2 syllables: lad, ders. Stress on lad.
/ˈlædɚz/
Say it backLadders is the plural of ladder, referring to a set of steps used for climbing. In everyday use it denotes multiple such devices or, figuratively, a sequence or hierarchy. The word combines the soft initial /l/ with the plural suffix -s, producing a two-syllable word that can be pronounced with either a light or emphasized final s depending on context.
"- The construction crew brought two tall ladders to the site."
"- She climbed the ladders carefully to reach the roof."
"- In the accident report, the ladders were noted as being unsafe."
Pronounce it as /ˈlædərz/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. The first vowel is a clear /æ/ as in cat, the middle is a schwa /ə/ in many rapid speech realizations, and the final /z/ is voiced. Tip: keep the /d/ light and immediately connect to a voiced /z/; avoid a separate, strong /s/ sound. Listen to native examples in dictionaries or pronunciation tools to nail the linking between /d/ and /ər/.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as /ɪər/ or /ɛr/ instead of a reduced /ər/, and making the final /z/ sound too voiceless as /s/. Another frequent issue is over-aspiration on the /d/, creating /ˈlædərz/ with a firmer /d/ than natural in connected speech. Corrective focus: aim for a quick, light /d/ followed by a relaxed /ər/; let the /z/ glow from voicing, not air pressure.
US: /ˈlædərz/ with a rhotacized /ɚ/ in some dialects and a clear /ɹ/ quality before /z/. UK: /ˈlædəz/ or /ˈlædəz/, with a reduced central vowel and often non-rhoticity in some accents; the /r/ may be non-pronounced before vowels but appears in allied forms. Australian: /ˈlædəz/, with non-rhotic tendencies and a slightly flatter /æ/; final /z/ maintains voice but can be subtly elongated or softened in rapid speech.
The challenge lies in the rapid transition from /d/ to a voiced /ər/ sequence, which often reduces to a schwa; the adjacent /d/ must be clean, not flapped like in casual American speech, while the final /z/ remains voiced. Keeping the two-syllable rhythm and avoiding an extra syllable or an /s/ sound after /z/ demands precise timing in connected speech. Focus on the /d/ to /ər/ linkage and proper voicing on /z/.
Is the pronunciation of ladders affected by emphasis in phrases like ladders and scaffolding versus ladders collapse? The IPA remains /ˈlædərz/; however, in fast speech the /ə/ can become a reduced vowel, and the final /z/ may assimilate slightly to the following sound in connected speech. Keeping the /ˈlæd/ onset steady is key when these phrases appear in a sentence.
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Ladder comes from Old English hlæder, related to the Proto-Germanic *hladraz, from the root meaning ‘step’ or ‘stair’. The plural ladders emerged in Middle English through the addition of the regular plural -ers/-ers-like morphology, reflecting the durable, countable nature of ladders as items with multiple steps. The sense related to a device for ascent is attested in early English pharmacopoeia and household inventories, with medieval references emphasizing portable, collapsible versions. The modern plural usage solidified as ladders became standard farm, building, and workshop equipment, with the English word retaining its Germanic consonant cluster and a lightly stressed first syllable. First known uses appear in late medieval inventories, where ladders were described as manned climbing devices. The word’s semantic expansion into metaphorical phrases (ladder of life, ladder of success) developed later, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, paralleling the social ladder metaphor’s rise in discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "ladders"
-ers sounds
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