3 syllables: cir, cu, lars. Stress on cir.
SUR-kyuh-lurz
/ˈsɝkjəlɚz/
circulars is pronounced SUR-kyuh-lurz (/ˈsɝkjəlɚz/). It has three syllables (cir-cu-lars), with the stress on "cir". Circulars is the plural noun meaning official notices or memos circulated within an organization. Pronounced with stress on the first syllable, it ends with a soft plural suffix. The word combines the root circular with the plural -s, functioning in formal and administrative contexts to refer to circular letters, announcements, or directives.
Circulars is the plural noun meaning official notices or memos circulated within an organization. Pronounced with stress on the first syllable, it ends with a soft plural suffix. The word combines the root circular with the plural -s, functioning in formal and administrative contexts to refer to circular letters, announcements, or directives.
- You may struggle with the /ˈsɜːr/ onset: ensure your tongue tip slightly curls upward toward the alveolar ridge and the /ɜː/ is a mid-back-central vowel without tensing the jaw. - The /kj/ cluster can trip you up: practice with a quick touch of /k/ followed by /j/ without inserting an extra vowel; think kj as in cue, not separate syllables. - Final /z/ can be devoiced when speaking quickly; keep voicing steady to avoid ending with /s/; practice with words ending in z to feel the vocal fold vibration and ensure a voiced ending.
"The town hall distributed circulars detailing the new zoning laws."
"During orientation, staff received circulars outlining safety procedures."
"The company reviewed several internal circulars before the policy change."
You pronounce it as /ˈsɜːr.kjəlz/ in General US usage or /ˈsɜː.kjə.ləz/ in some British pockets. The primary stress is on the first syllable: CIR-cu-lars. The middle
Common errors: (1) Overemphasizing the second syllable giving /ˈsɜːr.kjuː.lərz/; (2) Flattening the rhotic 'r' in non-rhotic accents too aggressively, which can blur the vowel quality in /ˈsɜːr/. Correction: maintain a clear /r/ with a relaxed but distinct rhotic element; keep the /kj/ sequence tight as /kju/ or /kjə/; (3) Misplacing the final /z/ as /s/ in rapid speech; ensure the final /z/ is voiced. Practice with minimal pairs ɜr vs ɜː, etc.
In US, /ˈsɜːr.kjəlz/ with a rhotacized vowel in the first syllable; in UK, /ˈsɜː.kjə.ləz/, with a middle schwa and three-syllable rhythm; in AU, usually /ˈsɜː.kjə.ləz/ as well, with a flatter, more vowel-reduced middle. Focus is on length and rhoticity: US keeps rhotic /r/ and sometimes reduced vowel in the second syllable, UK tends to more schwa in the middle and less pronounced /r/.
Difficult parts include the /ˈsɜːr/ onset where the rhotic approximant /ɹ/ interacts with a centralized vowel, the /kj/ cluster that requires rapid tongue movement from /k/ to /j/ with a short vowel, and the final /əlz/ or /ləz/ suffix that can shift to /əlz/ or /əlz/ depending on accent. Mastering the transition between the alveolar /r/ and the /kj/ sequence while preserving the syllabic rhythm makes it tricky.
Tip: treat the word as four phonetic blocks: CIR- (ˈsɜːr), -cu- (kjə or kjəl depending on dialect), -lar- (lɚ or lə), -s (z). Keep the /r/ clearly audible in US; lean toward a light schwa in the middle for UK/AU. Use a quick but controlled /kj/ transition and end with a voiced /z/ to distinguish from /s/.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ is pronounced with a bunched or retroflex variant depending on speaker; the /ˈsɜːr/ onset is emphasized. - UK: non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers, so the /r/ may be weaker or only present before a vowel; middle syllable tends to a schwa /ə/ while maintaining a smooth /kj/ sequence. - AU: similar to US in rhotic clarity, but often fewer vowels reduce to a central vowel; aim for less pronounced /ɹ/ and more centralized vowel in the middle. Use IPA references to align to your accent and record yourself.
Circulars derives from the noun circular, itself from the Late Latin circulus meaning a small circle or ring, from circulare ‘to make round’ (Latin). The verb form circulare evolved to mean to make circular or to send around. In English, circular appeared in the 15th century with senses of a round shape and, later, a notice circulated to multiple recipients. The plural circulars began to appear in bureaucratic usage as organizations distributed multiple notices or memoranda; by the 19th and 20th centuries, formal administrative environments used circulars as standard terminology for official communications distributed to staff, branches, or members. The word’s sense emphasizes dissemination and circulation within a body, rather than the content of a single message. Modern usage spans government, corporate, educational, and NGO contexts, where a “circular” often implies a standardized, templated notice sent to multiple recipients. First known uses appear in official correspondence and handbills in medieval to early modern English, with expansion through bureaucratic administration and organizational communications in the industrial era.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "circulars" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "circulars"
-les sounds
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