Interval is a noun meaning the difference or gap between two points, levels, or values, or, in music, the distance between two pitches. It denotes a specific span or duration in time or space and often implies a measurable or defined separation. The term is used across math, science, and music to describe a discrete, quantifiable interval between objects or events.
Practice tips: practice saying intervals in musical or mathematical contexts to anchor the concept while you rehearse the word. Use a metronome to maintain even tempo; say slowly at 60 BPM, then at 90 BPM, then at natural speed. Record yourself and compare with a native speaker or high-quality pronunciation sample. Focus on easing the jaw tension in the middle syllable and keeping the final /l/ clean but not overly released. Rehearse with phrases like “the interval between A and C,” “a time interval,” and “interval duration” to embed natural usage.
US: /ˈɪn.tɚ.vəl/ with a rhotic vowel in the second syllable; often a slight vocalized r before the schwa. UK: /ˈɪn.tə.vəl/ with a softer, non-rhotic second syllable and a more centralized /ə/ in /tə/. AU: /ˈɪn.tə.vəl/ similar to UK but with a relatively flatter intonation; vowels can be slightly more centralized, and the final /l/ may be lighter. Vowel quality shifts: US tends to a clearer /ɚ/ in the second syllable when the r-coloring appears, UK remains /ə/; Australia sits between, maintaining a clear /ə/ but with slightly more jaw relaxation. IPA references: US /ˈɪn.tɚ.vəl/, UK /ˈɪn.tə.vəl/, AU /ˈɪn.tə.vəl/. Consonants: /n/ and /v/ are clear; /t/ may be a light tap in rapid speech in some US dialects; avoid strong aspirated /t/ in middle.
"In music theory, the interval between C and G is a perfect fifth."
"The two cities are eleven kilometers apart; that interval makes the commute feasible."
"There is a short interval of silence between the two statements."
"The experiment showed a large interval of temperature change over the week."
Interval comes from the Latin intervallum, meaning a space between. The root interval derives from inter- ‘between’ and vallum ‘a rampart or wall,’ indicating a space between barriers. In Medieval Latin, intervallum referred to a space between two lines or measures, and this sense carried into English by the 14th century. Over time, interval broadened beyond physical gaps to denote temporal gaps, mathematical ranges, and, notably in music, the precise numerical distance between two pitches. The term’s musical meaning gained prominence with the formalization of music theory in the 16th–18th centuries, when composers and theorists described intervals as discrete steps within scales. By the 19th and 20th centuries, interval also described spatial or temporal separations in various sciences. Today, interval frequently appears in dictionaries with both abstract and concrete senses, retaining its core idea of definable space between two reference points while adapting to specialized domains such as music, statistics, and scheduling.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Interval" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Interval" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Interval"
-tle sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Interval is pronounced IN-tər-vəl in US and UK. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: /ˈɪn.tər.vəl/. In careful speech you’ll hear a light schwa in the second syllable and a clear final 'l' sound. Use a short, quick second syllable and avoid tensing the jaw. Audio cues: listen for the lilting rise from /ˈɪn/ to /tər/ and then a relaxed /vəl/ at the end.
Common mistakes include reducing the second syllable to a clear /tər/ with a hard ’t’ or dropping the middle vowel, saying /ˈɪn-vəl/ or /ˈɪnˌterˌbəl/. Correct by keeping the middle syllable as /tər/ with a soft, quick schwa and ensuring the final /vəl/ has a light /v/ followed by a short /əl/. Practicing slow, exaggerated syllables can help fix the rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial vowel is /ɪ/ and the final rhoticity is limited; US and UK share /ˈɪn.tə.vəl/ with stress on the first syllable. Australia tends to have a slightly more open /ə/ in the second syllable and a softer /l/ at the end. The main differences are vowel quality in the middle and the flapping of /t/ in rapid speech in some US varieties, but standard careful speech is similar across regions.
The challenge lies in the three-syllable rhythm with a stressed first syllable and a fast, reduced middle syllable /tər/. The second vowel often reduces to a schwa, making the middle segment hard to hear clearly. Multisyllabic words with alternating syllables push steady tempo and mouth position, especially keeping the final /əl/ sound clean without sounding like /l/ or a dull schwa.
The subtle second syllable requires careful tongue positioning: the 't' should be a light, unreleased or softly released stop to avoid a hard 't' sound that skews the rhythm. The final 'vəl' should have a bright /v/ and a relaxed, slightly compressed /əl/. Think of maintaining a smooth, even tempo from /ɪn/ through /tər/ to /vəl/.
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