How to pronounce "backspaces" in English
bac·kspa·ces
Hear native speakers say backspaces in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “backspaces”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
bac
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
kspa
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
ces
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "backspaces" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "backspaces is" sounds like "backspaces-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "backspaces" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“presses so far and more than 300 of them are backspaces”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“and like the the for most normal keyboards the Backspaces under the pinky”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “backspaces”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
presses so far and more than 300 of them are backspaces
Hear it in context: “backspaces”
2 clipsThe English word “backspaces”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (bac · kspa · ces). Grammatically, “backspaces” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 2 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “backspaces” in natural connected speech across American (US: 2 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (2 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @3:59
“if you wear a fitness tracker today i have entered more than 4 300 key presses so far and more than 300 of them are backspaces but how do we as researchers analyze all this data to give you an intuitive”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @36:19
“keyboard you have to stretch your pinky out and like the the for most normal keyboards the Backspaces under the pinky and so I don't know if people realize the pain they go through in their life”
Definition & Meaning: “backspaces”
- The key on a typewriter that moves the head one position backwards.
- A keyboard key used for removing a character behind the cursor, and moving the cursor one position backwards.
- To remove a character behind a cursor.
- To move a magnetic tape to a previous block.
Example Sentences (3)
- “So once you hit 'E', just backspace.”
- “presses so far and more than 300 of them are backspaces”
- “and like the the for most normal keyboards the Backspaces under the pinky”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “backspaces”
- Syllables:
- bac · kspa · ces
- Hear it in context
- backspaces
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"backspaces" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "backspaces" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about backspaces
How many syllables are in “backspaces”?
“backspaces” has 3 syllables: bac · kspa · ces.
What does “backspaces” mean?
The key on a typewriter that moves the head one position backwards.
How can I hear “backspaces” used in real sentences?
This page has 2 real-world video examples of “backspaces” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “backspaces”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).