How to pronounce "excuses" in EnglishNoun
ɪkˈskjuːzɪz
ik·SKYOO·ziz
Primary stress: SKYOO
Hear native speakers say excuses in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “excuses”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
ik
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
SKYOO
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
ziz
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("SKYOO"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
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 "excuses" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "excuses is" sounds like "excuses-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "excuses" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“excuses like at least they tried or they had to in the right place. The excuses are greater than New”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“excuses Pence but not Clinton hey CNBC fans thanks for checking out our YouTube channel here”— CNBCWatch clip
“excuses, but I didn't have any excuses.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“excuses in less than 5 minutes I walk away cuz people who give excuses aren't”— CNBCWatch clip
“excuses people started to share with me that they were afraid to be alone with their own thoughts”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“excuses in the nine years that I've been here and I'm not trying to make an excuse now they were there because of me you know but uh in no way shape or form”— CNBCWatch clip
Practice Speaking “excuses”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
excuses like at least they tried or they had to in the right place. The excuses are greater than New
Hear it in context: “excuses”
524 clipsThe English word “excuses” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ɪkˈskjuːzɪz (phonetic respelling: ik-SKYOO-ziz). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (ik · SKYOO · ziz), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (SKYOO). Grammatically, “excuses” functions as a verb, noun and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 524 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “excuses” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks, CNBC.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @4:06
“drain the mana that our names carry. For years we have settled for the excuses like at least they tried or they had to in the right place. The excuses are greater than New the right place. The excuses are greater than New”
- 🇺🇸 USCNBCClip #2 · @0:40
“calling it a sign of her quote unquote bad judgment the bottom line Trump excuses Pence but not Clinton hey CNBC fans thanks for checking out our YouTube channel here Clinton hey CNBC fans thanks for checking out our YouTube channel here”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #3 · @8:20
“understands you. They want me They wanted me to make excuses, but I didn't have any excuses. I just made mistakes. And I learned from my mistakes, and that made mistakes. And I learned from my mistakes, and that”
- 🇺🇸 USCNBCClip #4 · @2:09
“hardcore when I Mentor if you give me three excuses in less than 5 minutes I walk away cuz people who give excuses aren't willing to get things if you really want to do something you'll freaking do”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #5 · @8:30
“noticed as we started to peel back the layers of excuses people started to share with me that they were afraid to be alone with their own thoughts their own thoughts”
Definition & Meaning: “excuses”
- To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.
- To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
- An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
- A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.
Example Sentences (3)
- “I excused him his transgressions.”
- “May I be excused from the table?”
- “excuses like at least they tried or they had to in the right place. The excuses are greater than New”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “excuses”
- Pronunciation:
- ik-SKYOO-ziz
- Syllables:
- ik · SKYOO · ziz
- Written Hyphenation:
- ex · cu · ses
- Primary stress:
- SKYOO
- IPA:
- ɪkˈskjuːzɪz
- Hear it in context
- excuses
Synonyms: “excuses”
Hear words related in meaning to “excuses” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “excuses”
-uzɪzWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"excuses" (⁄ɪkˈskjuːzɪz⁄) 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, "excuses" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about excuses
How do you pronounce “excuses”?
“excuses” is pronounced ⁄ɪkˈskjuːzɪz⁄ (ik-SKYOO-ziz). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “excuses”?
“excuses” has 3 syllables: ik · SKYOO · ziz.
Where is the stress in “excuses”?
The primary stress in “excuses” is on “SKYOO”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “excuses” mean?
To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.
How can I hear “excuses” used in real sentences?
This page has 524 real-world video examples of “excuses” 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 “excuses”?
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⁄).