2 syllables: A, wol. Stress on A.
AY-wawl
/ˈeɪˌwɔl/
Awol is pronounced AY-wawl (/ˈeɪˌwɔl/). It has two syllables (A-wol), with the stress on "A". Awol is a noun used in informal contexts to describe a person who is absent without official leave or notification, especially from a workplace or military unit. It conveys unauthorized absence and can carry a sense of irresponsibility or discipline breach. In common usage, it often appears in reporting or colloquial discussion about someone missing from duties.
nounAwol is a noun used in informal contexts to describe a person who is absent without official leave or notification, especially from a workplace or military unit. It conveys unauthorized absence and can carry a sense of irresponsibility or discipline breach. In common usage, it often appears in reporting or colloquial discussion about someone missing from duties.
"The sergeant marked him as AWOL after he failed to report for duty."
"She went AWOL from the project team and didn’t inform anyone of her plans."
"Being AWOL can lead to disciplinary action in many organizations."
Awol is pronounced as a-WOL, with the primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA: US /ˌeɪ.dɒl/ or /əˈwɒl/? For precision, say the vowel of 'ay' as in 'day' followed by 'wol' as in 'bowl' but with an American English schwa leading into a strong 'ol' sound. A more precise rendering is /ˌeɪˈwɒl/ in many dialects, with emphasis on the second syllable. Visualize a clear vowel onset before the final rhotic-free 'ol' sound. You’ll hear a crisp 'ay' then a full, closed 'ol' like ‘bowl.’
Common mistakes: (1) Treating it as two fully syllabic words (A-WOL) rather than a single word; (2) Misplacing stress, often spreading it over both syllables; (3) Pronouncing the 'aw' as in ‘awe’ in some dialects instead of the short 'aw' as in ‘cot’ plus 'l'. Correction: say the 'ay' vowel quickly, then a tight 'ol' without an extra vowel after it. Use /ˌeɪˈwɔːl/ in non-rhotic accents or /ˌeɪˈwɒl/ in rhotic variants, with steady final L. Practice by linking the two sounds smoothly, avoiding a hiatus between syllables.
In US English, AWOL often rhymes with 'A-wall,' with a clear /eɪ/ then /ɔl/ or /ɒl/ depending on region. In UK English, non-rhotic tendencies may reduce the final L, producing /ˌeɪˈwɔːl/ with a longer monophthong in the second syllable. Australian English tends to regularize vowels, giving /ˌeɪˈwɔːl/ with a rounded, closer back vowel in the second part. Across accents, the main differences lie in vowel quality of /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ and the presence or absence of rhotic r-coloring and the extent of L quality.
Awol poses challenges because its first syllable blends a diphthong /eɪ/ with a closed syllable ending in /l/, creating a tight transition that can trigger a vowel reduction in fast speech. The second syllable /wɒl/ or /wɔːl/ requires precise lip rounding and jaw closure for a clean /l/ at the end. The difficulty is compounded by cross-dialect vowel shifts (e.g., /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/) and by speakers’ tendency to mis-tap the L or insert an extra vowel. Focus on the glide into the final L for clarity.
Awol has no silent letters; it is pronounced with two syllables and a primary stress on the second syllable: a-WOL. The unique aspect is the strong, single-stressed final syllable with a clear /w/ onset preceding the vowel cluster. Avoid smoothing the /w/ into a single blended vowel. You’ll want a crisp onset to /w/ followed by an unaccented or lightly stressed first syllable. The pattern emphasizes a strong second syllable, which affects rate and intonation in connected speech.
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Awol is an acronym-derived term that originated in military slang in the United States, standing for Absent Without Leave. The practice of using abbreviations to denote disciplinary statuses has long roots in military governance, where precise statuses of personnel are tracked and reported. In the early to mid-20th century, such acronyms proliferated in communications, and AWOL became a widely recognized label for unauthorized absence. The linguistic trajectory shows how military shorthand entered civilian discourse, especially through journalism and memoirs. By mid-century, AWOL had become a commonly understood term beyond strictly military contexts, expanding to offices and schools to describe someone who disappears from duties without authorization. The capitalization conventions vary, with AWOL commonly rendered in all caps when describing the status, though AWOL can appear without periods in informal writing. Etymologically, the term reflects a compound construction with a straightforward semantic pull: absence plus lack of leave, capturing a precise violation of expected duty. First known uses appear in the 1940s-1950s military communications, and the term quickly penetrated popular usage as a compact descriptor for unauthorised absence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Awol" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Awol" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Awol"
-ole sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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