3 syllables: la, bour, ers. Stress on la.
LAY-bur-urz
/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/
labourers is pronounced LAY-bur-urz (/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚz/). It has three syllables (la-bour-ers), with the stress on "la". Labourers are people who perform manual, physical work, especially in construction or industrial settings. The term emphasizes the labor involved rather than specialized skilled craft. It is commonly used in British English and other Commonwealth varieties, with fewer implications of formal training than skilled trades jobs.
Labourers are people who perform manual, physical work, especially in construction or industrial settings. The term emphasizes the labor involved rather than specialized skilled craft. It is commonly used in British English and other Commonwealth varieties, with fewer implications of formal training than skilled trades jobs.
"The labourers laid the bricks in precise rows under the supervision of the foreman."
"During the heatwave, the labourers worked long shifts to complete the project."
"The contract required the employer to provide safety gear for every labourer on site."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on three syllables:.la-bour-ers. Stress on the first: LA-bour-ers. IPA: US ˈleɪ.baʊərərz, UK ˈleɪ.bə.rəz, AU ˈleɪ.bə.ɹəz. Start with the open 'lay' vowel /eɪ/, then /ˈbaʊ/ as in 'bough' or 'labour' combined, then a schwa-like fleeting /ə/ or light /ə/ in the penultimate syllable, and finally /ərz/ or /əz/ in the suffix, with the plural ending /z/. Practise by pronouncing each syllable clearly: LAI - BAW - ərz, then blend.
Common errors include reducing the second syllable to a quick /lə/ or /lɒ/ depending on accent, misplacing stress on the second syllable, and mispronouncing the final /ərz/ as /ər/ or /erz/. Correction tips: keep the second syllable with a clear /aʊ/ diphthong in /baʊ/ or merge it softly as /bə/ in some UK variants, then ensure the final is /ərz/ rather than /ər/; finally add z sound for plural /-ərz/. Practice in segmented fashion: LAI - BAW - ərz; then smooth the transition.
US speakers tend to have /ˈleɪ.baʊ.ər.ərz/ with a less rhotic schwa in some regions and a final /ərz/. UK pronunciation features a clearer /bə/ in the second syllable and a more pronounced final /əz/ or /ərz/, depending on dialect; Australians commonly use /ˈleɪ.bə.ɹəz/ with non-rhoticity affecting the /r/ and a broader /ə/ in the second syllable. Regardless, the first syllable remains stressed, with /eɪ/ as the initial vowel sequence.
It combines a tense diphthong in the first two syllables and a rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on dialect, plus a plural /-z/ that can blend into a weak ending. The triplet LAI-BAW-ərz requires precise mouth positions: start with a long /eɪ/, then a rounded /aʊ/ transition, and end with a quick /ərz/ cluster. If you roll too quickly, you lose the /aʊ/ and compress the ending; if you over-articulate the final /z/, it sounds labored.
Keep the second syllable close to a grounded /ɒ/ to /ə/ transition depending on accent, but avoid turning /baʊ/ into /bæ/. Practice with a focused segment: LAI (keep /eɪ/) - BAU(ɹ) (pronounce /baʊər/ as two shorter sounds) - ɹəz (final /ərz/). Also ensure the plural /-ərz/ is audible, not a mere /-ər/; the /z/ helps clarity in connected speech.
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The word labourer derives from the noun labour, which comes from Old French labour, from Latin labor, meaning work or toil. The English form labour dates back to the 14th century, initially referring to toil, exertion, or trouble rather than a specific job title. By the 15th century, labourer emerged to denote a person who performs manual labor, particularly unskilled or routine tasks. The element -er is a productive English suffix used to form agent nouns. In British English, labour is the standard spelling; in American English, labor is used, while labourer corresponds to the agent noun in both dialects but aligns with American lexemes like worker. Over time, labourers became a common term in industrial and construction contexts, contrasting with skilled tradesmen. The sense of collective work on a site or project consolidated in 19th- and 20th-century labor movements, where the term frequently appeared in contracts, wages discussions, and safety regulations. First known uses include legal and commercial documents from the late medieval period through the early modern era, transitioning to modern occupational vocabulary with explicit reference to non-skilled physical laborers on sites and in factories. The term remains prevalent in UK usage and other Commonwealth countries; in the US, the spelling aligns with laborer and associated phrases, but labourers is still understood in international contexts and in media reporting on British-style labor practices.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "labourers" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "labourers"
-ers sounds
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