2 syllables: i, deals. Stress on deals.
eye-DEELZ
/aɪˈdilz/
ideals is pronounced eye-DEELZ (/aɪˈdilz/). It has two syllables (i-deals), with the stress on "deals". Ideals are highly-valued principles or standards that guide behavior and judgment. They often represent aspirational goals rather than imperfect or practical realities, shaping attitudes, decisions, and moral considerations. In plural use, they refer to multiple such guiding standards held by individuals or a group.
Ideals are highly-valued principles or standards that guide behavior and judgment. They often represent aspirational goals rather than imperfect or practical realities, shaping attitudes, decisions, and moral considerations. In plural use, they refer to multiple such guiding standards held by individuals or a group.
- Watch the stress: many learners place stress on the first syllable, producing i-DEALZ instead of i-DE-ALZ. Keep second syllable stressed and ensure the /iː/ is long. - Mispronounce /diː/ as /dɪ/ or shorten it; ensure a full long E. - The /əl/ cluster can reduce to a quick schwa or vanish; aim for a clear /əl/ with the tongue relaxed and lips neutral before the final /z/. - Some speakers insert an extra vowel between /l/ and /z/, pronouncing /lz/ as /lz/ with a soft transition; keep it as /əlz/ with a smooth link. - In rapid speech, the /l/ can become dark or darkened; maintain a light, touch-tongue contact for clarity.
"Her personal ideals influenced her career choices and charitable work."
"Many philosophers debated whether societal ideals can ever be fully realized in everyday life."
"The organization promotes environmental and social justice ideals through its programs."
Pronunciation: /aɪˈdiːəlz/. Break it into three parts: /aɪ/ as in “I,” /ˈdiː/ with a stressed long E in “deee-” and /əlz/ as a light schwa followed by a clear /l/ and final /z/. Emphasize the second syllable. Mouth position: start with a wide smile for /aɪ/, then raise the tongue to high front position for /diː/, and relax lips for the /əl/ + /z/. Online reference audio can help you hear the ascending diphthong in /aɪ/ and the clear /d/ release before the long /iː/. IPA: US/UK/AU all share /aɪˈdiːəlz/.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress (saying i-DELZ), mispronouncing the /d/ as a flap, or reducing /diː/ to /dɪ/. Correction: keep secondary syllable stressed: /aɪˈdiːəlz/. Ensure the /iː/ is long, not shortened to /ɪ/. Pronounce /ˈdiː/ with a clear vocalic duration before the /əlz/ segment; avoid an abrupt /z/ without a preceding /l/ sound. Practice by isolating the /diː/ portion and then smoothly linking to /əlz/.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /aɪˈdiːəlz/. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality: US is rhotic, so the /r/ isn't present here, but rhotic flavor tends to appear in connected speech; UK and AU are non-rhotic, but /aɪ/ diphthong can be slightly drawn with varying square vowels. UK may have a crisper /ˈdiː/ and slightly more fronted starting position; AU often shows a flatter /ɪə/ transition in some speakers. Overall, vowel lengths and the final /z/ remain consistent; the main variation is resonance and vowel quality.
It’s challenging due to the three-syllable construction with a stressed second syllable and the sequence /diːə/ where the /iː/ length blends into a schwa-like /ə/ before /lz/. The need to link the long /iː/ to a soft /ə/ without adding extra syllables requires precise timing. Also, keeping final /z/ voicing clear after the /l/ can be tricky in rapid speech. Focus on the transition /ˈdiːəl/ to avoid a clipped or swallowed vowel.
There is no silent letter in ideals; it is pronounced with three distinct sounds: I (as /aɪ/), DEE (as /diː/), and ALZ (as /əlz/). The syllabic rhythm is u-u-u? with stress on the second syllable: i-DEALZ. The /l/ is pronounced as a normal light L before the final /z/. The nuance is keeping the /ə/ in /əl/ unstressed, avoiding a bright vowel there. In careful enunciation, you’ll hear three distinct beats rather than a fused two-beat rhythm.
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- US: stress pattern i-ˈdē-əlz; keep /aɪ/ as a crisp diphthong, then long /iː/. Rhotic influence is minimal here; focus on vowel quality rather than /r/ coloring. - UK: non-rhotic; the /ˈdiː/ part tends to be slightly crisper; the /l/ remains light and clear; listen for a more closed mouth position before /z/. - AU: often flatter intonation; maintain a stable /ˈdiː/ with a subtle l-l blend; avoid lengthening into a separate syllable. All share the /ɫ/ before z; try to keep the /l/ light and not a full vowel. IPA references: /aɪˈdiːəlz/.
Ideals derives from the Latin word idea (form, appearance, concept) which entered English via the French id?e or id?e?l and early modern use. The root idea is related to the Greek ide? (identity, form, image) through medieval Latin idea, connoting mental image or form. In philosophy, ideal refers to the perfect form of something as opposed to the real, tangible instance. The plural ideals arose to denote multiple guiding concepts rather than a single standard. First known uses in English appeared in the late 16th to early 17th centuries, often in religious or ethical contexts where a person’s “ideals” described aspirational beliefs that shape conduct. Over time, the term broadened beyond religious or moral spheres to include abstract standards in politics, aesthetics, and personal life, maintaining the sense of an idealized standard rather than an achievable actuality. Today, ideals are frequently invoked in discourse about goals, identity, and normative frameworks that societies strive to realize, even as pluralization signals a spectrum of guiding concepts rather than one universal ideal.
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Words that rhyme with "ideals"
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