2 syllables: gal, lows. Stress on gal.
GAL-ohz
/ˈɡæloʊz/
gallows is pronounced GAL-ohz (/ˈɡæloʊz/). It has two syllables (gal-lows), with the stress on "gal". Gallows refers to a frame or structure used for hanging, historically associated with execution. The word can also describe the gallows, or the apparatus itself, and by extension, the act or place of execution by hanging. In modern usage, it often carries a literary or historical tone rather than a contemporary object. Pronunciation emphasizes a clear onset with a single initial /ɡ/ and a final /z/ sound.
Gallows refers to a frame or structure used for hanging, historically associated with execution. The word can also describe the gallows, or the apparatus itself, and by extension, the act or place of execution by hanging. In modern usage, it often carries a literary or historical tone rather than a contemporary object. Pronunciation emphasizes a clear onset with a single initial /ɡ/ and a final /z/ sound.
"The town gathered near the gallows, a grim reminder of past punishments."
"The classic scene shows the condemned standing on the gallows as the rope settles."
"Scholars discuss the architecture and symbolism of the gallows in medieval law."
Pronounce as /ˈɡælˌoʊz/ in US and /ˈɡæləz/ in some UK varieties. The initial cluster g + a is a hard G followed by a short a as in cat, then a light 'lo' or 'low' diphthong, ending with a voiced z. Emphasize the first syllable: GAL-— then the second syllable with clear /z/. Listen to native examples on Forvo or YouGlish to hear regional differences.
Common errors include merging the second syllable too quickly, producing /ɡæl.o/. Instead, release the /oʊ/ or /ə/ vowel clearly as a separate nucleus, and avoid turning /z/ into a /s/ in final position. Another pitfall is misplacing the primary stress, sometimes sounding like GA-LOWS or GALLY-ohs. Keep the stress on the first syllable and finish with a voiced /z/. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the vowel quality.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈɡælˌoʊz/ with a noticeable diphthong in the second syllable and a clear /z/ end. UK pronunciation tends to be /ˈɡæləz/ or /ˈɡæl.əz/, with reduced second syllable vowels and less length in the first syllable; rhoticity is less prominent in some dialects. Australian speech aligns more with non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers, with a more centralized second syllable and a slightly looser /ɒ/ or /ə/ quality, so it may resemble /ˈɡæləz/ or /ˈɡælˌəz/.
The challenge lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the transition from a strong, plosive start /ɡ/ to a front vowel /æ/ and then into a rounded /oʊ/ or reduced vowel, followed by the final /z/. The contrastive diphthong /oʊ/ can vary by region, and the trailing /z/ requires precise voicing. Some speakers also mispronounce as /ˈɡæloʊs/ by using an /s/ instead of /z/. Focus on a clean /z/ and full, separate nucleus in the second syllable.
A distinctive point is maintaining a clear final voiced /z/ after an unstressed or lightly stressed second syllable; many learners drop the z or substitute with a voiceless /s/. Also, the second syllable often has a reduced vowel in many dialects, making /ɡæləz/ feel shorter and less prominent than the first syllable. Mind your mouth position to keep the second vowel to a minimal but audible nucleus.
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Gallows derives from the Old English galga, meaning a wooden stake or pole, related to earlier Germanic terms for a stick or pole. By the Middle English period, gallows (plural form) referred specifically to a scaffold or frame used for hanging, evolving from a broader sense of a wooden structure used for binding or support. The term is tied to the Norse and Germanic roots for poles and posts, with the plural form becoming standard in the 13th century. The word traveled into legal and literary contexts as hangings became a formal method of punishment in England and across Europe, with the phrase “the gallows” often used metaphorically to denote impending doom. Over time, gallows retained its macabre association but also appeared in idiomatic expressions and historical narratives, preserving its function as a symbol of consequence and justice while remaining mainly literary today.
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Words that rhyme with "gallows"
-ows sounds
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