A miraculous event or occurrence that seems to defy natural explanation. As a noun, it commonly refers to something wonderful or extraordinary achieved through luck, fate, or unseen forces. It is often used in religious, literary, or colloquial contexts to describe an improbable, awe-inspiring result.
"The rescue from the avalanche was a miracle, as rescue teams had nearly given up hope."
"She recovered from the rare illness overnight, a medical miracle."
"It felt like a miracle when the project finally came together after months of hard work."
"The little girl’s cure‑allergy showed up as a miracle in the family's otherwise ordinary year."
Miracle comes from the Latin miraculum, meaning ‘wonder’ or ‘object of admiration,’ from mirari, ‘to wonder, marvel at.’ The term entered Late Latin as miraculum, later borrowed into Old French as miracle, retaining the sense of something wonderful revealed as a sign or wonder. In Middle English, miracle described divine signs or miraculous events attributed to a higher power. Over centuries, the usage broadened beyond overt religious contexts to denote extraordinary events or things that seem almost magical or improbable. By the 18th–19th centuries, miracle increasingly referred to any remarkable achievement or fortunate turn of events in secular discourse, though religious usage remains common. In modern English, miracle can describe both spiritual phenomena and extraordinary human feats, with nuance depending on context, tone, and emphasis. First known uses appear in religious and theological writings, later spreading into common speech and literature as poets and authors employed it to convey awe at improbable outcomes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Miracle" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Miracle" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Miracle"
-cle sounds
-kle sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/. The first syllable carries primary stress: MIR. The middle is a reduced schwa: /ə/. End with a clear /kəl/ combination, where /k/ is a hard stop and /əl/ often reduces to a light schwa + l: /kəl/ or /kəl̩/. In connected speech, you may hear /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/ with slight linking: MIR-uh-kul. Listen to native speech to hear the subtle /ɹ/ and the weak final.
Two common errors are: (1) misplacing the stress on the second or third syllable; keep primary stress on the first: /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/. (2) mispronouncing the final syllable as /-l/ or /əl/ with a heavy vowel; aim for a reduced /-kəl/ where /ə/ is a quick schwa and /l/ is light. Practice the contrast between /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/ and mis-forms to lock the correct rhythm and mouth posture.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /mɪr/ is similar, but rhoticity affects the following vowel; US and AU speakers typically produce a rhotic /r/ in the middle, yielding /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/, while some UK speakers may have a slightly non-rhotic or reduced mid-vowel quality, sounding closer to /ˈmɪ.ə.kəl/ with less emphasis on the /r/. Vowel length and quality in the second syllable can vary: US tends to a tighter /ɪ/ and /ə/ patterns, UK may lean more to /ɪ/ or /ə/ depending on regional accents, and AU often lands between US and UK realizations.
The difficulty lies in the sequence /ˈmɪr.ə.kəl/ where the middle syllable reduces to a weak /ə/ while maintaining clear onset /r/ and final /kəl/. English stress-timed rhythm makes the first syllable prominent, but keeping the middle schwa intact without losing the /r/ requires precise tongue relaxation and airflow. The trailing /kəl/ cluster also tests the timing between the velar stop /k/ and the lateral /l/, especially in rapid speech.
Unique aspects include the strong first-syllable stress and the classic three-syllable pattern with a reduced middle vowel: MIR-uh-kəl. The combination of a clear /r/ after the initial /m/ in rhotic accents and the fast, light /kəl/ ending makes it a common target for non-native speakers. Paying attention to the transition from /r/ to a reduced /ə/ before the final /kəl/ helps achieve a natural, fluent pronunciation.
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