How to pronounce comes in American English

IPA /kʌmz/ Syllables 1 · kuhmz

kuhmz

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Americans pronounce comes as kuhmz (/kʌmz/).

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "comes" sounds like kuhmz.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, what turns word-by-word reading into actual conversation. It comes out as kuhmz.

In real conversation

Hear "comes" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"I love the cool breeze that comes in during autumn evenings."

ahy LUHV dhuh KOOL BREEZ dhuht kuhmz ihn DUUR·uhng AH·duhm EEV·nuhngz

"The bus comes once every hour."

dhuh BUHS kuhmz WUHNS EHV·ree OW·er

"The main course comes with a choice of soup, salad, or fries."

dhuh MAYN KORS kuhmz wihth uh CHOYS uhv SOOP SA·luhd or FRAHYZ

"The new model comes in black, white, and silver."

dhuh noo MAH·duhl kuhmz ihn BLAK WAHYT and SIHL·ver

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

KUHMZ→kuhmz

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "comes" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "kuhmz" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Why "comes" sounds like kuhmz.

Hear "comes" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

Stop reading about "comes". Start saying it.