Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings
Vowels
| iː | see | ɪ | sit | e / ɛ | bed | æ | cat |
| ɑː | father | ɒ | hot (UK) | ɔː | law | ʊ | put |
| uː | too | ʌ | cup | ɜː | bird | ə | about |
| eɪ | day | aɪ | my | ɔɪ | boy | aʊ | now |
| əʊ / oʊ | go (UK / US) | ɪə | near | eə | hair | ʊə | tour |
Consonants that look unusual
| θ | thin | ð | this | ʃ | she | ʒ | measure |
| tʃ | church | dʒ | judge | ŋ | sing | j | yes |
p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.
Marks
- ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
- ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)
Common word endings
- -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
- -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
- -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
- Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
- Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.
English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences
Results for “polis”
- polish noun, verb, adjectiveA substance used to polish.
- polished adjectiveMade smooth or shiny by polishing.
- polisher nounA person who makes something smooth or shiny.
- polistes nouna genus of Vespidae
- polish up verb(literally) To polish something to make it shiny.
- polishing noun, adjective(usually in the plural) An extract of partially milled rice.
- polish off verb(idiomatic) To finish completely, especially a food (polish the plate with one's tongue) or liquor.
- polished rice nounRice with the husk or outer brown layers removed; white rice.
- Polish notation noun(arithmetic, logic) A notation for arithmetic (and logical) formulae in which operations (respectively, quantifiers and operands) are writt…
- Neapolis proper noun(historical) Former name of Naples: a port city in southwestern Italy.
- acropolis noun, proper nounA promontory (usually fortified with a citadel) forming the hub of many Grecian cities, and around which many were built for defensive purp…
- Annapolis proper nounThe capital city of Maryland, United States and the county seat of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
- Decapolis proper nounA group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire located in modern-day Israel, Jordan and Syria.
- Nicopolis proper noun(historical) Former name of Preveza: a city in northwestern Greece; the former capital of Epirus Vetus, in the Roman Empire.
- Amphipolis proper nounA municipality in Central Macedonia, northern Greece.
- Hierapolis proper nounA proper name in the King James New Testament (at COL 4:13).
- metropolis noun, proper noun(history, especially Ancient Greece) The mother (founding) polis (city state) of a colony.
- monopolise verbAlternative spelling of monopolize.
- monopolist nounOne who has, or attempts to acquire, a monopoly on something.
- necropolis noun(chiefly historical, also figuratively) A cemetery; especially a large one in or near a city.
- Persepolis proper noun(historical) The ceremonial capital city of Achaemenid Persia; its ruins in the present day.
- unpolished adjectiveNot polished; not brought to a polish.
- megalopolis nounA large conurbation, where two or more large cities have sprawled outward to meet, forming something larger than a normal metropolis.
- Minneapolis proper nounThe largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County.
- monopoliser nounAlternative form of monopolizer.
- nail polish nounA cosmetic lacquer applied to the fingernails or toenails.
- shoe polish nounA product rubbed onto shoes to make them shine.
- Adrianopolis proper nounAlternative form of Adrianople.
- bibliopolist nounbibliopole
- Indianapolis proper nounThe capital city of Indiana, United States and the county seat of Marion County, with which the city is consolidated.
- monopolistic adjectiveActing in the manner of a monopoly.
- French polish noun, verbA type of varnish, consisting of shellac dissolved in methylated spirits, used to polish wood.
- Philippopolis proper nounA city of Thrace, now Plovdiv; historical capital of the Roman province of Thracia.
- apple polisher noun(idiomatic, informal) A sycophant; a toady.
- monopolisation nounAlternative spelling of monopolization.
- spit and polish noun(informal) The application of (possibly rough and ready) cleaning techniques.
- reverse Polish notation noun(arithmetic) An arithmetic notation in which numbers precede the operators to be applied to them.