2 syllables: com, pels. Stress on pels.
kuhm-PELZ
/kəˈmpɛlz/
compels is pronounced kuhm-PELZ (/kəˈmpɛlz/). It has two syllables (com-pels), with the stress on "pels". Compels is a verb meaning to force or oblige someone to do something; it can also mean to drive or push forward by moral, legal, or logical pressure. In usage, it often conveys a strong, sometimes irresistible, motivation or obligation. The form occurs as present tense third-person singular (compels) and as a bare infinitive with modal or auxiliary verbs (will compel, compel the committee).
Compels is a verb meaning to force or oblige someone to do something; it can also mean to drive or push forward by moral, legal, or logical pressure. In usage, it often conveys a strong, sometimes irresistible, motivation or obligation. The form occurs as present tense third-person singular (compels) and as a bare infinitive with modal or auxiliary verbs (will compel, compel the committee).
"Her sense of duty compels her to volunteer every weekend."
"The new evidence compels us to reconsider the verdict."
"Economic hardship compels the company to cut costs."
Say /kəmˈpɛlz/ in US and UK English, with the primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa + m, then a clear /p/ burst, followed by /ɛ/ as in “bed,” and finish with /lz/ where the /l/ is light and the /z/ is voiced. Visualize a quick, tight lips release for /p/ and keep the jaw relatively closed for /ɛ/ before the final /lz/. In IPA: kəm-PELZ. For Australian speakers, maintain the same rhythm with slightly more relaxed vowel quality; the rhoticity is non-rhotic in broad contexts but typically non-issue here.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /ˈkoʊmpɛlz/ by overemphasizing a long O sound, or turning the final /lz/ into /l/ or /z/ without the smooth /l-z/ blend. Another mistake is adding an extraneous vowel between /m/ and /p/ or misplacing the stress on the first syllable. Correct by using a quick, compact onset /kəm/ before the stressed /ɛlz/, practice the /p/ burst followed immediately by /l/ and /z/, and keep the final /l/ light before the /z/ so the ending sounds sharp and continuous: kəm-PELZ.
In US and UK English, the primary stress remains on the second syllable (compels). US /kəmˈpɛlz/ uses a rhotacized or non-rhotacized schwa depending on speaker, but the /r/ is not present in the word. UK English typically has a non-rhotic rhythm; /kəmˈpɛlz/ still centers on -pels with a clear /l/ and /z/. Australian English is similar to US/UK here, with possibly a slightly broader vowel in /ɛ/ and a glottal stop avoidance in the /m/ onset. Overall, pronunciation differences are subtle and relate mainly to vowel quality and fluency rather than place of articulation.
The challenge lies in the compact consonant cluster -pels (-pɛlz) after a short, unstressed schwa /kə/. The /p/ burst followed by /l/ and /z/ demands precise timing and tongue position: lip seal for /p/, alveolar contact for /l/, and a voiced sibilant /z/ immediately after the /l/. Many speakers shorten or gloss over the /l/ or merge the /l/ into /z/, producing /pɛz/ or /peɫz/. Practicing the /m/ + /p/ transition and then a quick lift to /l/ before /z/ helps maintain the intended cluster integrity.
Is the /m/ followed by a silent letter or a glide before the /p/? No. In compels, there is a straightforward /m/ followed by /p/ with a crisp release; there is no silent letter after /m/. The sequence is /kə/ + /m/ + /ˈpɛlz/. The /m/ is a bilabial nasal, the /p/ is a voiceless bilabial plosive, the /ɛ/ is a mid-front vowel, and the final /lz/ is a voicedd sibilant cluster. Focus on a short /ə/ preceding /m/ and a strong /p/ release.
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Compels comes from the Latin compellere, literally “to drive together” or “to drive to together.” The prefix com- originally means “together,” and pellere means “to drive, push.” The Latin verb evolved into Old French compeller, then into Middle English as compellen and eventually compel. Over time, the sense broadened from “drive together” in a physical sense to “drive by moral, legal, or logical force.” In English, compels has maintained its core sense of forceful urging or obligation, and in modern usage it commonly collocates with nouns like duty, evidence, and circumstances, as in “duty compels us” or “evidence compels a reconsideration.” First known uses appear in legal and moral rhetoric of the 16th-17th centuries, with the sense focused on compelling action or belief. The word’s compact morphology (com- + pell-) makes it a productive verb for formal and persuasive contexts, retaining strong, active connotations across varieties of English.
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Words that rhyme with "compels"
-lls sounds
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