2 syllables: crys, tal. Stress on crys.
KRIS-tuhl
/ˈkɹɪstəl/
crystal is pronounced KRIS-tuhl (/ˈkɹɪstəl/). It has two syllables (crys-tal), with the stress on "crys". Crystal refers to a clear, transparent solid whose internal structure forms a regular geometric pattern, or to a clear, glass-like substance used in jewelry and tableware. The term also extends metaphorically to notions of clarity or brilliance. In common usage, it denotes physical clarity as well as figurative lucidity, often describing pristine, sparkling quality.
Crystal refers to a clear, transparent solid whose internal structure forms a regular geometric pattern, or to a clear, glass-like substance used in jewelry and tableware. The term also extends metaphorically to notions of clarity or brilliance. In common usage, it denotes physical clarity as well as figurative lucidity, often describing pristine, sparkling quality.
"The crystal chandelier sparkled under the chandelier lights."
"Her crystal-clear explanation left no room for doubt."
"He gifted her a crystal vase that caught the sun beautifully."
You say KRIS-tl, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The initial consonant cluster is /kr/ followed by a reduced vowel in the second syllable. In IPA for US/UK/AU, /ˈkrɪs.təl/. The first syllable uses a short, unrounded vowel like in kit, followed by a light 't' and a muted 'l' at the end. Practice by saying 'KRIS' quickly, then add a soft 'tl' blend.
Common errors include over-pronouncing the second syllable and separating the /t/ too crisply. Some speakers insert an extra syllable (KRIS-tal with a distinct try), or mispronounce the initial vowel as /iː/ (cree-suhl). Correct approach: keep the second syllable unstressed and very light, close the /t/ into a soft alveolar tap or dental-like stop before /əl/, and maintain a compact /kr/ onset. Practicing with minimal pairs can help lock the rhythm.
In US and UK, the first syllable is stressed: /ˈkrɪs.təl/. The US often features a slightly more rhotic, with the /r/ pronounced, while the UK maintains a non-rhotic closer to /ˈkrɪs.təl/. Australian English tends to mirror UK patterns but can produce a more centralized vowel in the first syllable and a softer /t/ release. Overall, the vowel in the first syllable remains close to /ɪ/ in all three, while the second syllable remains a light /tə(l)/ with a soft or even reduced final /l/ depending on speaker."
The difficulty lies in the cluster /kr/ at the start and the light, almost elided final /əl/. Native speakers may reduce /t/ or merge the /l/ into a syllabic or borderline sound, leading to KRIS-uhl or KRIS-tl. The unstressed second syllable and rapid transition from a strong onset to a faint coda require precise tongue positioning and timing. Practicing with word pairs that isolate onset and coda helps stabilize the rhythm.
In fast speech, many speakers reduce the final -al to a syllabic or nearly silent ending, producing KRIS-tl or KRIS-ul with a very light /l/. The preferred transcription remains /ˈkrɪs.təl/, but casual speech may compress the second syllable so it sounds like /ˈkrɪs.l/ or /ˈkrɪs.təl/ with minimal vowel effort. Focus on the height of the tongue for /t/ and the tip contact before the final /l/ to keep it crisp when needed.
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Crystal comes from the Latin crystallus, which itself derives from the Greek krystallos meaning ice, a crystal, or a clear frozen form. The root krystall- suggests something icy and transparent. The word migrated into Old English via Latin in the late medieval period, gaining specialized scientific meaning during the Renaissance as alchemists and natural philosophers classified minerals and mineral-like substances. In English, crystal broadened from describing natural crystals (like quartz) to manufactured, glass-like substances (lead glass or rock crystal) and finally to the broader metaphorical use for clarity and brilliance. The term thus encapsulates both physical properties—transparency, defined facets, refractive behavior—and cultural associations with purity, luxury, and precision. First known uses in English appear in scientific and artisanal contexts in the 14th–16th centuries, with later widespread adoption in jewelry, decorative arts, and optics as industrial glassmaking advanced. By the 19th and 20th centuries, crystal had become a common descriptor in consumer goods and in figurative language, retaining its core sense of clarity and brilliance across dialects.
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Words that rhyme with "crystal"
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