2 syllables: Col, lege. Stress on Col.
KAH-lij
/ˈkɑlɪdʒ/
College is pronounced KAH-lij (/ˈkɑlɪdʒ/). It has two syllables (Col-lege), with the stress on "Col". A college is an institution of higher education that offers undergraduate programs, sometimes also graduate studies, and provides degrees or certificates. It can refer to a specific college within a university or to a standalone institution. People attend college to pursue academic, professional, or personal development over a defined program of study.
nounA college is an institution of higher education that offers undergraduate programs, sometimes also graduate studies, and provides degrees or certificates. It can refer to a specific college within a university or to a standalone institution. People attend college to pursue academic, professional, or personal development over a defined program of study.
"She transferred to a larger college to study engineering."
"Many colleges offer scholarships based on merit and need."
"He teaches at a small liberal arts college."
Pronounce it as /ˈkɒlɪdʒ/ in US/UK/AU. The stress is on the first syllable: KOHL-ij. Start with an open back rounded vowel /ɒ/ as in “cot,” then a short /ɪ/ for the second vowel, and end with /dʒ/ as in “judge.” In rapid speech, the middle vowel may be schwa-like, but aim for clear /ɒ/ and /ɪ/ before the /dʒ/ sound. Audio samples: consult a reputable pronunciation tool or dictionaries for native-speaker examples.
Two frequent errors: (1) Pronouncing /ˈkɒlɪdʒ/ with a long /ɒ/ in the first vowel or turning it into an /ɔ/ sound; keep it as /ɒ/ (British cot–lot split) or a tense /ɒ/ depending on your accent, but avoid a lax /ə/ in the first syllable. (2) Overarticulating the /l/ or turning the final /dʒ/ into /j/ or /ʒ/. Practice keeping the /l/ light and the /dʒ/ as a crisp affricate. Use minimal pairs to train: /kɒl/ vs /kɔl/ and /dʒ/ vs /j/.
In general, US and UK share /ˈkɒlɪdʒ/ with a similar rhythm; the main difference lies in rhoticity and vowel quality. US speakers often produce a rhotic /ɹ/ in surrounding vowels and sometimes a darker /ɔ/ for /ɒ/ in some regions. UK speakers may have a shorter /ɒ/ and a crisper /dʒ/. Australian speakers tend to merge vowels slightly and may reduce the second vowel toward a schwa /ə/ in rapid speech, yielding /ˈkolɪdʒ/ or /ˈkɒlɪdʒ/ with subtle vowel differences.
The difficulty mostly comes from two phonetic challenges: the mid-back vowel /ɒ/ depending on your dialect (cot–lot split, or lack thereof), and the final /dʒ/ cluster which blends quickly with the preceding /l/ in connected speech. Additionally, the short, lax /ɪ/ can be reduced in fast speech, making the second syllable sound almost unstressed. Practice with careful isolation of /ɒ/ plus a crisp /l/ and a distinct /dʒ/ to improve clarity.
There are no silent letters in 'college.' The tricky part is producing the /dʒ/ sound after the /l/ and maintaining the correct, unstressed second vowel. In fast speech, the middle vowel can reduce toward a schwa, making the word sound like /ˈkɒlɪdʒ/ with a lighter second syllable. Focus on launching the /dʒ/ cleanly from the /l/ and keeping the first syllable stressed.
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The word college comes from the Old French college, from Latin collegium, meaning a body or association of colleagues or people united for a common purpose. Collegium itself derives from collega, meaning partner, colleague, or fellow worker, formed from com- (together) and legare (to appoint or bind by oath). In medieval Europe, college referred to a group of scholars or a guild, then to a corporation or body of scholars authorized to confer degrees. By the 14th century, the term began to denote the institutional groups of students and teachers that formed around a curriculum, eventually evolving into the modern sense of a degree-granting higher education institution. In English, college usage expanded to cover various kinds of post-secondary institutions, including junior colleges and constituent colleges within universities, with the specific meaning often depending on regional education systems. The contemporary sense of “college” as a degree-conferring institution for undergraduate study emerged in alignment with the broader development of universities in the 18th–19th centuries, though the term remains flexible across dialects and contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "College" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "College" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "College"
-ege sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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