3 syllables: la, re, do. Stress on re.
lur-AY-doh
/lɚˈeɪdoʊ/
laredo is pronounced lur-AY-doh (/lɚˈeɪdoʊ/). It has three syllables (la-re-do), with the stress on "re". Laredo is a proper noun, most commonly a city in Texas, though it can appear in other proper-noun contexts. In English usage it’s typically pronounced as LA-REH-doh, with the stress on the second syllable, and the middle vowel shaped like an unstressed ‘e’ in “red.” The term carries geographic and cultural associations, and is occasionally used in proper-noun phrases or as a surname variant.
Laredo is a proper noun, most commonly a city in Texas, though it can appear in other proper-noun contexts. In English usage it’s typically pronounced as LA-REH-doh, with the stress on the second syllable, and the middle vowel shaped like an unstressed ‘e’ in “red.” The term carries geographic and cultural associations, and is occasionally used in proper-noun phrases or as a surname variant.
- Confusing the middle vowel: many say la-RE-doh with a broad ‘reh’; instead use a shorter, lighter /ˈreɪ/ or /ˈreɪ.də/ vowel and crisp boundary between syllables. - Stress misplacement: place primary stress on the second syllable, not the first; you’ll hear this as la-RE-do with a focused second syllable. - Final vowel length: avoid prolonging the final /oʊ/ or turning it into a separate syllable; end with a quick /oʊ/ sound.
Correction tips: practice with a three-syllable clap, emphasize the second syllable, use a quick schwa in the first, and cap with a clean, short /oʊ/.
"We toured Laredo, Texas, near the Rio Grande."
"The Laredo skyline glowed at dusk."
"She has family roots in Laredo"
Pronounce it as luh-REH-doh with the stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /ləˈreɪ.doʊ/ or /ləˈreɪdoʊ/ depending on dialect; UK: /ləˈreɪdəʊ/; AU: /ləˈreɪdəʊ/. Start with a light schwa in the first syllable, then the stressed “REH” which uses a mid-front vowel, and finish with “doh” with an open back vowel. Keep the second syllable crisp and avoid turning it into a long “red” followed by a hard “o.”
Two common errors are lengthening the middle vowel too much (making it la-RED-oh) and misplacing the stress on the first syllable. Also, some speakers insert an extra off-glide after the second vowel, producing la-REH-DOH with an overly drawn-out final syllable. To fix: keep the second syllable stressed and closed, use a short, clear schwa in the first syllable, and finish with a concise ‘oh’ rather than a diphthong. Practice with slow syllables and then speed up.
In US English, you’ll hear a strong second-syllable stress with a clear /ˈreɪ/ or /ˈreɪ.dəʊ/ depending on speaker. UK speakers might use a slightly less rhotic or more clipped first syllable, with /ˈreɪ.dəʊ/. Australian speakers often preserve the three-syllable rhythm but may reduce the first syllable’s vowel to a weaker schwa and keep the final /oʊ/ as a pure /oʊ/. Across all, the main differences are vowel quality in the stressed syllable and rhoticity; final -o is typically /əʊ/ in non-rhotic regions.
The word challenges with three neighboring vowels in a short span: a schwa in the first syllable, a stressed mid vowel in the second, and a rounded back vowel in the final syllable. English intonation often skews the middle vowel toward a more open vowel, and listeners expect a clean, unstressed first syllable. The result is mis-stressing or misplacing the syllable. Focus on crisp syllable boundaries and a stable final /oʊ/.
The second syllable bears the strongest vowel emphasis with a rounded mid vowel that resembles the sound in ‘red’ but shorter. The end should be a short, pure /oʊ/ without adding extra syllabic weight. A common snag is turning the ending into a separate syllable with extra vowel color; keep it as a light, fast cadence: la-REH-doh. The first syllable uses a reduced vowel, so your jaw relaxes rather than opens widely.
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US: rhotic, round vowels; UK: less rhotic, more clipped; AU: three-syllable rhythm, non-native vowel colors vary. Vowel cues: middle /eɪ/ or /eɪ/ diphthong depending on speaker; final /oʊ/ remains a closed, rounded diphthong. IPA references: US /ləˈreɪ.doʊ/, UK /ləˈreɪ.dəʊ/, AU /ləˈreɪ.dəʊ/. Focus: reduce first syllable’s vowel to a schwa, maintain crisp stress on second syllable, and ensure final vowel length stays short but rounded.
Laredo originates from Spanish. The name likely derives from a combination of terms describing a place (the suffix -edo is a Spanish noun-forming suffix meaning “place of” or “enclosure”). The exact roots are tied to the city’s founding as a border town along the Rio Grande; it evolved from indigenous and colonial naming practices to a formal municipal designation. First appearances in English-language texts date to the late 19th century as railroads and trade routes connected the United States with Mexican regions. Over time, Laredo became a well-known geographic proper noun beyond maps, entering broader cultural lexicon due to its economic role and its distinctive pronunciation in English.)
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Words that rhyme with "laredo"
-edo sounds
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