/jildz/
yields is pronounced /jildz/. Yields is the third-person singular or plural present tense of yield, meaning to produce or give way, or a financial return. In syntax, it can indicate compulsion or concession in clauses, and in economics it denotes output or returns. The term can function as a noun meaning a crop yield or harvest amount, or as a verb in phrases like a policy yields positive outcomes.
Say it backYields is the third-person singular or plural present tense of yield, meaning to produce or give way, or a financial return. In syntax, it can indicate compulsion or concession in clauses, and in economics it denotes output or returns. The term can function as a noun meaning a crop yield or harvest amount, or as a verb in phrases like a policy yields positive outcomes.
- Common phonetic challenges: the long /iː/ before /ldz/ and the /ld/ cluster sequencing. - Correction tips: practice slow, exaggerated /iː/ to anchor the vowel, then slowly add /l/ and /d/ before the /z/. - Use minimal pairs: yield vs yelld? not a real pair; instead compare with 'ield' words like field vs yield. - Record yourself to check if the /z/ is voiced; ensure the vocal folds vibrate for the final consonant.
"The field yields a rich harvest after a summer of abundant rain."
"Investors are watching whether the bonds yields will rise in the next quarter."
"Traffic signs say that the right lane yields to oncoming traffic at the intersection."
Pronounce as /jiːldz/ (US/UK/AU). It starts with a long E vowel /iː/ as in 'see', followed by the consonant cluster /ldz/. The final /z/ voice is tied to the voiced alveolar fricative /z/, so the ending sounds like a soft 'lz' blend rather than a hard 's'. The S in 'yields' is voiced because of the preceding /d/. Keep the tongue at the alveolar ridge for the /l/ and /d/, then release into /z/. Stress is on the single syllable 'yields' as a monosyllable word in most contexts.
Two common errors: (1) Mispronouncing the long /iː/ as a short /ɪ/ or /i/ as in 'yields' becomes /jɪldz/; practice by prolonging the vowel slightly. (2) Failing the /ldz/ cluster by softening the /d/ or turning into a simple /z/; ensure the /l/ and /d/ are clearly articulated before the final /z/. To fix, practice holding the /iː/ for two beats, then practice /ld/ together before adding /z/.
Across US/UK/AU, the primary difference is vowel quality in the /iː/; US and UK typically keep a long /iː/. Australians often have a slightly quicker transition from /iː/ to /ldz/ and may have a less retracted /l/ in some dialects. The rhoticity of US accents affects any following schwa contexts, but for yields specifically the main difference is vowel duration and the subtle vowel height. In all, the ending /ldz/ remains consistent as a voiced alveolar stop followed by a voiced sibilant.
The challenge lies in the /iː/ vowel before the /ld/ cluster and the transition into the /z/ final. The sequence /iːld/ requires precise tongue positioning: high front vowel, then a smooth glide into an alveolar liquid /l/ and a dental/alveolar /d/, then a voiced /z/. The coalescence of /ld/ with /z/ creates a trailing voiced consonant cluster that many speakers truncate or devoice. Focus on the coda cluster timing and avoid breaking the /ld/ into separate stops.
The word presents a rare consonant cluster /ldz/ with a voiced final /z/ after the /d/. Some dialects subtly vocalize the /l/ and /d/ as a light touch before the final /z/, while others keep a crisp alveolar release. Additionally, when used in phrases like 'yields to', the rhythm can shift: the final /z/ may become less prominent in rapid speech as the following word begins with a vowel, leading to a slight reduce on the /z/.
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- US: keep rhotics active; final /z/ is clearly voiced; typical American vowels are tenser. - UK: maintain non-rhotic slight smoothing; /iː/ remains long; the /l/ is light or dark depending on speaker; final /z/ has crisp voicing. - AU: often a more centralized vowel onset; /iː/ is tense but may have more centralized quality; keep the /ld/ sequence precise. - IPA references help: /jiːldz/ across all variants; focus on matching the vocal fold vibration for /z/ and the alveolar contact for /d/.
The verb yield comes from Old English gyldan, related to Old Saxon gieldan and Old High German gilten, meaning to pay or give. Its semantic development moved from tangible giving or paying (a surrender) to more general meanings like to produce, to yield results, or to yield in competition. The noun yield derives from the past participial sense of yielding a crop or fruit, evolving conventionally into economic and statistical senses (yield on investment, crop yield, yield rate). The earliest English attestations appear in medieval texts in the sense of giving way or producing an amount. Over time, yield broadened to include the act of surrendering in law and the mathematical sense of the amount produced by a process, such as a yield curve in economics, or agricultural yield. By the 18th–19th centuries, yield had become a standard term in agriculture, finance, and engineering, retaining its core idea of producing or offering a return or output. In modern usage, yield spans multiple domains with a common thread: something produced or allowed as a result of a cause or process.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "yields" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "yields"
-lds sounds
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