3 syllables: cir, cu, lar. Stress on cir.
SUR-kyuh-lur
/ˈsɝkjəlɚ/
circular is pronounced SUR-kyuh-lur (/ˈsɝkjəlɚ/). It has three syllables (cir-cu-lar), with the stress on "cir". Circular is an adjective describing something shaped like a circle or occurring in a roundabout way; as a noun, it can refer to an official notice or memo circulated to people. In usage, it often conveys a sense of completeness, reversion to round forms, or a procedure that loops back to a starting point. It is commonly used in technical, organizational, and mathematical contexts.
Circular is an adjective describing something shaped like a circle or occurring in a roundabout way; as a noun, it can refer to an official notice or memo circulated to people. In usage, it often conveys a sense of completeness, reversion to round forms, or a procedure that loops back to a starting point. It is commonly used in technical, organizational, and mathematical contexts.
- Misplacing primary stress or reducing the first syllable; ensure the stress stays on the first syllable: CIR-cu-lar. - Slurring /kj/ into /k/ or /j/; practice the /kj/ as a distinct palatal combination rather than a /k/ followed by /j/. - Final vowel reduction too strong; keep a light schwa or a soft /ə/ in rapid speech rather than dropping the last syllable entirely. - Rushing through consonants; give /r/ and /l/ their separate articulations to avoid a blended, unclear ending.
"The circular track allows runners to maintain a steady pace."
"The organization issued a circular about changes to the policy."
"The crystalline structure formed a circular ring at the molecular level."
CIRC-ular is typically pronounced with three syllables: /ˈsɜːr.kjə.lɚ/ in US and /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/ in UK. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Start with an open mid-back rounded vowel in the first syllable, blend into a palatal approximant for the /kj/ cluster, then finish with a light, unstressed ending. Listen for the final rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. IPA: US /ˈsɜːr.kjə.lɚ/; UK /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/.
Common errors include collapsing the /r/ and /l/ into a single sound or misplacing the /kj/ cluster, turning it into /kju/ or /kjous/. Another frequent slip is reducing the second syllable too much, producing /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/ with a weak final vowel. To correct: articulate the /r/ distinctly (American rhotic /ɹ/), ensure the /kj/ is a palatal sound sequence (palatal approximant plus a quick schwa), and keep the final syllable lightly stressed and vowel-reduced rather than dropped.
US speakers preserve a clear /ɹ/ and may have a slightly longer first vowel /ɜː/ with rhoticity. UK speakers tend toward a shorter /ɜː/ with non-rhoticity, and the final syllable often ends with a schwa or /ə/. Australian speakers commonly produce a broad /ɜː/ with a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable and a softer /l/ in some contexts. Across all, the /kj/ cluster remains stable, but the vowel length and final vowel quality shift subtly by accent.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllable structure with a tricky /kj/ cluster between the first and second syllables and the final rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. The /ɹ/ or lack thereof in non-rhotic accents changes the perceived word shape, and the second syllable requires a precise /kj/ articulation that blends quickly into /ə/ or /əɚ/. Muscular coordination across the tongue and jaw must be balanced to avoid a choked or reduced middle.
A distinctive aspect is the /kj/ cluster between /ɜːr/ and the following vowel, requiring a quick transition from a palatal onset to a schwa or a mid vowel. Also, the end may be rhotic (US) or non-rhotic (UK/AU), which changes the final vowel coloration and voicing. Paying attention to the roundedness of the first vowel and the crisp release into the /kj/ helps you land the three-syllable rhythm accurately.
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- US: keep rhotic /ɹ/ clear; ensure the third syllable carries a subtle schwa; the /l/ may be more darkly colored before a vowel. - UK: reduce the first vowel slightly toward /ɜː/; non-rhotic ending means the final vowel is weaker, often /ə/. - AU: tend to a slightly broader /ɜː/ and a more centralized ending vowel; the /l/ can be lighter and less “dark.” IPA references: US /ˈsɜːr.kjə.lɚ/, UK /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/, AU /ˈsəː.kjə.lə/.
Circular comes from the Latin circularis, from circulus meaning a small circle, ring, or loop. Circulus is a diminutive of circus, which originally referred to a ring or circle in Roman arenas and later to a circular route or perimeter. The term entered English in the late Middle Ages through Old French circuler and Latin roots, carrying the sense of moving around or surrounding something. In various domains, the meaning expanded to include anything that forms a circle (geometry, anatomy, architecture) and, metaphorically, things that encircle or recur in a loop (procedures, policies). Over centuries, circular has retained a core image of roundness while broadening to designate documents circulated among people (a memo) and processes that proceed in a loop or ring-shaped pattern. First known English attestations appear in legal, mathematical, and navigational texts where “circle” and “circulus” formation were central. The term’s evolution mirrors broader Latin-to-English transmission of mathematical and organizational vocabulary, with the suffix -ar often signaling belonging or relating to, thus yielding “circular” as something pertaining to or shaped like a circle. The word’s long-standing usage in science and administration cemented its dual function as both a geometric descriptor and a descriptor of recurring, circulating information or actions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "circular" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "circular" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "circular"
-lar sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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