3 syllables: li, ber, als. Stress on li.
LIB-ur-uhlz
/ˈlɪˌbɝəlz/
liberals is pronounced LIB-ur-uhlz (/ˈlɪˌbɝəlz/). It has three syllables (li-ber-als), with the stress on "li". Liberals refers to people who generally advocate for social equality, civil rights, and progressive reforms within a political system. The term can also describe a political orientation associated with tolerance of diverse viewpoints, scientific reasoning, and reformist attitudes. In discourse, it often contrasts with conservatives, authoritarianism, or traditionalism, and is used across many English-speaking contexts with nuanced implications.
Liberals refers to people who generally advocate for social equality, civil rights, and progressive reforms within a political system. The term can also describe a political orientation associated with tolerance of diverse viewpoints, scientific reasoning, and reformist attitudes. In discourse, it often contrasts with conservatives, authoritarianism, or traditionalism, and is used across many English-speaking contexts with nuanced implications.
-You might flatten the middle vowel or skip the schwa: practice producing /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/ with a clear three-beat rhythm. -You may voice the final /s/ as /s/ instead of /z/; ensure vocal cord vibration for /z/ in fluent speech. -You might place stress incorrectly on the second syllable; keep primary stress on the first syllable: LI-ber-als.
"The policy debate drew strong reactions from liberals who champion civil rights and environmental protections."
"Liberal voices on the panel argued for more inclusive budgeting and public education funding."
"Some liberals favored gradual reform rather than rapid upheaval in social policy."
Pronounce as /ˈlɪbərəlz/ in US/UK/AU. The primary stress is on the first syllable: LI-bə-rəlz. The middle vowel is a schwa in many speakers: /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/. The final -s is voiced as /z/. Visualize lips: light lip opening for /ɪ/, relaxed mid-central /ə/ for the second syllable, and an /əl/ sequence before the final /z/; ensure the /r/ is a lightly pronounced rhotic if holding the rhotic accent.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the middle schwa, giving /ˈlɪberlz/ which sounds clipped. (2) Misplacing stress on the second syllable, saying /ˌlɪˈberəlz/. (3) Pronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ in careful speech or before voiceless consonants. Correction: keep clear three-syllable rhythm with /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/ and voice the final /z/ in fluent speech.
In US and UK, the first syllable bears primary stress: /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/. US rhoticity makes /r/ pronounced; UK may be non-rhotic in some variants but often still shows /r/ in connected speech. AU typically rhotic with similar /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/; vowel qualities may be slightly tighter or broader depending on region. The /ɪ/ in the first vowel is often front and lax; the middle /ə/ can be reduced; final /z/ remains voiced.
Because it blends unstressed schwa in the second syllable with a stressed first syllable and a voiced alveolar sibilant at the end. The /ɪ/ in the first syllable is short, the /ˈlɪ/ cluster must lead smoothly into /bər/ before the schwa /ə/; the final /lz/ sequence requires voicing and timing. Mastering the light, quick /ər/ reduction and linking helps avoid stiffness in speech.
The ending -ers in liberals is pronounced as /əlz/ after an /r/ sound, yielding /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/. The sequence /rəl/ is smooth; keep the /r/ clear but not overly rolled, and ensure the vowel before /l/ is reduced to a soft schwa. Focus on maintaining the three-syllable rhythm and keeping the final /z/ voiced in connected speech.
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- US: rhotic /r/ in all positions; keep /ɹ/ smooth before /əlz/. Middle vowel often a reduced /ə/. Vowel length is not strongly contrastive in American English; focus on rhythm. - UK: may be non-rhotic in some dialects; /r/ may be silent unless followed by a vowel; maintain clear /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/ when linking into next word; vowel qualities can be slightly shortened. - AU: rhotic with broad a quality; maintain /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/ with slight American-like rhotics in connected speech; monitor lip rounding on /ɹ/ context. IPA references: US /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/; UK /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/; AU /ˈlɪ.bə.rəlz/.
The word liberal comes from the Latin liberalis ‘of or concerning freedom, freedom of choice,’ from liber ‘free.’ In early modern Europe, liberalis described traits associated with freedom from tyranny, and by the 17th–18th centuries it came to refer to advocates of constitutional government and individual rights. In English, liberal appeared in the 14th century as ‘noble, generous,’ but by the 18th century it shifted to political meaning: supporters of civil liberties, free trade, and reform. The term broadened through the Enlightenment and the liberal revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries, with the political noun liberal increasingly tied to parties and platforms endorsing individual rights, secular governance, and social reform. In modern usage, liberals are identified by a spectrum of positions on social equality, government intervention, and progressive policies, varying by country but often linked to advocacy for minority rights, education, and science-based policy. First known use as a political label in English can be traced to the late 18th century; by the 19th century it denoted fieled reformers and free-thinking intellectuals. In contemporary use, the term persists as a self-identifier and as a means of describing political stance across many democratic systems, albeit with different emphases depending on regional context and party landscape.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "liberals" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "liberals"
-ers sounds
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