2 syllables: lin, tel. Stress on lin.
LIN-tuhl
/ˈlɪntəl/
lintel is pronounced LIN-tuhl (/ˈlɪntəl/). It has two syllables (lin-tel), with the stress on "lin". Lintel refers to a horizontal support of stone, concrete, or timber spanning an opening, such as a door or window, bearing weight from above. In architecture, it’s the structural beam that distributes load to the sides of an opening. The term emphasizes function over ornament, and usage is common in building descriptions and historical contexts.
Lintel refers to a horizontal support of stone, concrete, or timber spanning an opening, such as a door or window, bearing weight from above. In architecture, it’s the structural beam that distributes load to the sides of an opening. The term emphasizes function over ornament, and usage is common in building descriptions and historical contexts.
"The old stone lintel above the doorway bears weathering from centuries of rain."
"A reinforced concrete lintel was installed to replace the cracked wooden beam."
"Carved lintels often feature decorative glyphs that signal the era of the building."
Pronounce it as LIHN-tuhl, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈlɪn.təl/. The first vowel is a short lax i as in “kit,” the second syllable uses a schwa-like vowel in careful speech. Ensure the t is clearly released between the syllables, avoiding an overly strong “t-l” blend at the boundary. You’ll hear a crisp, two-syllable rhythm in architectural narration.
Common errors include reducing the second syllable too much to a quick “el” or unclear tongue position in the second vowel. Some speakers insert an extra syllable (/ˈlɪn.tɪl/ or /ˈlɪn.ˌtɛl/) by misguiding the tongue or adding a vowel where there isn’t one. Correct it by keeping a neutral schwa in the second syllable and ensuring the /t/ lands firmly before the final /əl/. Practice with slow pauses: /ˈlɪn.təl/ and then speed up.
In US and UK, the word is typically /ˈlɪn.təl/ with two syllables and a clear /t/ before the final schwa. In some Australian speech, you may hear a slightly more open vowel in the first syllable and a softer r-less quality if there’s an adjacent r-less environment, but the core is the same: LIHN-təl. The rhoticity difference is not a factor here since lintel is non-rhotic in standard varieties; the primary variation is vowel quality and the consonant clarity. Practice with a neutral accent before adding region-specific traits.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed or reduced second syllable and the articulation of the /t/ followed by a syllabic or vowel-like ending. Many speakers glide into a lax /ɫ/ or insert an extra vowel. Make sure to separate the /t/ and the final /əl/, using a crisp alveolar stop release and a short, unstressed schwa or reduced vowel. Practicing with slow, precise enunciation helps you keep the two-syllable rhythm intact.
A lintel-specific trap is the quick transition from /n/ to /t/ to the final /əl/, which can cause a subtle mispronunciation as either /lɪn.tɪl/ or /ˈlɪn.tɛl/ if the vowel in the second syllable shifts. Focus on maintaining a crisp /t/ and a neutral /ə/ in the final syllable, and avoid substituting with a syllabic /l/ or vowel shift. Listening to architectural narration and repeating in segments helps cement the correct pattern.
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Lintel comes from Old French lintel, itself from lint, meaning ‘lintel, beam’ and related to Latin līnītus ‘lined, bounded’ via Germanic routes. The root concept is a fixed, horizontal bearing placed over an opening in a wall. Its earliest English attestations trace to Late Middle English, around the 14th century, when architectural vocabularies grew as stone and timber framing advanced. The word’s semantic arc centers on architecture and construction: a lintel is a structural piece spanning openings and bearing load at its ends. Over time, lintel’s usage broadened in architectural descriptions beyond rustic or vernacular buildings to formal surveyed or preserved monuments. Typical spelling variants and related terms include lintel stone, lintel beam, and arched lintel in different traditions. In contemporary usage, lintel remains a precise engineering term but also appears in historical narratives to describe the construction of doorways and windows in stone and brick masonry. Its endurance in architectural discourse reflects its essential function: stabilizing openings and distributing vertical loads to the supporting walls. First known use in English is documented in medieval building records and architectural manuals, with the term consistently tied to the concept of a horizontal load-bearing element across diverse European architectural practices.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "lintel" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "lintel" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "lintel"
-tel sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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