2 syllables: Cap, sule. Stress on Cap.
KAP-suhl
/ˈkæpsəl/
Capsule is pronounced KAP-suhl (/ˈkæpsəl/). It has two syllables (Cap-sule), with the stress on "Cap". Capsule is a small container or vial, typically cylindrical, used to hold a dose of a substance or a distinctive small-form item. In medicine, it often refers to a gelatin shell enclosing powder or liquid; in biology or technology, it denotes a brief, self-contained unit. The term also extends to compact, concise summaries or capsules of information.
nounCapsule is a small container or vial, typically cylindrical, used to hold a dose of a substance or a distinctive small-form item. In medicine, it often refers to a gelatin shell enclosing powder or liquid; in biology or technology, it denotes a brief, self-contained unit. The term also extends to compact, concise summaries or capsules of information.
- You may pronounce it as CAP-səl or CAP-sul with a weak /ps/ release; ensure a crisp /ps/ release and avoid a separate, neutral vowel after /s/. - Mistaking /juː/ for /uː/; keep the /j/ as a semi-consonant onset, forming /sjuː/ rather than /suːl/. - Overemphasizing the second syllable; maintain strong first-syllable stress and a light, quick second syllable.
"She swallowed her morning capsule with a glass of water."
"The vaccine is administered in a capsule form."
"The museum displayed a tiny, gold capsule from ancient times."
CAP-syuul with the primary stress on CAP. The first syllable uses a short /æ/ as in cap, followed by a /s/ cluster before the /juː/ or /suː/ glide, depending on accent. IPA: US /ˈkæpˌsjul/ or /ˈkæpsjuːl/; UK /ˈkæpˌsjuːl/; AU /ˈkæpsjuːl/. Focus on clear /æ/ in the first syllable and a light /j/ sound linking into the /uː/ or /juː/. Audio reference: you can check Pronounce or Forvo for native speaker recordings to hear the /æ/ + /p/ + /s/ cluster blending with /juː/.
Three common errors: 1) Slurring the middle /ps/ into /psj/ or /ps/ without a clear boundary; give a light release before the /s/ to avoid /kp/. 2) Dropping the /ˈæ/ stress or moving the pitch; keep primary stress on CAP. 3) Treating it as /ˈkæpsəl/ with a schwa in the second syllable; in careful speech you should use /-sjuːl/ or /-sjuːl/ depending on accent, with a clear long /uː/ or /juː/ vowel. Practice slow with isolation of the /juː/ glide.
US: /ˈkæpsjuːl/ or /ˈkæpˌsjul/ with a rhotic, a clearer /juː/ after /ps/. UK: /ˈkæpsjuːl/ with a less rhotic tendency and a slightly tighter /juː/; AU: /ˈkæpsjuːl/ similar to UK but with Australian vowel quality, often a broader /æ/ and subtle vowel merging in connected speech. The linking sound between /ps/ and /juː/ is prominent in all, but the degree of rhoticity and vowel rounding in /juː/ can vary. Listen to native speakers in Pronounce or Cambridge for subtle differences.
Two main challenges: the consonant cluster /ps/ after /æ/ requires a crisp release to avoid a drawn-out /p/ or an intrusive /t/. The second is the /juː/ glide following /s/, which can morph into /ju/ or /uː/ depending on accent; you must maintain a smooth transition from /ps/ into the /juː/ without inserting extra vowels. Correcting this involves precise endpoint targets for the /s/ and accurate lip rounding for /juː/.
The word carries a stress on the first syllable with a sonorant-vowel sequence that creates a forward-moving cadence. The /ps/ cluster is not common in many languages, so English speakers must practice the precise release: a brief /p/ closure followed by /s/ without a separate vowel between them, then a smooth transition into the /juː/ or /uː/ glide. This combination makes the word feel quick and compact.
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- US: emphasize /æ/ in CAP and keep a distinct /s/ before /juː/. The /r/ is absent; rhotics only appear in connected speech if the next word begins with an /r/. - UK: similar to US but with slightly less rhoticity; the /juː/ may be realized with a bit more fronting, producing /ˈkæpsɪŋ/ in rapid speech if not careful. - AU: vowel quality tends toward broader /æ/; keep /ps/ release tight, with a bright /juː/ vowel. IPA references help: /ˈkæpsjuːl/ in all three, with subtle variations in /juː/ realization.
Capsule comes from the Latin diminutive suffix -cula, meaning 'little' or 'small'; the root is capsa, meaning 'box' or 'case,' which is related to capsa in Spanish for 'case' and 'box.' The modern capsule sense for a small container developed in pharmacology in the 19th century as gelatin shells were used to enclose medicinal powders. The term extended metaphorically to refer to a compact, summarized unit—akin to a small capsule of information—reflecting the idea of something self-contained and portable. First known usage in English appeared in scientific texts toward the late 19th century as capsule shells were introduced for drug delivery, followed by broader adoption in medicine and biology. Over time, ‘capsule’ also gained figurative senses in literature and media as a concise, self-contained summary of content. The evolution traces a throughline from physical container to compact, encapsulated concept.
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Words that rhyme with "Capsule"
-sin sounds
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