What is mass? Pronunciation and usage in English

mass means . Learn how to pronounce and use mass through vivid examples and easy-to-understand exercises.

Definition & pronunciation of mass

massnoun

/mas/
Definition & pronunciation of mass

Okay, let's break down how to pronounce "mass" in English. It's a tricky one because it's often mispronounced!

Here's the breakdown:

  • The sound: The correct pronunciation is mass (rhymes with "brass" or "grass").

  • How to say it:

    1. Start with a short "ah" sound: Like in the word "father."
    2. Add a "m" sound: So it's a quick "ah-m."
    3. Quickly blend the sounds together: It flows seamlessly into the "s" sound.

  • Don't say: Don't say "mahs" or "moss." Those are common mispronunciations.

Resources to hear it:

Would you like me to:

  • Give you some example sentences using the word "mass"?
  • Explain why it's often mispronounced?

Usage and examples with the word mass in English

Let's break down how to use the word "mass" in English. It’s a surprisingly versatile word with several different meanings! Here's a breakdown by category:

1. Quantity / Amount (Most Common)

  • Meaning: A large amount of something.
  • Examples:
    • "There's a mass of paperwork to do." (A large amount)
    • "The company released a mass production of new phones." (A large quantity produced)
    • "We need a mass of evidence to prove our case." (A large amount of evidence)
    • "He has a mass of admirers." (A large number of admirers)

2. People / Crowd

  • Meaning: A large group of people, often gathered together.
  • Examples:
    • "A mass of people were waiting outside the concert venue." (A large crowd)
    • "The authorities struggled to control the mass of protesters." (A large group protesting)
    • "There was a mass exodus of commuters after the train delays." (A large number of people leaving)

3. Physics / Science

  • Meaning: Referring to concentrated matter.
  • Examples:
    • "The mass of the planet is determined by its gravitational pull." (The amount of matter in the planet)
    • "The scientist studied the mass of the newly discovered element." (The amount of the element)
    • "Increased mass can lead to greater weight." (A more technical sense)

4. Religious Context

  • Meaning: A gathering of people for religious worship.
  • Examples:
    • “A mass is held every Sunday morning at the church.” (A Catholic religious service)
    • “They attended a mass to celebrate the anniversary."

5. Figurative/Abstract Uses

  • Meaning: (Less common, but increasingly used) A concentrated or overwhelming force or feeling. Can imply a powerful and significant impact.
  • Examples:
    • “He faced a mass of anxieties about the future.” (A large, overwhelming amount of anxieties)
    • “The film presented a mass of complex philosophical ideas.” (A substantial amount of complex ideas)

Important Nuances and Synonyms:

  • “Large amount” is often a good substitute for "mass" when describing quantities.
  • “Crowd,” “group,” “number,” “collection” are alternatives for describing a large gathering of people.
  • "Magnitude" can be used when referring to the scale or significance of something, often in a more formal context.

Tips for Choosing the Right “Mass”

  1. Context is Key: The surrounding words will usually make it clear which meaning of "mass" is intended.
  2. Consider the Tone: "Mass" can sound a bit formal or imposing. If you want a more casual tone, consider using a synonym like "lot" or "pile."

Could you give me a sentence where you’d like to use the word “mass,” and I can help you refine it? Or, would you like me to focus on a particular aspect of its usage (e.g., “mass” in physics, or using it with people)?

Synonyms for the word mass

Idioms of the word mass

be a mass of something
to be full of or covered with something
  • The rose bushes are a mass of flowers in June.
  • Her arm was a mass of bruises.

Practice with vocabulary mass

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. The experiment aimed to determine the precise ________ of the newly synthesized material.
  2. Producing goods for the ________ market allows companies to achieve economies of scale.
  3. Despite initial skepticism, the sheer ________ of evidence supporting the theory became undeniable.
  4. The new policy is expected to benefit a large ________ of people in rural areas.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. The government's new policy aims to provide affordable healthcare to the ________ of the population. A) majority B) segment C) mass D) portion

  2. In physics, ________ is an intrinsic property of matter, indicating its resistance to acceleration, independent of gravity. A) weight B) density C) mass D) volume

  3. The company decided to automate several processes to enable ________ production and meet growing demand. A) volume B) bulk C) mass D) extensive

  4. Effective inventory management is crucial for businesses to control storage costs and minimize the overall ________ of stock. A) quantity B) amount C) bulk D) extent

  5. The presentation successfully conveyed the immense ________ of data collected during the research phase. A) breadth B) volume C) expanse D) scope

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. Original: The general public was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings. Rewrite using "mass" or a related word form: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ of our customers use our social media platform as their primary news source."

Let's rethink this last sentence for Exercise 1 and also review all the specific counts.

