3 syllables: la, bor, ers. Stress on la.
LAY-bur-urz
/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/
laborers is pronounced LAY-bur-urz (/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/). It has three syllables (la-bor-ers), with the stress on "la". Laborers are people who perform physical, manual work—often outdoors—such as construction or agriculture. The term emphasizes workers engaged in sustained, often strenuous tasks. The pronunciation guidance below distinguishes the plural form of labor, commonly used in everyday and professional contexts to describe this workforce segment.
Laborers are people who perform physical, manual work—often outdoors—such as construction or agriculture. The term emphasizes workers engaged in sustained, often strenuous tasks. The pronunciation guidance below distinguishes the plural form of labor, commonly used in everyday and professional contexts to describe this workforce segment.
- You: Focus your attention on the diphthong in the first syllable: /eɪ/ as in 'lay' rather than a plain /e/; practice with minimal pairs like lay vs. lab to cement the /eɪ/ sound. - Don’t blur the middle syllable: /bɚ/ or /bə/ must be distinct; use a light, relaxed tongue position to avoid a dull, schwa-less middle. - Final consonant clarity: /z/ in plural form should be voiced; avoid devoicing it in rapid speech. - In connected speech, you might link the end of the first syllable to the middle: [ˈleɪ.bɚ.əz], ensure the middle vowel does not vanish. - Record yourself and listen back; the right rhythm by 1-2 seconds per word will improve overall clarity.
"The city hired laborers to assist with road repairs."
"In many economies, laborers form the backbone of manual industries."
"The union negotiated better safety standards for the laborers."
Pronounce as /ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/ (US) or /ˈleɪ.bə.rəz/ (UK) with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with a long A diphthong in the first syllable: /eɪ/ as in 'lay'. The second syllable uses a schwa+/r color, and the final -ers sounds like /ɚz/ or /əz/ in fast speech. You’ll aim for a smooth transition: lay-buh-ruz. Audio references: consult Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries or Forvo recordings for natural speaker realizations.
Common errors: 1) Flattening the first syllable to a pure /e/ instead of /eɪ/; 2) Dropping the final /r/ in non-rhotic accents or reducing it too much, producing /ˈleɪ.bə/. Correct by practicing the full /ɚ/ or /ər/ ending and maintaining /r/ coloration in rhotic accents; 3) Misplacing the secondary stress or blending syllables too aggressively in rapid speech. Use slow practice with individual isolation of each syllable then connect them with a light, even tempo.
In US English, /ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/ with rhotic r in all syllables; final /ɚ/ is clearly pronounced before the plural /z/. UK English often reduces r, giving /ˈleɪ.bə.rəz/ or /ˈleɪ.bə.rəz/ with a weaker rhoticity, smoother linking between syllables. Australian tends to be rhotic but features a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable and a slightly broader /ɜː/ or /ɐ/ in some speakers. IPA references align with regional dictionaries; practice listening to native speakers across these accents.
The difficulty mainly comes from the consonant cluster and vowel transitions: the first syllable uses /leɪ/ with a diphthong; the middle syllable contains a rhoticsized /ɚ/ or schwa+r sequence; the final /z/ can cause voicing contrasts with faster speech. Also, rapid linking can blur the /r/ sound in non-rhotic variants. Focus on accurate diphthongization, crisp /ɚ/ or /ə/ in the middle, and projecting the final /z/ clearly.
Key tip: treat the word as three syllables with distinct color in the middle: /ˈleɪ/ + /bɚ/ or /bəɹ/ + /əz/. Emphasize the first syllable, pulse the middle to avoid a reduced sound, and finish with a crisp /z/. In practice, say ‘LAY-burr-ers’” with a gentle roll on the second syllable to guide the rhotic or non-rhotic flow depending on your accent.
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- US: Strong rhotics; keep /r/ and /ɚ/ bright. Vowels can be slightly darker; maintain jaw openness with /ˈleɪ/ and ensure the middle /ɚ/ is clearly colored by the tongue tip raised toward the alveolar ridge. - UK: Often non-rhotic; you may reduce the final R and produce /ˈleɪ.bə.rəz/ with a lighter /r/; the second syllable leans toward schwa. - AU: Rhotic but with a more centralized middle vowel; practice /ˈleɪ.bəɹəz/ with a slightly rounded lip posture, and ensure the final /z/ is audible. - Common IPA cues: /ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/ (US), /ˈleɪ.bə.rəz/ (UK), /ˈleɪ.bə.ɹəz/ (AU). - Practice with minimal pairs to feel contrast: lay vs lab, burr vs bur, zephyr vs zed.
The word labor derives from the Latin labor, meaning toil, work, or effort, from the Proto-Italic *labōre*, related to the root *lebh-* meaning to bend or labor. In Latin, labor referred to work in general and to skilled craft; in English, it evolved to denote physical exertion and the effort required to perform tasks. The plural laborers emerged in Middle English as a compound of labor (work, toil) + -er (agentive suffix) + -s (plural). By the 16th–17th centuries, laborers described those who performed manual tasks, especially outdoor labor. The term has been widespread in colonial, industrial, and agrarian contexts, often highlighting class or occupational roles. Over time, “laborer” connotes a worker in physically demanding fields, while “labor” can also refer to broader work or to the effort involved, including abstract or legal uses (labor disputes, labor rights). The word’s usage has persisted across centuries, maintaining clear association with manual, physical labor and the laboring classes, though contemporary contexts may pair it with specialized trades or unions. First known use appears in early Modern English texts, with standard spellings aligning to today’s form by the 1700s as industrialization expanded the scope of manual labor.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "laborers" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "laborers" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "laborers"
-ers sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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