2 syllables: lar, va. Stress on lar.
LAHR-vuh
/ˈlɑɹvə/
larva is pronounced LAHR-vuh (/ˈlɑɹvə/). It has two syllables (lar-va), with the stress on "lar". Larva is the immature, wormlike stage of many insects and some amphibians, often feeding and growing before metamorphosis. In common usage, it designates a juvenile form that will molt into a more developed insect. The term is typically used in biological contexts, and it can refer to various species from butterflies to beetles and certain amphibians.
Larva is the immature, wormlike stage of many insects and some amphibians, often feeding and growing before metamorphosis. In common usage, it designates a juvenile form that will molt into a more developed insect. The term is typically used in biological contexts, and it can refer to various species from butterflies to beetles and certain amphibians.
"The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, then becomes a chrysalis and finally a butterfly, passing through a larva stage."
"Scientists studied the larva of the beetle to understand its feeding habits."
"In zoology, larva describes the early, non-reproductive form of many insects."
US: /ˈlɑːr.və/; UK: /ˈlɑː.və/; AU: /ˈlɑː.və/. Primary stress on the first syllable, with a short, neutral second syllable. Start with an open back vowel in the first syllable, then a light, unstressed ‘va’ ending. Tip: emphasize the R-coloring in US English only if you’re using rhotic pronunciation. For accuracy, say LAHR-vuh, keeping the second syllable quick and relaxed. Audio reference: YouGlish or Forvo can help hear natural usage.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing stress (say-LAHR-vuh) instead of LAHR-vuh; ensure primary stress on the first syllable. 2) Slurring the second syllable into the first (lar’va) or adding an extra syllable; keep the second syllable short. 3) Pronouncing the final ‘a’ as a long vowel in non-rhotic contexts; in many dialects it’s a short, neutral schwa-like sound. Correction: practice LAHR-vuh with a quick, clipped second syllable and a crisp first vowel, using IPA /ˈlɑːr.və/.
US: rhotic; the first syllable carries strong /ˈlɑːr/ with an audible r. UK: non-rhotic; often /ˈlɑːvə/ with a softer r and slightly shorter /ɒː/ or /ɑː/ in certain dialects. AU: similar to UK in rhoticity variability, many speakers maintain /ˈlɑːvə/ with a more centralized vowel in the second syllable. Vowel quality shifts slightly by accent: US tends toward a fuller /ɑːr/; UK tends to a more reduced r and shorter second syllable. Use IPA references: US /ˈlɑːr.və/, UK /ˈlɑː.və/, AU /ˈlɑː.və/.
The difficulty lies in the first-syllable vowel quality and the quick, unstressed second syllable. The US /ˈlɑːr/ requires a precise rhotic or non-rhotic quality, and many speakers under- or over-articulate the ‘r’ or flatten the /ɑː/ vowel. The final /ə/ is a lax, reduced vowel that learners often overemphasize. Focus on maintaining a clear, stressed first syllable and a brief, neutral second syllable.
A common unique question is whether you should vocalize the second syllable as ‘var’ or ‘va’. The correct approach is /ˈlɑːr.və/, where the second syllable is a short, neutral schwa-like sound. In rapid speech, many speakers reduce to /ˈlɑːrə/ or /ˈlɑːrvə/, but the preferred, precise form keeps two distinct syllables: /ˈlɑːr.və/. Remember to maintain the stress on the first syllable and keep the second syllable short.
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The word larva comes from Latin, where it originally meant ‘ghost’ or ‘mask’ and later evolved to denote a worrisome ghostly or masked figure. In scientific usage, it was adopted in the 18th century to describe juvenile insect stages observed in metamorphosis. The term’s path was influenced by naturalists who observed insects that, in immature forms, looked radically different from adults. Early entomologists used larva to distinguish the juvenile worm-like forms from the adults, with the sense gradually expanding to cover larvae in amphibians and other animals in modern biology. The etymology thus reflects a transition from a general, mythical masking concept to a precise biological descriptor for immature life stages. First known use in English is recorded in scientific contexts in the 1700s, aligning with formalization of taxonomy and metamorphosis studies. Over time, larva acquired specific connotations within zoology, including larval stages such as caterpillar, maggot, and tadpole, each corresponding to distinct developmental pathways across phyla.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "larva" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "larva" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "larva"
-rva sounds
-var sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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