3 syllables: crim, i, nal. Stress on crim.
KRIM-uh-nuhl
/ˈkɹɪmənəl/
criminal is pronounced KRIM-uh-nuhl (/ˈkɹɪmənəl/). It has three syllables (crim-i-nal), with the stress on "crim". Criminal is a noun or adjective referring to someone who commits or relates to crime; as a noun it denotes a person who has committed a crime, and as an adjective it describes activities or behaviors associated with crime. In everyday use, it often appears in legal, media, and policy contexts to discuss offenses, justice, and prevention. The term emphasizes wrongdoings against the law and social norms.
Criminal is a noun or adjective referring to someone who commits or relates to crime; as a noun it denotes a person who has committed a crime, and as an adjective it describes activities or behaviors associated with crime. In everyday use, it often appears in legal, media, and policy contexts to discuss offenses, justice, and prevention. The term emphasizes wrongdoings against the law and social norms.
- You: focus on two main challenges: first syllable vowel quality and the final /nəl/ cluster. If you’re not careful, you’ll say /ˈkrɪmənəl/ or /ˈkrɪmɪl/, losing the final /nəl/ sound. - Tip: practice with minimal pairs: /krɪmɪ/ vs /krɪmən/. - Common slip: dropping the final syllable or merging /n/ into /l/; correct by slowing down slightly at the end. - Practice approach: trill or tongue clip to keep the /ɪ/ in the first two syllables distinct, don’t let the second /ɪ/ vanish. - Remember: the stress on the first syllable is essential; never shift to a second syllable stress in careful speech.
"The criminal case went to trial this morning."
"She was arrested for the criminal act she admitted to in court."
"The town implemented new programs to prevent criminal activity."
Pronounce as /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ in US/UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with a short “cri” as in ‘crisp’ but with a soft r, then /ˈmɪ/ as a quick, lax vowel, then /nəl/ with a clear final /l/ but a light, schwa-like first element in the second syllable. IPA guidance: US/UK: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/. Audio references from standard dictionaries can help you hear the unstressed second syllable. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tongue high-mid for /ɪ/ in the first and second syllables, tip of the tongue for /n/ and light contact for /l/ at the end.
Common missteps: (1) Stress shift, pronouncing it as /ˈkrɪmɔɪnəl/ with odd secondary stress; (2) Clustering errors, pronouncing the sequence as /ˈkrɪmənəl/ omitting the /ɪ/ in the second syllable; (3) Final consonant blend, over-emphasizing the /l/ or replacing with a vowel. Correction: keep the first syllable /ˈkrɪ-/ tight with a clean /m/ and keep the second syllable /nəl/ crisp, not as /nɪl/; ensure the /ɪ/ in the middle is short and unstressed.
US/UK/AU share /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ with primary stress on the first syllable. The main differences lie in rhotics and vowel quality: US often retains a rhotic /r/ in the preceding vowel context, but in this word it is not rhoticized; UK tends to be non-rhotic, with slightly shorter /ɪ/ vowels; Australian tends to more centralized /ɪ/ and a lighter /ə/ in unstressed syllables. Overall, vowel height and length can vary slightly, but the core /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ remains recognizable across regions.
The challenge lies in rapid multi-syllable sequencing with short, clipped vowels: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ requires precise placement of /ɪ/ in both the first and second syllables and a clear /n/ before the final /əl/ cluster. Learners often misplace stress or reduce the first vowel too much, turning /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ into /ˈkrɪmənəl/ or /ˈkrɪmɪl/—loss of the final /nəl/ is common. Focus on keeping the first vowel crisp and the second syllable unstressed but clearly enunciated.
In fast speech or media headlines, you may hear lighter articulation and reduced vowel length in the second syllable: /ˈkrɪmənəl/ with a softer second vowel and quicker /nəl/ closure. But standard pronunciation remains /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/. The nuance is subtler: professional speech may carry crisper consonants and less vowel duration in rushed contexts, yet the core phonemes persist and listeners rely on the strong first syllable for recognition.
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- US: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ with clear /ɪ/ vowels, rhoticity is not prominent in this word; keep /ɹ/ lightly tapped with a relaxed jaw. - UK: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ with tighter articulation, slightly shorter first /ɪ/ and less vowel length; non-rhotic environment may influence the preceding vowel’s quality. - AU: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ or /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/; fosters a more centralized vowel in the second syllable; maintain the same primary stress and crisp /nəl/. IPA references: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ for all three. - General: keep the first syllable crisp; avoid lengthening the second vowel; end with a clean /nəl/ rather than /nəl̩/.
Criminal comes from Middle English criminal, via Old French criminal and Latin criminalis, from crimen meaning ‘accusation’ or ‘crime,’ and the suffix -alis meaning ‘belonging to, connected with.’ The root crimen referred to a charge, verdict, or offense within Roman law. Over time, in English, the term broadened from denoting a charge to identifying the person who commits a crime. In early English, criminal also carried religious and moral overtones, associating unlawful acts with wrongdoing against societal norms. The modern sense emerged by the 14th-15th centuries, aligning with evolving criminal justice systems. Today, criminal functions as both noun and adjective, with frequencies shaped by crime reporting and policy discourse across English-speaking regions. First known use in printed English traces to the 14th century, with familiarity increasing alongside legal terminology, police language, and media portrayal of crime. The word’s persistence reflects longstanding social preoccupation with law, morality, and social order, while its usage has expanded to describe non-criminal, metaphorical wrongdoing in colloquial contexts (criminal behavior, criminal neglect, etc.).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "criminal" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "criminal" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "criminal"
-nal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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