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How to pronounce "imasu" in English

imasu is pronounced with standard English phonetics. Hear authentic native speakers pronounce it in 22 clips with synchronized subtitles and timestamps below.

i·ma·su

Accent:
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Hear native speakers say imasu in context across real video clips

1/22
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Syllablesi · ma · su
Hear it in contextUS
26:10

Tatoeba, kanojou no yasashisa ni kandou shita. Sorekara, kansha suru, kore wa to appreciate, to be thankful nandesu ga, ee tatoeba, nihongo no sensei ni kanshashite imasu. no sensei ni kanshashite imasu.

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Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “imasu”

Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence

Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution

Syllable 1Unstressed

i

Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.

Syllable 2Unstressed

ma

Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.

Syllable 3Unstressed

su

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

⚠️ Unstressed Syllable Vowel Reduction (Schwa ⁄ə⁄)

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

🔗 Consonant-Vowel Linking (Liaison)

When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.

⏱️ Stress-Timed Rhythm

Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "imasu" aligns naturally with adjacent words.

Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context

Verified Transcripts
“Sorekara, kansha suru, kore wa to appreciate, to be thankful nandesu ga, ee tatoeba, nihongo no sensei ni kanshashite imasu.”
— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“ōkimi imasu." Uh once you go to heaven, you may do as you please. Here on Earth,”
— StanfordWatch clip
“Sorekara, nani nani ga arawareru, kore wa intransitive nan desu keredomo, ma kanjou ga yoku arawarete imasu.”
— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Tokidoki hito ni yotte wa kore wo kinou to tokubetsu ni yomu hito mo imasu.”
— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Soshite, United States to iu amerika gasshuukoku to iu kuni no namae ni natte imasu.”
— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“Ee, tatoeba, ano gakusei no majimesa ni wa, majimesa ni wa kanshin shite imasu.”
— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
Syllable Division for “imasu”Rhymes for “imasu”
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Practice Speaking “imasu”

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Sorekara, kansha suru, kore wa to appreciate, to be thankful nandesu ga, ee tatoeba, nihongo no sensei ni kanshashite imasu.

Hear it in context: “imasu”

22 clips

The English word “imasu”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (i · ma · su). SayItVid indexes 22 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “imasu” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from MIT OpenCourseWare, Stanford.

Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)

  • 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWare
    Clip #1 · @26:10
    “Tatoeba, kanojou no yasashisa ni kandou shita. Sorekara, kansha suru, kore wa to appreciate, to be thankful nandesu ga, ee tatoeba, nihongo no sensei ni kanshashite imasu. no sensei ni kanshashite imasu.”
  • 🇺🇸 USStanford
    Clip #2 · @36:41
    “uh phrases, uh "Ame e yukaba nagamani mani chinならば ōkimi imasu." Uh once you go to heaven, you may do as you please. Here on Earth, the emperor reigns. This is completely different from the ritual uh”
  • 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWare
    Clip #3 · @16:21
    “kimochi wo arawa shita hou ga ii desu. Sorekara, nani nani ga arawareru, kore wa intransitive nan desu keredomo, ma kanjou ga yoku arawarete imasu. ga yoku arawarete imasu.”
  • 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWare
    Clip #4 · @17:32
    “Sorekara kore kinou no hi to iu no de, sakujitsu. Tokidoki hito ni yotte wa kore wo kinou to tokubetsu ni yomu hito mo imasu. Sorekara kore desukeredo mo, issaku jitsu, koremo desu ne, ano hito ni yotte, kore wo”
  • 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWare
    Clip #5 · @9:18
    “So iroiro na shu ga gather, add up. Soshite, United States to iu amerika gasshuukoku to iu kuni no namae ni natte imasu. Ato, kunyomi nan desu keredomo, au.”

Pronounce: “imasu”

Syllables:
i · ma · su
Hear it in context
imasu
📊 See full syllable breakdown, stress marks & rhythm for “imasu”

Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)

Unique Sound
Explore 800+ homophone pairs

"imasu" 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, "imasu" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.

Frequently asked questions about imasu

How many syllables are in “imasu”?

“imasu” has 3 syllables: i · ma · su.

How can I hear “imasu” used in real sentences?

This page has 22 real-world video examples of “imasu” 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 “imasu”?

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⁄).