Collards are leafy green vegetables of the Brassica oleracea acephala group, typically used in Southern U.S. cooking. As a plural noun, 'collards' refers to the leaves themselves, often cooked into dishes like stews or sautés. The term emphasizes the plant’s broad, sturdy leaves rather than the headlike formation of cabbage.
"I simmered the collards with smoked turkey for a hearty meal."
"The market had fresh collards and kale on sale."
"She braided the collards into a pot of greens for the family gathering."
"We served collards with cornbread and black-eyed peas for a traditional Southern dinner."
Collard derives from the Low German dialect coll (cultivated) and the Old French colier/colier, expanding into Old English as collarde or collures in Middle English. The term originally referred to a type of leafy cabbage and leafy greens grown for eating, particularly the large, non-curled leaves of Brassica oleracea acephala. Its first attestations in English date to the 16th century, aligned with the broader horticultural naming of cabbages and kale. Over time, collards became the standard term in North American English to describe non-heading brassicas that are grown for their large, flat leaves rather than for flowering heads. The word’s current plural usage reflects the common culinary practice of using multiple leaves-together in dishes, rather than a single harvest item. In modern usage, collards are closely associated with Southern U.S. cuisine, especially in soul-food traditions, and can refer to various cultivars that share the broad-leaf characteristic.
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Words that rhyme with "Collards"
-ars sounds
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Say COL-lards with primary stress on COL-. IPA: US /ˈkɒl.ɚdz/, UK /ˈkɒl.ɚdz/ or /ˈkɒl.ədz/, AU /ˈkɔː.lədz/. Start with an open back rounded vowel /ɒ/ (like 'cot'), then a rhotic-ish schwa /ɚ/ in American when unstressed, and finish with /dz/ as a clear 'ds' sound. Mouth: lips slightly rounded for /ɒ/ then relax for /ɚ/; tongue neutral, tip touching or just behind the upper teeth for /dz/. You’ll hear a crisp final consonant cluster in natural speech. For audio example, imagine the sequence from a standard pronunciation video or pronunciation dictionary audio.
Common errors: (1) Pronouncing with a pure /d/ instead of /dz/ at the end, (2) misplacing stress as COL-ards with a weaker second syllable, (3) mispronouncing /ɒ/ as /ɑ/ or /ɔ/ depending on speaker. Correction: emphasize the first syllable COL with /ɒ/ as in 'cot' and end with the affricate /dz/, not a plain /d/ or /z/. Practice by saying COL + ARDS quickly together to ensure the final /dz/ is a single sound rather than two separate consonants.
US: /ˈkɒl.ɚdz/ with rhotic /ɚ/ in post-tonic position; the /ɚ/ is schwa with r-color; final /dz/ clear. UK: /ˈkɒl.ədz/ - non-rhotic usually; /ɪ/ or /ə/ in the second vowel; final /dz/ still present. AU: /ˈkɔː.lədz/ - longer /ɔː/ in the first vowel, non-rhotic, final /dz/ audible. Key differences: rhoticity (US rhotic vs UK/AU non-rhotic), vowel length and quality; all share final /dz/ but preceding vowel varies.
Difficulties come from the final /dz/ cluster after a reduced or mid vowel and the potential variation of the /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ vowel across dialects. The combination COL- plus /dz/ can blur in rapid speech, and some speakers substitute /dz/ with /z/ or /d/. Practicing the exact affricate and maintaining the first syllable stress helps keep it clear. Use IPA references and shadow native audio to calibrate the timing and mouth shapes.
There is no silent letter in collards; the stress is typically on the first syllable COL- and the second syllable -ards carries reduced energy. The final consonant is not silent; you pronounce /dz/. The challenge is producing the /dz/ cluster cleanly right after the vowel with proper closing of the jaw. Use a little extra mouth closure on the /d/ to launch directly into /z/.
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