Individuals refers to single persons within a group, highlighting their distinctness or personal identity. In everyday use, it denotes plural members considered separately rather than collectively. The term often appears in formal or analytical contexts, emphasizing individuality within a larger population.
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"The study included 3,000 individuals from diverse backgrounds."
"Each individual has unique skills that contribute to the team."
"From the crowd, you can identify individuals by their distinctive outfits."
"Researchers collected data from all individuals who volunteered for the trial."
Individual comes from the Late Latin individualis, meaning ‘undivided’ or ‘particular,’ from Latin individuus ‘undivided,’ itself from in- ‘not’ + dividere ‘to divide.’ The modern English form emerged in the 15th century, initially in legal and philosophical contexts to denote a single, distinct being within a larger set. By the 17th–18th centuries, it broadened to general usage in social science, anatomy, and everyday speech as a label for one member of a population, emphasizing singularity rather than sameness. The suffix -ual, as in individual, aligns with other Latin-based nouns turning adjectives into distinct entities. Over time, “individuals” has retained its emphasis on distinct identity within a group, often contrasted with collective or class-level descriptions in academic and policy discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "individuals" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "individuals" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "individuals"
-cal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as in-di-vid-u-als with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪd.ju.əlz/. Start with a light initial /ˌɪn/ (short i), then /dɪ/ (short i), stress on /ˈvɪd/; end with /j(u)ːl/ plus a final /z/. Lip position: neutral to spread, tongue high front for /ɪ/; tip of tongue taps the alveolar ridge for /d/, and a mid-back vowel sound approaches /u/ in the /ju/ sequence. Think “in-di-VID-you-əlz.” Audio reference: [forvo pronounces “individuals”], [YouGlish examples].
Common errors: (1) misplacing primary stress on the first syllable, resulting in in-DI-vid-u-als instead of in-di-VID-you-əlz; (2) pronouncing the final /əlz/ as /əl/ or /əs/ without the final z; (3) blending /vɪd/ with the following /j/ causing /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪd.ju.əlz/ to sound like /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪd.yoʊlz/. Correction: maintain clear /v/ then /j/ as separate segments, keep the /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable, and voice the final /z/ prominently.
US: rhotic /r/ is not relevant here, but the /u/ in /ju/ is often a close back vowel with a strong /j/ onset: /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪd.ju.əlz/. UK: the /ju/ sequence often yields a tighter /jʊ/ transition and slightly different vowel qualities in /ɪ/ and /ə/ in the final syllables. AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel qualities; the /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable may be shorter and more centralized. Across accents, the most noticeable difference is the transition into /ju/ and the following schwa-like /əl/ or /əlz/ depending on fast speech.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the cluster /dju/ between the stressed /vɪd/ and the /əlz/ ending. It requires coordinating a clear, sustained /d/ followed by a rapid /j/ glide into /u/ and then the schwa-like /əl/ with final /z/. Non-native speakers often misplace stress or blend /d/ and /j/ into a single sound or drop the final /z/. Practice helps stabilize the sequence and timing.
There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation of ‘individuals.’ Every letter contributes to the syllable structure and phoneme inventory: /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪd.ju.əlz/. Mispronunciations often arise from reducing the /dju/ sequence or softening the /l/ at the end. Focus on the /d/ and /j/ boundary and pronounce the final /z/ clearly to avoid a hidden letter impression.
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