WUR-eez
/ˈwɝiz/
worries is pronounced WUR-eez (/ˈwɝiz/). Worries is the plural noun or verb form derived from worry, meaning apprehensions or concerns that cause anxiety. In plural noun use, it refers to anxious thoughts about potential problems; as a verb, it describes the act of feeling anxious or troubled. The word typically carries a moderate register and common usage in everyday speech, news, and personal conversation.
Worries is the plural noun or verb form derived from worry, meaning apprehensions or concerns that cause anxiety. In plural noun use, it refers to anxious thoughts about potential problems; as a verb, it describes the act of feeling anxious or troubled. The word typically carries a moderate register and common usage in everyday speech, news, and personal conversation.
- Misplacing the stress or treating it as a single-syllable word; ensure primary stress on the first syllable: WOR-ries. - Dropping or softening the final /z/ to /s/ in rapid speech; practice holding the voiced /z/ until the release. - Vowel error in the first syllable (pronouncing /ˈwɪriz/ or /ˈwɔris/); aim for /ˈwɔr/ with a clear, rounded vowel before /r/. - Over-lip rounding or misalignment of the lips and tongue during the /ɔ/ or /ɒ/; keep lips rounded but not tense, and keep the tongue slightly back under the alveolar ridge. - In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ may be weak or not pronounced; practice linking the vowel to a near-rhotic posture to preserve the /r/ sound in careful speech.
"- She has a lot of worries about exams."
"- He worries that he’ll miss the deadline."
"- The recent events have caused many worries among the community."
Break it into two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈwɔr-i z/ in US/UK spelling. The first syllable has a stressed /wɔr/ with an /ɔ/ sound that sits between 'aw' and 'or' in many accents; the second is a light /iz/ (or /ɪz/ before a voiceless consonant). In casual speech you may hear a quick, nearly syllabic /ˈwɒrɪs/ in British English and /ˈwɔriz/ in American English. Think: “WOR-ies,” with a crisp /r/ and a clear /z/ at the end.
Common errors: misplacing stress (pronouncing it as /woR-riz/ with wrong vowel); omitting the /r/ or softening the /z/ to /s/ (pronouncing /ˈwɪriz/). Correct by ensuring the onset has /w/ with a rounded lips gesture and the /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ vowel before /r/, then ending with /ɪz/ or /əz/ depending on pronunciation style. Practice the compound: WOR-ries, not warRies; keep the /r/ rhotic in US/CA or non-rhotic tendencies in UK when applicable, but don’t drop the final /z/ entirely.
In US English, /ˈwɔːriz/ with rhotic /r/ and full vowel in the first syllable; some speakers may reduce to /ˈwɔriz/. UK English tends toward /ˈwɒr.iːz/ or /ˈwɒrɪz/, with a shorter, more clipped second syllable and a non-rhotic or lightly rhotic r depending on speaker. Australian typically merges toward /ˈwɒr.iz/ or /ˈwoːr.iz/ with vowel quality closer to /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ and a clearer /z/. The key is the first syllable vowel quality and rhotic coloring, plus final /z/ voiced. IPA references help keep accuracy across dialects.
Two main challenges: the diphthong in the first syllable and the final voiced consonant. The /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ quality in the stressed syllable can be tricky for learners not used to that vowel; the transition to the /r/ (where present) is subtle and linked with the vowel. Additionally, the final /z/ requires a voiced, precise sibilant without elongation. Exercises focusing on vowel stability before /r/ and crisp /z/ production will help.
No silent letters in standard American, British, or Australian pronunciations. Everyone pronounces the five-letter sequence as two syllables with the /ˈwɔr/ onset and the /iz/ coda. Some rapid speech can give a very short /ɪ/ or reduce the /r/ slightly, but the letters themselves carry sounds in normal speech. Phonetic attention should be on the vowels and final voiced /z/ rather than silent letters.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; the first syllable has a back rounded vowel /ɔː/ or /ɔr/ depending on speaker; keep the tongue high behind the teeth for /r/. The final /z/ is voiced and needs a crisp release. - UK: often non-rhotic; the /r/ may be less pronounced or only lightly sounded before a vowel; ensure you still produce a visible /r/ in careful speech or use a linking approach to maintain natural rhythm. The vowel in the first syllable tends toward /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ depending on accent; the ending /z/ should be voiced and crisp. - AU: vowel quality closer to /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ with less rhotic emphasis in some speakers; maintain a gentle but audible /r/ if aiming for general Australian rhoticity, and deliver the /z/ with proper voicing. IPA references: US /ˈwɔriz/, UK /ˈwɒriz/ or /ˈwɒrɪz/, AU /ˈwɒriz/. - General tip: practice with a mirror to monitor lip rounding on /ɔ/ and jaw position for /r/; record and compare to a reference pronunciation to adjust subtle vowel shifts across accents.
Worries comes from the word worry, which has roots in Old French worieor (apiar/beworry) and, ultimately, the Latin word cura meaning care or concern. The English sense of “to worry” as to harass or torment likely emerged in Middle English, with the noun form “worries” representing pluralized concerns or anxieties. The semantic shift toward internal apprehension rose through usage in 16th–18th centuries as mental states associated with care and burden were described in social and religious discourse. By the 19th century, “worries” often referred to persistent concerns that disrupt daily life, evolving into common modern usage for both mental preoccupations (noun) and the act of feeling anxious (verb). The word thus carries a continuum from concrete concerns (economic worries) to abstract emotional states (existential worries), maintaining a versatile role in both formal and informal registers.
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Words that rhyme with "worries"
-ies sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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