Pronunciation

How to pronounce “words

“words” is pronounced /wɝdz/ (WURDZ) in American English and /wɜːdz/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “words” in one beat

Say it like this

words

/wɝdz/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /wɜːdz/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. wordswɝdz
IPA (American)
/wɝdz/
IPA (British)
/wɜːdz/
Respelling
WURDZ
Syllables
1 — words
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /wɝdz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/wɝdz/

British

/wɜːdz/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “words” means

  1. noun

    the words that are spoken

    I listened to his words very closely

  2. noun

    the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number

    his compositions always started with the lyrics

  3. noun

    language that is spoken or written

    he has a gift for words

Say it in a sentence

She chose her words carefully during the interview.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

words”, answered

How do you pronounce “words”?

“words” is pronounced /wɝdz/ (WURDZ) in American English and /wɜːdz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /wɝdz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “words” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /wɝdz/ — a single beat.

Is “words” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /wɝdz/ (WURDZ); British English says /wɜːdz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “words” mean?

As a noun: the words that are spoken For example: “I listened to his words very closely” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “words”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /wɝdz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “words” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.