically in competitive or evaluative contexts. It shares the -ers suffix pattern that marks agents or participants in an action, here the action being winning.
"The winners of the race will receive medals and prize money."
"In the winners circle, the team celebrated their hard-earned victory."
"She was one of the winners in the talent show last night."
Winners is pronounced with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈwɪ.nərz/. The vowels are short and clipped: /ɪ/ as in “kit” for the first vowel, and /ə/ (schwa) or a reduced /ər/ in the second syllable in non-rhotic accents. The final /z/ is voiced. In careful speech you might hear the /ər/ as /ər/ or /ɚ/ in rhotic accents. Keep the tongue high for /w/ off-glide, then relax to a mid-central schwa for /nər/ before final /z/.
Common errors include: 1) Dropping the final /z/ and ending with /r/ or /z/ as a voiceless s, e.g., saying ‘winner’ or ‘winnar’ with no /z/. 2) Reducing or misplacing the /ɪ/ vowel, sounding like /ˈwɪnəz/ with a weak first syllable. 3) Slurring /ɹ/ into a vowel, producing /ˈwɪnərz/ but with American American English non-rhoticity causing /r/ color variation. Correction: articulate the first /ɪ/ clearly, keep the /n/ crisp, ensure the second syllable carries a clear schwa before the final /z/, and maintain final voiced /z/.
In US English, /ˈwɪnərz/ with a clear /ɹ/ in the second syllable and a voiced /z/ final. In UK English, /ˈwɪnəz/ or /ˈwɪnəz/ with a softer rhoticity, often a schwa in the second syllable and a lightly pronounced /z/. In Australian English, /ˈwɪnəz/ with a perhaps broader vowel in the first syllable and a rolled or more vowel-like /ɜ/ depending on speaker, but generally /ˈwɪnəz/ with non-rhoticity and a clear final /z/. Note linking patterns: in rapid speech, /ər/ may connect to the next word.
The challenge lies in the short initial /ɪ/ vowel and the rapid shift to a reduced second syllable /nər/ before the final voiced /z/. Non-native speakers often mispronounce the middle /n/ and misplace lip rounding for /w/. Tension-free jaw position is needed to avoid over-articulation on the /ɪ/ and to ensure the /z/ is clearly voiced. Mastery requires practicing the transition from a tense /ɪ/ to a relaxed, schwa-like /ə/ in /nər/ while maintaining voicing on /z/.
A unique aspect is maintaining the light, unstressed second syllable /nər/ alongside a robust initial /ɪ/ and the voice-on-final /z/. You’ll often hear American speakers blend /nər/ quickly into /z/ as /ˈwɪnɚz/, whereas careful speech retains a clearer schwa in the second syllable before the final /z/. Focus on keeping the first syllable tense enough to differentiate from “winner” and ensuring the final /z/ is not devoiced in rapid speech.
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US: rhotic, /ɹ/ pronounced with tongue tip approximating the alveolar ridge. First syllable /ˈwɪ/ with crisp /ɪ/, second syllable /nər/ with schwa-like vowel, final /z/ voiced. UK: non-rhotic, /ˈwɪnəz/ or /ˈwɪnəz/, less pronounced /r/, final /z/ remains voiced; slight vowel reduction in second syllable. AU: non-rhotic or weak rhotic depending on speaker; similar to UK, with potentially broader vowel in /ɪ/ and a prominent /z/ at the end. IPA references: US /ˈwɪ.nərz/, UK /ˈwɪ.nəz/, AU /ˈwɪ.nəz/.
Winners derives from win + -er + -s, forming a plural noun that denotes people who win. The root win dates to Old English winian, with related forms in Proto-Germanic *wini- and the noun associated with victory or achievement. The suffix -er is a productive agentive marker in English, turning verbs into agents (one who performs the action). The plural -s marks multiple winners. Historically, the word has carried the sense of people who have achieved victory in various domains, from athletic competition to contests and elections. The term appears in Middle English but becomes widespread in modern usage as organized competition and awards expanded, and the phrase “the winners” became a common label for those who achieved top honors in a given event. First known use in its plural sense aligns with competitive contexts in the 17th-18th centuries as formalized prize structures emerged. Over time, “winners” broadened to include anyone who claims victory, success, or advantage in a given field, and it now frequently appears in media, sports, business awards, and general conversation as a straightforward, positive descriptor of achievement.
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Words that rhyme with "winners"
-ers sounds
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