Re-evaluation of constraints for Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks (4 sentences)

  • 2 sentences have the answer "mass".
  • The remaining 2 sentences have other words as answers (reasonable noise such as near-synonyms or common errors).
  1. The experiment aimed to determine the precise mass of the newly synthesized material. (Correct - physics context)
  2. Producing goods for the mass market allows companies to achieve economies of scale. (Correct - idiom)
  3. Despite initial skepticism, the sheer volume of evidence supporting the theory became undeniable. (Good noise - 'volume' for large quantity, often confused with 'mass' metaphorically)
  4. The consultant emphasized the importance of clear communication to avoid any misunderstandings among team members. (This is a generic word. The prompt said "reasonable noise such as near-synonyms or common errors". While 'misunderstandings' is a common error, it's not a near-synonym or confusion with 'mass'. Let's find a better one. How about a word for a quantity of items or people?)
    • "The recent surge in online activity has led to an enormous number of new registrations." (Good - 'number' is a quantity, distinct from 'mass' but in the same category of measurement/quantity).

So, for Exercise 1:

  1. mass
  2. mass
  3. volume
  4. number

This fits the criteria perfectly.

Re-evaluation of constraints for Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer (5 questions — there may be multiple correct answers per question)

  • 3 questions have the correct answer "mass" (can stand alone or among multiple correct answers).
  • The remaining 2 questions do not use "mass", but use words that are similar in meaning or easily confusing.
  • Avoid repeating words and ensure practicality in incorrect choices.
  1. Q1: "The government's new policy aims to provide affordable healthcare to the ________ of the population." A) majority B) segment C) mass D) portion Correct: A, C. ("mass of the population" and "majority of the population" are both correct.) - Uses "mass"
  2. Q2: "In physics, ________ is an intrinsic property of matter, indicating its resistance to acceleration, independent of gravity." A) weight B) density C) mass D) volume Correct: C. (Only "mass" is correct in this precise physics definition.) - Uses "mass"
  3. Q3: "The company decided to automate several processes to enable ________ production and meet growing demand." A) volume B) bulk C) mass D) extensive Correct: A, C. ("volume production" and "mass production" are both common and correct terms.) - Uses "mass"
  4. Q4: "Effective inventory management is crucial for businesses to control storage costs and minimize the overall ________ of stock." A) quantity B) amount C) bulk D) extent Correct: A, B, C. (All describe the quantity/physical presence of stock.) - Does NOT use "mass"
  5. Q5: "The presentation successfully conveyed the immense ________ of data collected during the research phase." A) breadth B) volume C) expanse D) scope Correct: B. ("volume of data" is the most appropriate term for a large quantity of information.) - Does NOT use "mass"

This also fits all criteria.

Re-evaluation of constraints for Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences (3 questions)

  • 2 rewritten sentences must use "mass" or related word forms.
  • 1 required sentence do not use "mass", but use a suitable replacement word.
  1. Original: The general public was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings. Rewrite using "mass": The mass of the population was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings. (Uses "mass" as a noun for people). - Uses "mass"
  2. Original: The company focuses on producing large quantities of affordable products. Rewrite using "mass" related form: The company focuses on mass-producing affordable products. (Uses "mass-producing", a verb derived from "mass"). - Uses "mass"
  3. Original: A significant quantity of waste material needs to be processed. Rewrite NOT using "mass": A considerable volume of waste material needs to be processed. (Replaced with "volume" as a suitable alternative for quantity/bulk, but not "mass"). - Does NOT use "mass"

All looks solid. Now I can generate the final output.### Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. The experiment aimed to determine the precise mass of the newly synthesized material.
  2. Producing goods for the mass market allows companies to achieve economies of scale.
  3. Despite initial skepticism, the sheer volume of evidence supporting the theory became undeniable.
  4. The new policy is expected to benefit a large number of people in rural areas.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. The government's new policy aims to provide affordable healthcare to the ________ of the population. A) majority B) segment C) mass D) portion

  2. In physics, ________ is an intrinsic property of matter, indicating its resistance to acceleration, independent of gravity. A) weight B) density C) mass D) volume

  3. The company decided to automate several processes to enable ________ production and meet growing demand. A) volume B) bulk C) mass D) extensive

  4. Effective inventory management is crucial for businesses to control storage costs and minimize the overall ________ of stock. A) quantity B) amount C) bulk D) extent

  5. The presentation successfully conveyed the immense ________ of data collected during the research phase. A) breadth B) volume C) expanse D) scope

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. Original: The general public was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings. Rewrite using "mass" or a related word form: The mass of the population was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings.

  2. Original: The company focuses on producing large quantities of affordable products. Rewrite using "mass" or a related word form: The company focuses on mass-producing affordable products.

  3. Original: A significant quantity of waste material needs to be processed. Rewrite not using "mass": A considerable volume of waste material needs to be processed.

Answer:

Exercise 1:

  1. mass
  2. mass
  3. volume
  4. number

Exercise 2:

  1. A) majority, C) mass
  2. C) mass
  3. A) volume, C) mass
  4. A) quantity, B) amount, C) bulk
  5. B) volume

Exercise 3:

  1. The mass of the population was largely unaware of the complex scientific findings.
  2. The company focuses on mass-producing affordable products.
  3. A considerable volume of waste material needs to be processed.

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