2 syllables: Col, lapse. Stress on lapse.
kuh-LAPS
/kəˈlæps/
Collapse is pronounced kuh-LAPS (/kəˈlæps/). It has two syllables (Col-lapse), with the stress on "lapse". Collapse (noun) refers to a sudden failure or breakdown, such as a structural collapse or a collapse of effort or health. It denotes a dramatic, often rapid cessation or falling apart of a system, structure, or condition. The term conveys abruptness, collapse suggesting a total give-way rather than a gradual decline.
nounCollapse (noun) refers to a sudden failure or breakdown, such as a structural collapse or a collapse of effort or health. It denotes a dramatic, often rapid cessation or falling apart of a system, structure, or condition. The term conveys abruptness, collapse suggesting a total give-way rather than a gradual decline.
- Misplacing the stress: say /ˈkol-aps/ or /kə-ˈlapps/, but correct is /kə-ˈlæps/. Keep the second syllable stressed and hear the crisp /læps/ ending. - Overemphasizing the initial consonant: /ˈkæl/ or /kə- laP/? Instead, start with the neutral /kə/ and land the stressed /ˈlæps/ cleanly. - Weak final cluster: Many speakers reduce /ps/ to /s/ or drop the final /s/ entirely. Practice the two-consonant cluster: ensure /p/ is released then immediately voiceless /s/ with no extra vowel in between. - Vowel length drift in second syllable: avoid making /æ/ into a longer /æː/ or /ɜː/. Keep it short and forward.
"The old bridge suffered a sudden collapse after the flood."
"After months of stress, his health finally collapsed and he needed rest."
"The system’s collapse left the servers offline for several hours."
Collapse is pronounced with two syllables: [kuh-LAPS]. In IPA: US /kəˈlæps/, UK /kəˈlɑːps/, AU /kəˈlæps/. The stress is on the second syllable. Start with a quick, neutral schwa in the first syllable, then a clear, short /æ/ or /ɑː/ in the second, followed by /ps/ with a light release. Tip: keep the /l/ light, avoid a heavy vowel before /l/. Audio reference: you can hear this pronunciation in standard dictionaries or Pronounce resources linked to this word.
Common errors include: 1) misplacing stress, saying /ˈkæl ɔps/ or /ˈkol-aps/; 2) turning the second syllable into a long vowel like /ˈkoːlaps/; 3) over-emphasizing the final /s/ or producing a voiced /z/ instead of /s/. Correction tips: keep the rhythm: /kə-ˈlæps/, with a crisp /æ/ in the stressed syllable and a non-voiced /ps/ at the end. Practice by isolating the /ps/ cluster and ensuring the /p/ is released before the /s/.
US: /kəˈlæps/, rhotic but the first vowel is a muted schwa; UK: /kəˈlɑːps/, longer open vowel in the second syllable; AU: /kəˈlæps/, similar to US but with reduced vowel length in rapid speech and more centralized vowels in some speakers. The key differences are vowel quality in the second syllable and the duration of the vowel before the final /ps/.
The difficulty lies in timing and consonant cluster /ps/. The final /ps/ is a voiceless aspirated cluster that can blur in rapid speech; maintaining the short, closed schwa in the first syllable and releasing the /p/ cleanly into /s/ is essential. Also, the second syllable stress requires you to keep the /æ/ or /ɑː/ accurate without collapsing into a schwa. Practicing the /ps/ release and stress timing helps with clarity.
Is there a subtle difference between /ˈlæps/ in the second syllable when preceded by a consonant vs. a vowel? In 'collapse', the second syllable is /læps/ following /kə/. The key is ensuring the /æ/ remains a short front vowel and the /p/ is unreleased until the /s/ is produced, so you don’t voice the /p/ into [b] or elongate the vowel. This keeps the /ps/ cluster crisp and unvoiced.
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- US: rhoticity is less relevant here; focus on a quick, crisp /kə/ then the sharp /ˈlæps/. The final /ps/ should be unvoiced and crisp. - UK: the second syllable often has a slightly longer, more open /ɑː/; keep the mouth open for a moment on the /ɑː/ before the /ps/ release. - AU: may have more vowel reduction in the first syllable; maintain the short /ə/ before a stressed /læps/ and crisp /ps/. - IPA references: US /kəˈlæps/, UK /kəˈlɑːps/, AU /kəˈlæps/. The key is the short, lax first vowel and the strong, clipped second syllable with a clean /ps/ ending.
Collapse comes from the Italian term crollare, meaning to fall to the ground, or to sink. The Latin root crullare exists in several Romance languages with similar meanings of to break down or fall in. The English usage emerged in the 17th century, initially meaning a physical falling inward or collapsing of a structure. Over time, the metaphorical sense broadened to include systems, institutions, physical health, and even moral or civil order. The word often appeared in medical, architectural, and meteorological writing, reflecting literal structural failure or a metaphorical breakdown. The spelling and pronunciation settled into collapse with the stress on the second syllable: /kəˈlæps/. The first known uses surface in European texts, later appearing in English medical and engineering literature as industrialization demanded precise terms for sudden failures. The evolution mirrors other “collapse” terms that combine “col-” (together) and “laps-” (slip, fall) to depict a joint, abrupt falling apart of connected parts, whether beams, systems, or social structures. Modern usage frequently appears in physics, geoscience, and crisis reporting, while still retaining a strong sense of abruptness and totality that marks a collapse from a once-integrated state to a broken one.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Collapse" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Collapse"
-pse sounds
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