How to pronounce does in American English

IPA /dʌz/ Syllables 1 · duhz

duhz

Start here

Americans pronounce does as duhz (/dʌz/).

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "does" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

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.

Unlock the full report in the app

Why it sounds different

Why "does" sounds like duhz.

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, the way sentences stop sounding like a list and start sounding like speech. It comes out as duhz.

In real conversation

Hear "does" in the wild.

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

"Does he sneeze?"

duhz hee SNEEZ

"Does he think the soap is in the sink?"

duhz hee THIHNGK dhuh SOHP ihz ihn dhuh SIHNGK

"Does the judge have enough money for lunch?"

duhz dhuh JUHJ hav uh·NUHF MUH·nee fer LUHNCH

"He does push-ups and sit-ups every morning."

hee duhz PUUSH uhps and SIHT uhps EHV·ree MOR·nuhng

"How much does this cost?"

HOW muhch duhz dhihs kahst

"She does some light stretching exercises every morning."

shee duhz suhm LAHYT STREH·chuhng EHK·ser·sahy·zuhz EHV·ree MOR·nuhng

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.

DUHZ→duhz

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "does" 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 "duhz" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

Now you try.

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Why "does" sounds like duhz.

Hear "does" 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 "does". Start saying it.