2 syllables: e, lapse. Stress on lapse.
il-APS
/ɪˈlæps/
elapse is pronounced il-APS (/ɪˈlæps/). It has two syllables (e-lapse), with the stress on "lapse". Elapse is a verb meaning to pass or go by (of time) without being noticed or to come to a end or conclusion after a period. It commonly appears in phrases like 'time will elapse' or 'days elapsed before the verdict.' The term emphasizes the passage of time rather than an action by a subject, and often appears in formal or literary contexts.
Elapse is a verb meaning to pass or go by (of time) without being noticed or to come to a end or conclusion after a period. It commonly appears in phrases like 'time will elapse' or 'days elapsed before the verdict.' The term emphasizes the passage of time rather than an action by a subject, and often appears in formal or literary contexts.
"Time will elapse before we know the final results."
"Years elapsed since the treaty was signed."
"If you wait long enough, the minutes will elapse without you noticing."
Pronounce it as /ɪˈlæps/ (US) or /ɪˈlɑːps/ (UK/AU). The stress is on the second syllable: e-LAPS. Start with a short, lax vowel in the first syllable, then a crisp /l/ onset for the second syllable, and finish with a clear /ps/ cluster. Mouth position: lips relaxed for /ɪ/ or /ɪ/ in unstressed first syllable, then a raised middle to approximate /æ/ or /ɑː/ depending on accent, and a voiceless /p/ followed by /s/. Audio reference: say it slowly as “in-lapse,” then speed up to natural speech. IPA: US ɪˈlæps, UK/AU ɪˈlɑːps.
Common errors include pronouncing it with an /ɪˈlaps/ single-stressed first syllable (like ɪ-LAPS) or turning the final /ps/ into a /p/ sound (elapse → elap). Some learners also reduce the second syllable too much, making it /ˈlæps/ or /ɪˈlaps/ without the proper new-tension on /æ/ or /ɑː/ before /ps/. Correction tips: emphasize the second syllable with a slight lengthening of the vowel and hold the /p/ briefly before releasing to /s/. Practice the /ps/ cluster by saying ‘p-s’ together quickly in a single release.
In US English, the vowel in the first syllable tends to be a lax /ɪ/ and the second syllable has a clearer /æ/ or /ɑː/ with a stressed onset: ɪˈlæps. UK/AU tends toward a more open /ɑː/ in the second syllable with slightly broader vowel quality: ɪˈlɑːps. The rhoticity doesn’t affect this word much since /r/ is not involved here; vowel length and quality shift the main difference. The final /ps/ cluster remains the same for all, but tempo and intonation may vary: US tends to a quicker, clipped rhythm; UK/AU may show a marginally longer second syllable. IPA references: US ɪˈlæps, UK/AU ɪˈlɑːps.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed first syllable’s lax vowel and the consonant cluster /ps/ at the end. Learners often mispronounce the first vowel as /i/ or reduce it too much, and they may omit releasing the /p/ before the /s/ (producing /ps/ as a single sound or /p s/ with a pause). The tricky part is closing the mouth quickly from the /p/ into a voiceless /s/ without adding extra vowels. Focus on a clean, brief /p/ release into /s/ while keeping the second syllable tight.
A unique detail is the distinct /ps/ ending: the /p/ is unreleased in many careful pronunciations, followed by a sharp /s/. This cluster tests your ability to end with a voiceless alveolar fricative immediately after an aspirated stop. Keep the tongue tip near the alveolar ridge, release the /p/ into the /s/ without adding extra vowels, and maintain a steady state after the final consonant for a crisp ending.
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Elapse comes from Middle English elapseden, from the Old French eslaper, meaning to escape or slip away. The root es- (out) plus laper (to slip or slip away) traces to Latin laxare meaning to loosen or loosened, and is related to eslais- in some older forms. The semantic shift from “to escape” or “slip away” toward the sense of “time passing” seems to have occurred in late medieval English as the idea of time passing was described as something that slips away unnoticed. First attested in print in the 14th century, elapse evolved from a notion of something slipping out of sight to a more generalized expression for time moving forward. By the Early Modern period, elapse was established as a static, impersonal verb used in reported time frames and formal writing. In contemporary usage, it is primarily used with references to the passage of time, often followed by phrases like “the hours elapsed” or “seconds elapsed.” Its pronunciation has remained stable, with the stress typically on the second syllable in most varieties (e/ el-APSE).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "elapse" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "elapse"
-pse sounds
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