2 syllables: Cal, lous. Stress on Cal.
KAL-uhs
/ˈkæləs/
Callous is pronounced KAL-uhs (/ˈkæləs/). It has two syllables (Cal-lous), with the stress on "Cal". Callous is an adjective meaning emotionally hardened or indifferent, often showing a lack of sympathy. As a noun, it refers to a thickened area of skin formed by repeated pressure or friction. The term carries a nuance of steely, unsympathetic distance when describing behavior, or a physical hardened spot on the skin from repeated contact.
nounCallous is an adjective meaning emotionally hardened or indifferent, often showing a lack of sympathy. As a noun, it refers to a thickened area of skin formed by repeated pressure or friction. The term carries a nuance of steely, unsympathetic distance when describing behavior, or a physical hardened spot on the skin from repeated contact.
"Her callous remarks about the tragedy left many stunned."
"The soldier’s callous hands were rough from years of manual labor."
"He wore his callous attitude like armor, never letting his feelings show."
Callous is pronounced /ˈkɔː.ləs/ in US and UK dictionaries, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The first vowel is a back, open-mid vowel; the second syllable is a weak, schwa-like /ə/ followed by /s/. To verify, imagine saying “KAW-luss” with a short, relaxed second syllable. If you’re in Australian speech, you’ll still use /ˈkɒ.ləs/ or /ˈkɔː.ləs/ depending on vowel shift, but the strong first-stress pattern remains. Practice by isolating /ˈkɔː/ and then adding /ləs/. Audio references: Cambridge, Oxford, and Forvo pronunciations. keywords: stress, first syllable, schwa, /ˈkɔː/.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the first syllable stress and saying /ˈka.ləs/ with a reduced first vowel; correct with /ˈkɔː.ləs/ (US) or /ˈkɒ.ləs/ (UK). 2) Pronouncing the second syllable as /oʊ/ or /oʊz/ instead of a reduced /ə/; fix by making the second syllable a quick, soft /ləs/ or /ləs/. 3) Overemphasizing the second consonant, yielding /ˈkɔː.læs/; keep final /s/ as crisp /s/ without prolongation. Practice with minimal pairs and recordings to ensure the first vowel remains pure and stressed.
US: /ˈkɔː.ləs/ with a clear /ɔː/ and rhoticity remains; final /s/ is crisp. UK: /ˈkɒləs/ or /ˈkɔː.ləs/ with shorter /ɒ/ in many dialects; non-rhotic features may reduce r later, but /ləs/ remains. AU: typically /ˈkɔː.ləs/ or /ˈkɒ.ləs/ with broad vowel shifts; Australian vowels are tighter in the first syllable, but the stress remains on the first syllable. Across accents, the main difference is the quality of the first vowel and whether the /r/ is pronounced; final /s/ is universally /s/ in careful speech.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the distinct first-syllable vowel (often a long /ɔː/ or /ɒ/) while keeping the second syllable light and unstressed. Many learners reduce the first vowel when rushing, producing /ˈkæ.ləs/ or /ˈkɒ.ləs/ with a shorter, fronted vowel. Additionally, the contrast between /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ and the unstressed /ə/ can be subtle, so learners benefit from focused listening to native speech for the exact vowel timing and the crisp /s/.
As a noun, callous usually retains the same pronunciation /ˈkɔː.ləs/ in most dialects. The adjective meaning “hardened” shares the same pronunciation, and there is no separate stress pattern or spelling that would alter the phonetics between parts of speech. In careful speech, you’d keep the primary stress on the first syllable in both senses. The only variance you might hear is a slight vowel shift in rapid speech across accents, but the structure remains /ˈkɔː.ləs/.
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Callous derives from the late Middle English callous or calous, from Old French calloce, stringently tied to the Latin calosus meaning thick-skinned or hard. The root notion centers on hard skin or a hardened attitude. The shift from physical texture to behavioral metaphor occurred as early English usage began applying a material property to emotional states. The term appears in medical or dermatological contexts to describe thick skin, and later broadened to describe people with thickened emotional skin, i.e., emotionally unfeeling. By the 16th–17th centuries, usage extended to both senses, with “callous” describing rigid, insensitive behavior and, in some contexts, physical durability. The modern sense preserves both lines of meaning: a physical hardened skin and a figurative lack of sympathy. Over time, it has retained a formal register when used about people’s attitudes and a concrete sense when referring to skin conditions, though it can be used colloquially in everyday speech. First known uses surface in medical writings and literature that discuss skin texture as a metaphor for temperament, solidifying its dual semantic path.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Callous" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Callous" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Callous"
-ous sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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