2 syllables: en, tails. Stress on tails.
in-TAYLZ
/ɪˈnteɪlz/
entails is pronounced in-TAYLZ (/ɪˈnteɪlz/). It has two syllables (en-tails), with the stress on "tails". Entails is a verb meaning to involve or require something as a necessary part or outcome. It describes a logical consequence or a situation that necessarily leads to a particular result. In use, it often appears in formal or academic contexts when detailing implications or obligations that follow from a statement or action.
Entails is a verb meaning to involve or require something as a necessary part or outcome. It describes a logical consequence or a situation that necessarily leads to a particular result. In use, it often appears in formal or academic contexts when detailing implications or obligations that follow from a statement or action.
- You may default to a flat /e/ instead of the /eɪ/ diphthong; ensure you glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ in your mouth to form /eɪ/. - Compressed tongue position can cause a slurred /t/ and a run-together ending; practice stopping /t/ crisply before the diphthong. - Final /lz/ may sound like a simple “lz” or an /s/; ensure voicing on /z/ and correct l-vowel transition. - In rapid speech, the /t/ can be elided; avoid letting it disappear when you need precision in formal contexts. - Misplacing stress on the first syllable or trailing the stress to a weak syllable can obscure meaning. Promptly emphasize the second syllable: in-TEILZ.
"The new policy entails significant changes to how records are kept."
"Her research entails long hours in the laboratory and meticulous data analysis."
"The contract entails several conditions that must be fulfilled before payment."
Pronounce as in-TEILZ with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: ɪnˈteɪlz. Start with /ɪ/ as in 'kit', glide into /eɪ/ like the vowel in 'cake', then /lz/ for the ending. Keep the /l/ light but clear, and ensure the final /z/ is voiced. In careful speech, the consonants are fully enunciated: /t/ is a crisp stop before the /eɪ/. In fast speech, the /t/ can be flapped in some dialects, but not in careful or formal contexts.
Common mistakes: 1) Stress misplacement, saying en-TAILES or en-TAILS with wrong emphasis. 2) Slurring /t/ into /d/, giving /ɪnˈdeɪlz/. 3) Mispronouncing the diphthong as a simple /e/ or /ɛ/; ensure you hear the /eɪ/ glide. Corrections: keep the stress on the second syllable, produce a clear /t/ before the /eɪ/, and end with a voiced /lz/ cluster rather than a simple /lz/ or /lz/ without the /t/. Practice by isolating /t/ with a light stop after the first syllable to prevent assimilation.
Across accents, the main difference is rhotacism and vowel quality. US generally has /ɪnˈteɪlz/ with a pronounced /ɪ/ and a full /t/ release; the /l/ is clear and the final /z/ is voiced. UK may show a slightly tighter /ɪnˈteɪlz/ with less vowel reduction in fast speech and occasional glottalization of /t/ in informal registers. AU tends to be similar to US but with a more centralized vowel quality in the first syllable and a very clear /l/; some speakers may produce a marginally longer /eɪ/ diphthong. IPA remains ɪnˈteɪlz in all major varieties, but realisation differs in vowel quality and consonant release.
The difficulty lies in the two-part structure: a stressed diphthong /eɪ/ combined with a final voiced consonant cluster /lz/. The transition from /n/ to the high front vowel /eɪ/ can create subtle tongue tension, and the final /lz/ cluster requires precise voicing on /z/ after the /l/. Learners often misplace stress or mispronounce the diphthong, producing /ɪnˈtɛlz/ or /ɪnˈteɪlz/ with reduced clarity. Practice focusing on the strong, clear /eɪ/ glide and a crisp /t/ before it, followed by a full /l/ and /z/ release to anchor the word.
An important, word-specific feature is the /t/ that precedes the /eɪ/ diphthong. In careful or formal speech you’ll pronounce a crisp alveolar /t/; in rapid or some American dialects it can be lightly released or even flapped, sounding closer to /ɾ/ or omitted in casual speech, which can blur the /t/ and affect the /eɪ/ clarity. Maintaining a distinct /t/ before /eɪ/ helps preserve the exact pronunciation, especially in precise or academic contexts.
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- US: clear /ɪ/ and a strong /eɪ/; the /t/ is reliably released; keep /l/ light but audible, and end with a voiced /z/. - UK: similar, but with potentially slightly tighter vowel quality; you might hear a less prominent /ɪ/ in rapid speech and a more compact /t/ release. - AU: similar to US but vowels may be more centralized; ensure not to elide the /t/ and maintain a crisp /z/ at the end. Use IPA awareness to monitor subtle vowel shifts. - Use full lip rounding slight on /eɪ/ and keep tongue toward alveolar ridge for /t/; avoid nasalizing the final syllable. - Practice with minimal pair contrasts like entails vs entails? (no common pair); instead, contrast with entails vs entails? (not helpful). Focus on the precise diphthong and terminal voicing to stabilize across accents.
Entails comes from Middle English entailen, from Old French entail, later influenced by the legal term entailer, with roots in Latin teneō ‘to hold, keep, grasp’. The verb form evolved to mean to restrict heirs to a certain estate or line of inheritance in medieval law, a sense that broadened to its modern meaning of including as a necessary consequence. Over time, entail broadened beyond legal inheritance to general necessity or involvement. The shift from a narrow legal restraint to a broader logical implication occurred as English speakers used entail to describe outcomes that necessarily follow from a premise. First attested in the 15th century in English legal and philosophical texts, the term matured through everyday usage, particularly in academic, policy, and analytical writing, to denote the idea that certain conditions or events logically entail others. The modern usage reflects both its historical sense of consequence and its more general sense of inclusion or obligation within a given framework.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "entails" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "entails"
-ils sounds
-les sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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