3 syllables: in, ter, vals. Stress on in.
/ˈɪntɚvəlz/
Say it backIntervals refers to the difference in pitch between two notes in music, or a measure of time separating events. It can also denote a gap or pause within a sequence. In context, it often describes melodic or harmonic relationships, or the spacing of events in a schedule or workflow. The term blends technical musical sense with everyday timing implications.
"The violinist practiced the difficult intervals to improve intonation."
"There are short intervals between the chorus and verse for dramatic effect."
"Our rehearsal schedule includes breaks at regular intervals."
Pronounce as IN-ter-vuls with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈɪn.tɚ.vəlz/, UK /ˈɪn.tə.vəlz/, AU /ˈɪn.tə.vəlz/. The second syllable uses a schwa or reduced vowel, and the final -s is voiced as /z/. Ensure the /t/ is light, not a tapped variation, to avoid mispronouncing as ‘in-ter-vulls’.
Common errors: over-pronouncing the second syllable’s vowel (say ‘in-TER-valz’); mixing the /r/ into the second syllable for non-rhotic speakers; and mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/. Correction: keep /t/ crisp but not emphasized, use a neutral /ə/ in the second syllable, and finish with a voiced /z/. For non-native speakers, practicing the sequence /ˈɪn.tə.vəlz/ with a quick, light /t/ helps reduce slippage.
In US, /ˈɪn.tər.vəlz/ with a rhotacized second syllable often reduced to /ɚ/ in rapid speech. UK typically /ˈɪn.tə.vəlz/ with stronger non-rhoticity; Australian tends to /ˈɪn.tə.vəlz/ with clear /t/ and a clipped first vowel. The main differences lie in rhoticity of the second syllable and the quality of the first vowel. Listen for the reduced /ə/ or /əː/ and the final /z/ voice.
Because it blends a stressed first syllable with a mid-central vowel in the second syllable and a trailing voiceless-to-voiced transition on the final consonant cluster /vəlz/. The /t/ is typically light, and many speakers insert a subtle vowel reduction between /n/ and /t/ causing mis-segmentation. Mastery requires coordinating fluent /n/ with a quick, clean /t/ and finishing with a soft /z/.
The word’s challenge is the mid syllable /t/ and the transition into the /v/ phoneme sequence /vəlz/. You’ll find that many learners elongate the second syllable or insert extra vowels. The unique aspect is achieving the compact, even rhythm: IN-ter-vəlz, with a clear but fast contact of consonants and consistent voicing on the final /z/. Practicing the sequence helps cement natural rhythm and clarity.
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Interval comes from Latin intervallum, from inter- ‘between’ + vallum ‘rampart, wall, boundary’. In Latin, intervallum described the distance between two walls or lines and then, more abstractly, the space between two musical notes. By Middle French, intervalle, and into English as interval, the sense broadened to the space between two points in time or space. Early musical usage in the 17th century aligned interval with the measured distance between notes (perfect, major, minor, augmented, diminished), a concept essential to tuning and harmony. As scholars and musicians formalized theory, intervallic relationships became foundational for counterpoint and harmony, while in everyday language interval gradually captured any gap in sequence or time. The plural intervals emerged as used in music to describe multiple such distances, and in general use, intervals refer to recurring segments in schedules or events. The word’s trajectory mirrors the shift from concrete architectural gaps to abstract temporal and musical measurements, while retaining a core sense of spacing between distinct points or moments.
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Words that rhyme with "intervals"
-als sounds
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