2 syllables: ba, salts. Stress on salts.
buh-SAWLTS
/bəˈsɔlts/
basalts is pronounced buh-SAWLTS (/bəˈsɔlts/). It has two syllables (ba-salts), with the stress on "salts". Basalts are dark, fine-grained igneous rocks formed from rapid cooling of molten lava at or near the surface. They typically contain plagioclase and pyroxene and are commonly found in volcanic regions and oceanic basins. The term can also refer to multiple basalt varieties or rock types within the basalt family. (2-4 sentences, 50-80 words).
Basalts are dark, fine-grained igneous rocks formed from rapid cooling of molten lava at or near the surface. They typically contain plagioclase and pyroxene and are commonly found in volcanic regions and oceanic basins. The term can also refer to multiple basalt varieties or rock types within the basalt family. (2-4 sentences, 50-80 words)
"The basalt cliffs along the coastline glowed briefly during sunset."
"Geologists collected basalt samples to study ancient volcanic activity."
"Basalts are often associated with mid-ocean ridges and hot spot volcanism."
Pronounce basalts as /bəˈsɔːlts/ (US) or /bəˈsɔːlts/ (UK/AU). Stress the second syllable: ba-SALTS, with a clear /ɔː/ as in 'thought' and a final /lts/ cluster. Mouth position: start with a neutral schwa, drop into a mid back rounded vowel, then the /lts/ blend: tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge for the /l/ and /t/ followed by the fluent /s/ after the /t/. Audio reference: imagine a slow, two-beat landing on -sults; you’ll hear a crisp stop at /t/ before the /s/. IPA: US [bəˈsɔlts], UK [bəˈsɔːlts].
Common mistakes: (1) misplacing stress on the first syllable as ba-SALTS; (2) pronouncing the vowel as /æ/ like 'cat' instead of /ɔː/ as in ‘thought’; (3) de-voicing the final /s/ or turning /lts/ into a simple /t/ or /s/. Correction: keep secondary stress on the second syllable and use /ɔː/ for the vowel, ensure the /l/ is light but present, firmly close the /t/ before the final /s/ to produce /lts/ cluster. Practice with minimal pairs: /bəˈsɔlts/ vs /bəˈzɔlts/ to confirm the sibilants and ensure the /t/ does not drop.
Across accents, the core /bəˈsɔlts/ remains, but: US often rhymes with /ɔ/ as in 'thought' but may slightly reduce to /ɔɹ/ in rapid speech; UK tends to a longer /ɔː/ and crisper /t/ before /s/ due to non-rhotic tendencies not affecting this word much; AU mirrors UK vowel quality but may exhibit a laterally softer /l/ and a slightly broader /ə/ in the first syllable. The “t” before final /s/ remains a clear stop in all, with minor voicing differences in fast talk. IPA anchors: US /bəˈsɔlts/, UK /bəˈsɔːlts/, AU /bəˈsɔːlts/.
The difficulty lies in the /ɔː/ vowel quality and the /lts/ consonant cluster. English learners often default to /æ/ or merge /lt/ with a light /l/ and drop the /t/ before /s/. The plural endpoint /s/ after a voiced /t/ creates an extra sibilant sequence that can blur. Also, the second-stressed syllable requires clear vowel length and consonant articulation to avoid sounding like ‘basalts’ as a single syllable. Focus on maintaining /ə/ to /ɔː/ distinction and a crisp /t/ before /s/.
A unique feature is maintaining the /lts/ cluster after a stressed syllable: the /t/ should be an audible stop before the final /s/. This is common in many multisyllabic geological terms, but basalts specifically forces you to articulate a clean alveolar stop and then sibilant. Also, the root vowel in the stressed syllable is /ɔː/ rather than a shorter /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ in many learners’ accents. Keeping the second syllable strong and ensuring the final /ts/ is crisp makes the word natural and precise.
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Basalts derive from Late Latin basaltus, from Greek basanites, from basanites (stone), ultimately linked to basan- in basanos meaning ‘touchstone’ or ‘test stone.’ The term entered geological literature to describe rocks analogous to volcanic lava that have cooled rapidly, yielding a fine-grained texture. The first widely cited use in English appeared in the 17th–18th centuries as naturalists cataloged rock types from volcanic regions. Over time, the word broadened to cover multiple varieties of dark, mafic rocks with similar mineralogy, including tholeiitic and alkaline basalts. The root basan- traces to semantically related stones used historically for testing metals, reflecting the practical origin of the term in mineral exploration. Basalts became standard in geology for describing oceanic crust and continental flood basalts as reconnaissance of Earth’s lithosphere advanced the science. In sum, basalt’s name embodies a lineage from a practical touchstone to a widely used rock concept across petrology and volcanology, with first modern uses anchored in the 18th and 19th centuries as igneous rock classification matured.
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Words that rhyme with "basalts"
-lts sounds
-al) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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