massage
noun · the rubbing and pressing of the body to relieve pain or help you relax
- muhmə
- SAHZHsɑːʒ (stressed)
- MASmæs (stressed)
- ahzhɑːʒ
- US /məˈsɑːʒ/muh-SAHZH Recorded voice
- UK /ˈmæs.ɑːʒ/MAS-ahzh Your device’s voice
How to pronounce massage
Massage is pronounced muh-SAHZH in American English and MAS-ahzh in British English. It has two syllables, and the stress moves. The end is zh, as in vision, not j.
- 2 syllables
- Stress on SAHZH
- US and UK IPA
- Checked in Cambridge and Oxford
IPA checked in the Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. The recording is American English.
Massage, sound by sound
Each sound in the IPA, with a word you already know that has it.
US American English/məˈsɑːʒ/
muh
- /m/as in man
- /ə/as in about
SAHZHstressed
- /s/as in see
- /ɑː/as in father
- /ʒ/as in vision
UK British English/ˈmæs.ɑːʒ/
MASstressed
- /m/as in man
- /æ/as in cat
- /s/as in see
ahzh
- /ɑː/as in father
- /ʒ/as in vision
Say massage yourself
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Tip. End with zh, as in vision, not j. US: muh-SAHZH. UK: MAS-ahzh.
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Common massage pronunciation mistakes
What people often say instead, and how to fix it. Say muh-SAHZH.
Not
muh-SAHJEnding with j. The usual ending is zh, as in vision.
Not
MES-ijSaying message. Massage has the ah vowel and a zh at the end.
Not
ma-SAYJReading age as in page. In this French word it is ahzh.
Massage in a sentence
Hear each one, slow it down, then say it. Words change a little when they join others, so practise them in sentences too.
I booked a massage for my sore back.
She gives a good neck massage.
The hotel has a spa with a massage room.
How do you say massage?
Massage is a French word, and it ends in the zh sound of vision and beige. Many learners finish with j, as in message, which makes it sound like a different word.
The stress changes between accents. In the US it is on the second syllable: muh-SAHZH. In Britain it is usually on the first: MAS-ahzh. Both forms are in Cambridge and Oxford.
The French word came from the verb masser, to massage. Its own origin is debated. Some sources point to Arabic mass, to touch, and some to Portuguese amassar, to knead. A short US form with a j, muh-SAHJ, is listed by Cambridge, but zh is the usual one.
Words that sound like massage
Rhymes and words that share its tricky sound. Open any of them in the checker and say it.
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