2 syllables: jour, nals. Stress on jour.
/ˈdʒɝnəlz/
Say it backJournals is the plural of journal, referring to personal or academic notebooks or periodicals. In plural form, it denotes multiple volumes or issues, or collections of writings published periodically. The word combines a stable meaning of a bound or written record with the suffix -s to indicate more than one item, often used in academic, research, or literary contexts.
"- Researchers submitted their findings to several journals for publication."
"- She keeps multiple journals to track different aspects of her life."
"- The student bought new journals for class notes and reflections."
Pronounce it as /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/ in US/UK/AU accents. The first syllable carries primary stress: JOUR-, with the “j” as the typical English /dʒ/ sound like judge, followed by a schwa-like /ɜː/ in non-rhotic contexts, then /r/ in rhotic accents. The second syllable is /nəl/ with a light schwa in the unstressed syllable and an audible /l/ before the final /z/. Listen for the plural s sound as /-z/. Audio reference: [Pronounce or dictionary reading].
Common errors: (1) Reducing /ɜː/ to a short /ɜ/ or /ə/; keep it as a long mid-central vowel. (2) Slurring the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, leading to /ˈdʒɜːnəlz/ vs /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/. (3) Misplacing the syllable boundary, pronouncing as /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/ with a heavy secondary stress or a run-together /l/ and /z/. Correction tips: articulate /ɜː/ with an open jaw, ensure a distinct /r/ (US rhotic) or silent /r/ (UK), and segment as JOUR-nals with a gentle pause between syllables.
US: rhotic /r/ pronounced in the coda of JOUR, so /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/. UK: non-rhotic; /ˈdʒɜː.nəlz/ with a weaker or silent final /r/. Australian: rhotic but often vowel quality similar to UK; may have a slightly broader /ɜː/. All share /dʒ/ at onset and /nəlz/ at the end; rhythm and vowel length vary subtly. IPA references: US /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/; UK /ˈdʒɜː.nəlz/; AU /ˈdʒɜː.nəlz/.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed second syllable /nəl/ where the vowel reduces toward a schwa, and the final /z/ can be tricky for non-native speakers to voice clearly after an /l/. Also, the presence of /ɜː/ in non-rhotic contexts can be mispronounced as a shorter /ɜ/ or /ə/. Focus on keeping the /dʒ/ onset crisp, the /ɜː/ vowel full, and voicing on the final /z/ without weakening or over-enunciating. IPA: /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/.
A distinct tip: think of JOUR as the core, with a light, almost silent /r/ in non-rhotic speech. Practice by saying ‘journey’ quickly then switch to the plural suffix by adding a crisp /-əlz/. Mouth positions: start with the /dʒ/ as the front of the tongue against the post-alveolar region, then crest the /ɜː/ with a relaxed jaw, and finish with /l/ before the /z/. IPA: /ˈdʒɜːr.nəlz/.
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Journal comes from the Old French journal (‘daily’, ‘daily record’), which itself derives from Medieval Latin diurnalis, from diurnus ‘daily’, linked to dies ‘day’. The English term began in the late 14th century as a record of daily events; it later broadened to mean a daybook, a log, or a bound collection of writings. In the 16th–17th centuries, journal also referred to a day-by-day account kept for personal or official purposes. By the 17th–18th centuries, journals extended to periodicals (news or literary publications issued regularly). The plural form journals appears naturally when discussing multiple volumes or issues, or when referring to members of a group of such records. The word’s core sense—record, log, chronicle—remains stable, while the modern sense as periodical publications expands from the 18th century onward. Modern usage encompasses personal diaries, academic journals, and professional publications, with pluralization signaling multiple entries, volumes, or titles.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "journals" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "journals"
-als sounds
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