One syllable: Lame.
laym
/leɪm/
Lame is pronounced laym (/leɪm/). It has one syllable (Lame), with the stress on "Lame". Lame is an adjective meaning disabled or hindered in movement, quality, or effectiveness; in contemporary use it also describes something unconvincing or uncool. It can refer to physical lamination or functioning poorly, but colloquially it often signals a mild critical tone about something perceived as inadequate or unimpressive. The term can carry pejorative connotations depending on context and delivery.
adjectiveLame is an adjective meaning disabled or hindered in movement, quality, or effectiveness; in contemporary use it also describes something unconvincing or uncool. It can refer to physical lamination or functioning poorly, but colloquially it often signals a mild critical tone about something perceived as inadequate or unimpressive. The term can carry pejorative connotations depending on context and delivery.
- You may drop the vowel length of /eɪ/, producing a clipped /leɪm/ becoming something like /lɛm/. To fix: extend the vowel through the diphthong, allowing a smooth transition from /e/ to /ɪ/. - Some speakers replace /eɪ/ with a pure /e/ or /i/ sound, leading to a wrong vowel quality; practice with a two-step drill: rehearse /e/ then glide to /ɪ/ in one smooth motion. - Final /m/ sometimes becomes a nasalized or whispered stop; ensure full bilabial closure with symmetric lip pressure and avoid releasing early. - Tension in jaw or lips can lead to stiffness; relax the jaw and keep the tongue in a neutral high-front position.
"His broken ankle left him feeling lame for weeks."
"The excuse sounded lame and didn’t convince anyone."
"That attempt at humor was lame, not funny at all."
Pronounce it as /leɪm/ with a long A. Start with a mid-back tongue position rising to a high front vowel for /eɪ/. Your lips should be relaxed, not rounded, finishing with an unvoiced, final /m/ lip closure. The word is monosyllabic in most accents, so keep it tight and smooth from start to finish. For a quick reference, think of the vowel in “late” plus the final /m/.
Two common errors: (1) Ending with a clipped or reduced /m/ where the lips don’t fully close; ensure full bilabial closure and vocalic emission. (2) Misproducing the /eɪ/ as [ɛɪ] or [aɪ], producing a flatter sound. Practice the diphthong by starting with /e/ and gliding to /ɪ/ softly; keep jaw from dropping. Record and compare to a model to self-correct.
In US/UK/AU, /leɪm/ remains the same core vowel, but rhoticity or vowel quality shifts may affect surrounding sounds; Australians may have a slightly softened final /m/ and a subtler gliding from /eɪ/ due to vowel merging in some dialects. The primary feature is the diphthong /eɪ/; the rhotic element is minimal here since there is no rhotic consonant in the word itself.
The diphthong /eɪ/ requires careful tongue height and glide; the transition from the mid-front vowel to the high front vowel must be smooth and not abrupt. Some speakers compress the jaw, making the glide too short, resulting in a flatter sound. Keeping the mouth slightly more open during the /eɪ/ helps with a clearer, longer vowel, improving overall intelligibility.
The key nuance is the diphthongal glide in /eɪ/. Ensure your starting position is mid-front, then glide upwards to a higher front position as you vocalize toward the /ɪ/ endpoint before closing with /m/. The difference between saying /leɪm/ and a shorter /lɛm/ is precisely the duration and glide of your vowel; practice lengthening the first vowel component while maintaining a smooth, short final /m/.
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- US: rhotacism is not relevant here; focus on the pure /eɪ/ diphthong and a clear bilabial /m/. - UK: expect a slightly more clipped or precise /eɪ/ with a crisper cutoff before /m/; maintain the same mouth configuration, but with subtle vowel length differences. - AU: you may hear a slightly lower F2 and a broader vowel resonance; keep the /eɪ/ glide with a fuller mouth opening, not rounding lips; ensure non-rhotic tendency outside the word. IPA references: US /leɪm/, UK /leɪm/, AU /leɪm/.
Lame originates from the Old English word lǣm, related to the Proto-Germanic *laimaz and the Proto-Indo-European root *lei- meaning to loosen or cower. It historically described physical impairment or inability to walk properly. In Middle English, lame began to denote both literal disability and figurative weakness, inefficacy, or defect. By the 16th–17th centuries, the sense extended to describe reduced vitality or credibility, which set the stage for the modern colloquial usage indicating something that’s not convincing or is uncool. The term evolved alongside social attitudes toward disability, with modern usage requiring sensitivity in certain contexts. First known uses appear in Old English medical and legal texts, with later literary appearances in Middle English drama, then broader adoption in 19th–20th century vernacular, culminating in contemporary slang where it frequently carries a dismissive or humorous tone when describing ideas, performances, or fashion.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Lame" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Lame" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Lame"
-ame sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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