2 syllables: Bull, ocks. Stress on Bull.
BUUL-uhks
/ˈbʊləks/
Bullocks is pronounced BUUL-uhks (/ˈbʊləks/). It has two syllables (Bull-ocks), with the stress on "Bull". Bullocks is a noun meaning testicles in informal British English, or, less commonly, a plural form of bullock meaning a castrated bull or a young bull used as a draught animal. In general usage, it can also appear as a mild expletive or exclamation of disappointment. The term is predominantly British and informal, with regional nuances in intensity and acceptability.
nounBullocks is a noun meaning testicles in informal British English, or, less commonly, a plural form of bullock meaning a castrated bull or a young bull used as a draught animal. In general usage, it can also appear as a mild expletive or exclamation of disappointment. The term is predominantly British and informal, with regional nuances in intensity and acceptability.
"- The farmer kept several bullocks in the yard awaiting sale."
"- He muttered ‘bullocks’ under his breath when the machine failed."
"- Don’t be a bullock; just push the cart a bit harder."
Pronounce as /ˈbʊ.lɒks/ (US/UK/AU). The first syllable bears primary stress. Start with a short, rounded back vowel like 'book' without the 'oo' elongation, then the second syllable reduces to a crisp /lɒks/ with a short 'o' as in 'cot' and an /ks/ ending. Mouth position: lips neutral to slightly rounded for the /ɒ/; tongue sits low-mid, tip lightly touching the lower teeth for the /l/; the /ɒ/ is a short open back rounded vowel in UK/AU; in US you may hear a slightly more lax /ɑ/ quality. Audio reference: listen to native speakers on Pronounce, Forvo, or YouGlish for real-world variants.
Common errors: confusing the second syllable with /əkz/ or misplacing the stress leading to /ˈbjuː.lɒks/ or /ˈbʊl.ɒks/ with weak cohesion. Also adding extra vowel sounds like /i/ in the second syllable: /ˈbʊl.ɒkɪz/. Correction: keep /l/ and /ɒ/ tightly bound, maintain /ks/ as a voiceless cluster at the end, and keep final consonant crisp without an extra vowel between /ɒ/ and /k/. Practice the /l/ liquid before a clipped /ɒ/ and /ks/ sequence.
US: /ˈbʊl.ɑːks/ with a looser /ɑː/ in the second syllable and a less rounded /ɒ/; UK/AU: /ˈbʊl.ɒks/ with short, rounded /ɒ/ in the second syllable; AU often features a flatter /ɒ/ and a slightly broader vowel space; rhotics: US is rhotic, UK/AU are typically non-rhotic, so the /r/ is absent in non-rhotic contexts but here there isn’t an /r/ anyway. Emphasis remains on the first syllable across accents. Listen to native samples to notice subtle vowel shaping within the /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ split.
Key challenges: short, unstressed vowel contrasts; blending /l/ with a fast /ɒ/ before the /ks/ cluster; securing crisp voiceless /ks/ without an epenthetic vowel; maintaining the two-syllable rhythm under casual speech. The /ɒ/ in many accents is a compact, rounded vowel that can shift toward /ɔ/ or /ɑ/ in rapid speech. Mastery requires soft-lipping for /ɒ/ and precise alveolar plosive + fricative /ks/ at the end.
Unique feature: there is no silent letter in the standard pronunciation. The stress is uniquely on the first syllable with a clear, crisp /l/ and a strong /ˈbʊ/ onset; the second syllable forms a tight /lɒks/ sequence ending in /ks/. Do not silently omit the /l/ or the /k/ in /ks/. The vowel in the second syllable is short, not a dull schwa, and the /l/ remains clearly articulated.
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- US vs UK vs AU vowels: US tends to a freer /ʊ/ and /ɑ/; UK/AU use a tighter /ɒ/ for the second syllable. - IPA cues: US /ˈbʊ.lɑːks/ (if considering US /ɑː/), UK/AU /ˈbʊ.lɒks/. - Rhoticity: minimal effect here since there is no post-vocalic r; focus on vowel heights and lip rounding. - Tension: keep jaw relaxed for /ʊ/; round lips for /ɒ/ in UK/AU; US broader /ɑ/. - Consonants: produce a precise /l/ and a clean /ks/ end; avoid an extra vowel before /ks/.
Bullocks originates from the Middle English bulloc, a diminutive or pet form of bull, which referred to a male bovine. Over time, bullock came to denote a young bull or a castrated male used for labor. The plural bullocks emerged through the regular English pluralization pattern -s. The word gained wide colloquial traction in Britain, especially in rural and working-class speech, where it could refer to young cattle as well as function as a mild expletive or exasperation term. Its earliest documented senses appear in agricultural texts and vernacular dictionaries of the 16th–18th centuries, aligning with the pastoral economy in which cattle rearing was central. In modern usage, bullocks can appear in two dominant senses: a straightforward zoological plural (young or castrated bulls) and a crude, humorous expletive, often softened by context. The dual semantic trajectory reflects broader patterns in English where animal terms become mild curses or emphatic interjections in colloquial speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bullocks" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bullocks"
-cks sounds
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