Almonds are a hard-shelled nut from the Prunus dulcis tree, widely consumed roasted or raw. They provide a rich, fatty kernel used in snacks, cooking, and dairy alternatives. In everyday speech, 'almonds' refers to the plural form and the nuts themselves, with stress typically on the first syllable.
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US: keep /ɑː/ robust but relaxed; typically non-rhoticity is not pronounced, so /ˈɑːl.məndz/ with clear L and /dz/. UK: slight difference in vowel quality, but stress remains on the first syllable; the /l/ may be clearer in careful speech. AU: vowels can be more centralized, but final /dz/ remains; keep the second syllable reduced. IPA references: /ˈɑːl.məndz/. Focus on light /l/ and reduced /əndz/ in all accents.
"I snack on almonds between meetings for a quick energy boost."
"The almond paste gave the pastry a subtle, nutty sweetness."
"She bought roasted almonds and chopped them over the salad."
"Almond milk has become a popular dairy-free alternative."
The word almond derives from Old French amande, via Latin amygdala, from the Greek word amugdalon, which itself traces to a Semitic root akin to almond fruit or taggant. In English, almond entered Middle English with various spellings, reflecting its Mediterranean origin and trade routes. The term originally referred to the fruit-bearing tree and its edible nut, and over time the pronunciation and pluralization standardized toward almonds in modern usage. The core meaning has remained stable: the edible kernel of Prunus dulcis. First known uses appear in medieval texts describing culinary ingredients and botany, with the nut commonly cultivated in the Near East, Mediterranean, and later spread widely through Europe and the Americas. The semantic emphasis shifted from generalized stone-fruit association to a distinct culinary nut, especially as almond products (milks, pastes, oils) proliferated in Western cuisine. The spelling stabilized in Early Modern English as almonds, aligning with other pluralized nut-names in English. The word’s evolution mirrors agricultural trade, cookbook literature, and increasing specialization of nut varieties and preparations across centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "almonds"
-lms sounds
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Common pronunciation is /ˈɑːl.məndz/ (US) or /ˈɑːl.məndz/ (UK) with the first syllable stressed. The 'alm' begins with an open back vowel, and the 'l' is light; the second syllable reduces to schwa-like /ə/ or a light /ɪ/ depending on speaker, and final /dz/ confirms the plural. Tip: avoid pronouncing the 'l' as a separate syllable; keep it as a light consonant between /ɑː/ and /m/. For US listeners, you may hear a subtle flapped or reduced /d/ in rapid speech, but the standard is /ˈɑːl.məndz/.
Two frequent errors: pronouncing the second syllable as /iː/ or /iːz/ (e.g., /ˈælˌmɪndz/), and over-emphasizing the 'l' as /l/ with full vowel onset. To correct: use /ˈɑːl.məndz/ with a light /l/ and a reduced second syllable /mə/ or /mənd/; keep the first syllable tense but not exaggerated, and don’t insert an extra syllable between 'al' and 'monds'. Practice saying it quickly in phrases to keep natural rhythm.
Across accents, the core is /ˈɑːl.məndz/. In US English, you may hear a darker vowel in the first syllable and a slightly reduced /ə/ in the second; in some US dialects, the /l/ can be lighter in rapid speech. UK English tends toward /ˈɑːl.məndz/ with non-rhotic tendencies not affecting almonds much, though some speakers may elide the /t/ or merge vowels in connected speech. Australian speakers typically retain the same general pattern but may have a more centralized or slightly higher second vowel; however, the final /dz/ is usually preserved.
The difficulty lies in the light, quick /l/ and the syllable boundary between /ˈɑːl/ and /mændz/ where the second syllable reduces to a schwa-like /ənd/; ensuring the /d/ lands as a clear, not swallowed sound is tricky. Also, maintaining the final /dz/ cluster without an intrusive vowel is a common challenge. Practice: coordinate lip tension for /l/, relax the jaw to allow /əndz/ without over-articulating the /d/.
The word involves a subtle consonant cluster and a reduced second syllable that can make it look deceptively simple yet easy to mispronounce as /ˈæl.mɒndz/ or /ˈælmˌəndz/ due to vowel drift. The unique feature is the stable stress on the first syllable combined with a light /l/ and a voiced alveolar affricate /dz/ at the end. Keeping IPA consistent and the mouth relaxed helps ensure natural pronunciation across contexts.
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