Lacrosse is a team sport played with a small rubber ball and sticks called crosse that have a netted pouch for catching and throwing. The term, derived from the French word for stick, is used as a noun to denote the sport itself and the equipment. In common usage, it refers to both the game and its players, teams, and related activities.
- You often misplace the stress on the first syllable or flatten the second syllable vowel. To fix: practice la-CROSS with a clear, sustained second-syllable /ɔ/ and a light, quick first syllable. - Initial schwa too reduced or overpronounced. Aim for a relaxed, quick /ə/ and then jump to /ˈkrɔs/; don’t linger on the first syllable. - Final /s/ sounding like /z/ or /s/ in a voiced environment. Keep the voiceless /s/; don’t voice it—end with a crisp hiss. - Vowel-tension mismatch between US/UK/AU variants. Practice in each variant’s mouth posture to avoid neutralized vowels.
- US: Rhotic, keep /ə/ in the first syllable, stress on the second syllable; ensure the /ɔ/ is rounded and mid-back. IPA: /ləˈkrɔs/ - UK: Often a slightly more open /ɒ/ in the stressed syllable; still keep /s/ final, but allow a lighter tongue position at the end; IPA: /ləˈkrɒs/ - AU: Similar to UK with even more clipped consonants in casual speech; maintain non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers, but most will retain /ləˈkrɒs/; IPA: /ləˈkrɒs/ - General: lip rounding for /ɔ/, jaw slightly lowered for /ɔs/, quick transition from /ə/ to /ˈkrɔs/; keep tongue close to roof of mouth for the /ɔ/; avoid tensing the jaw in the second syllable.
"The university added lacrosse to its roster after a successful recruiting season."
"She plays lacrosse every Saturday on the new field."
"During warmups, the lacrosse team practiced passing drills."
"The coach emphasized defensive positioning and fast clears in lacrosse."
Lacrosse entered English via French traders and missionaries who documented the Native American game known as bagataway or lacrosse, named after the long curved stick or crosse (from the French crosse, meaning ‘stick’ or ‘staff’). The earliest English references date to the 19th century with players and teams adopting the word to describe the sport overall; the sport’s standardized terminology and rules emerged in North America in the late 1800s. The term’s semantic spread paralleled formalization of leagues, equipment design (mesh-netted pockets in the crosse), and governance by national lacrosse associations. The spelling lacrosse preserves the French root, with the suffix -rosse echoing the French word for a cross-staff. Over the decades, the word has become a universal noun for the game, its equipment, and related athletic identity across North America and other lacrosse-playing regions. First known use in English citations appears in the 1830s–1860s period, aligning with the sport’s early organizational growth and spread from Canadian missionary communities to American colleges. Modern usage continues to reflect both the historical root and its evolution into a fast-paced, high-skill sport with professional, collegiate, and recreational variants.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Lacrosse" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Lacrosse"
-oss sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ləˈkrɔs/ in US English, with two syllables: la- as a stressed second syllable after a light initial schwa; the second syllable rhymes with ‘boss’ but with an open-back vowel. The final sound is /s/. In UK/AU, the pronunciation is similar but the second vowel is often realized as /ɒ/ or a broader /ɒ/ sound: /ləˈkrɒs/. Remember the emphasis on the second syllable: la-CROSS, with the long o quality in the stressed syllable.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as /roʊ/ as in ‘rose’ instead of /rɔs/, and misplacing the stress on the first syllable as /ˈləkroʊs/. Also, some speakers bias the initial schwa too strongly, making it sound like /læˈkroʊs/ or /ləˈkros/. Focus on a clear /ɔ/ in the stressed second syllable and keep the initial vowel as a soft, quick schwa. Finally, avoid adding a 'k' sound before the s—there isn’t a /k/ before /s/ in standard pronunciation.
In US English, you typically have /ləˈkrɔs/ with a rhotic accent and a mid-back rounded /ɔ/. UK/AU variants often shift toward /ləˈkrɒs/ with a slightly more open /ɒ/ and less rhoticity in some UK regional accents, but lacrosse remains rhotic in most American varieties. The initial unstressed syllable remains a neutral /ə/ or /ə/. Vowel length and tension vary: /ɔ/ in US can be tenser in stressed syllables, while AU tends toward a shorter, clipped /ɒ/ in casual speech. Listen for the second syllable stress and the /s/ ending regardless of accent.
The difficulty lies in the stressed second syllable’s vowel quality /ɔ/ and the rapid switch from the unstressed /lə/ to /ˈkrɔs/. English speakers unfamiliar with the French-derived stem may misplace the stress or over-aspirate the initial syllable. The soft schwa in the first syllable and the crisp /s/ at the end require precise articulation to avoid sounding like ‘lacos’ or ‘lacross.’ Focus on a clean, compact mouth position for /lə/ and a sharp, rounded /ɔ/ for /ɔs/.
Does lacrosse have a silent letter? No; the word is pronounced with an audible s at the end: /ləˈkrɔs/. The challenge is not silent letters but vowel quality and stress placement. You’ll want to keep a short, relaxed initial schwa and a strong, rounded /ɔ/ in the stressed syllable, followed by a crisp /s/. Keeping the mouth rounded for /ɔ/ helps achieve the correct vowel color and prevents it from becoming /ɒ/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Lacrosse"!
- Shadowing: Listen to a native speaker saying lacrosse and repeat in real time, then 2-3 second lag; start slow, then match speed. - Minimal pairs: lacrosse vs. laxross (not a real word) or lacrosse vs. lacrossee is not useful; better pairs: lax vs lacross, cross vs crost? Instead, use pairs that emphasize /ə/ vs /æ/ initial: /lə/ vs /lɑ/; or controlled contrast: lacrosse /ləˈkrɔs/ vs. lacrosé /ləˈkroʊz/ (note this is not a standard word but helps practice). Realistic: practice lacrosse vs cross; practice with other sport terms to tune final /s/. - Rhythm practice: two-syllable stress with secondary weak beat before the stressed syllable to imitate English rhythm. - Stress: Practice the main stress on the second syllable by tapping the desk on syllable two. - Recording: Record yourself and compare with native samples; focus on /ˈkrɔ/ blend and the /s/ ending. - Context sentences: Use lacrosse in two contexts: sports conversation and gear discussion; ensure you can say it naturally in sentence-internal positions.
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