Pronunciation girls´

Question

My 12 year old son, a native English speaker, goes to school in Spain where we have lived since he was four. He has just come back from school with a 9 out of 10 in an English exam. He was marked down on the oral exam for pronouncing ¨girls´¨ ,i.e. plural possessive, as one syllable. His teacher, a Spanish gentleman, maintains that there should be two syllables, girl ses.

I know it isn´t right but when thinking about other similar words ending in s I cannot come up with a rule. e.g. Charles is one syllable, Charles´is two syllables.

I am all set to charge up to the school but wanted to get my facts straight. Any help? Thanks!

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

Hi Louise, and welcome to English Forums.

You are 100% right.

Girls' sounds like girl's which sounds like girls, which sounds like "girlz" -- one syllable.

He deserves his 10.

Louise Beach Gounard · Answer

Thank you, Grammar Geek! Is there a rule that you know of to use for guidance? As a native English speaker one does not always know what the rules are but is there one in this case that I can quote to the teacher?

Build car · Answer

A rule in English narrates 's' ending nouns while taking apostrophe and s for making possessive from take only the apostrophe and the 's' is not written though it is meant there and often pronounced. Hence the pronunciation ' girl- ses' .

Pronunciation girls´

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