2 syllables: li, ters. Stress on li.
LEE-turz
/ˈlitɚz/
liters is pronounced LEE-turz (/ˈlitɚz/). It has two syllables (li-ters), with the stress on "li". Liters is a plural noun (US spelling) or an informal short form of litres (UK/AU) referring to a metric unit of capacity equal to one thousand cubic centimeters. In everyday usage it denotes a measure of liquid volume and is frequently encountered in recipes, science, and commerce. The pronunciation centers on a clear initial /ˈliː.tərz/ or /ˈliː.tɚz/ depending on rhoticity.
Liters is a plural noun (US spelling) or an informal short form of litres (UK/AU) referring to a metric unit of capacity equal to one thousand cubic centimeters. In everyday usage it denotes a measure of liquid volume and is frequently encountered in recipes, science, and commerce. The pronunciation centers on a clear initial /ˈliː.tərz/ or /ˈliː.tɚz/ depending on rhoticity.
- You might pronounce the word like a single syllable or with a dropped /t/; keep the /t/ as a distinct release before the final /z/. - Mistiming vowel length: the first vowel should be the clear long /iː/; avoid a lax /ɪ/.
"We filled two liters of water for the camping trip."
"The chemical bottle contains 1 liter of solution."
"In the lab, they measured 0.5 liters more, then mixed it."
You say /ˈliː.tərz/ in General American, with primary stress on LI. In non-rhotic accents, you’ll hear the final z as a voiced /z/ or sometimes a near-silent z in rapid speech. The US form /ˈliː.tərz/ has a clear schwa or rhotacized vowel in the second syllable depending on speaker. For UK/AU speakers, it’s closer to /ˈliː.təz/ with a lighter second syllable and still ends in /z/ in most contexts. Visualize it as LIH-terz, with a short, relaxed middle vowel.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the t- in the second syllable, saying /ˈliːərz/ or /ˈliː.rəz/. Correction: keep a crisp /t/ or a clear release before the final /z/. 2) Merging syllables into /ˈliːrz/ or misplacing stress as /ˈlɪ.tərz/. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable and articulate /t/ before /ər/. 3) Using a lax vowel in the first syllable, saying /ˈlɪ.tərz/. Correction: use a tense /iː/ as in SEE. Practicing with minimal pairs like lit-er vs li-ter will help differentiate.
In US English, /ˈliː.tərz/ with rhotic /r/ and a pronounced /ər/ in the second syllable. In UK/AU English, /ˈliː.təz/ or /ˈliː.təz/ with non-rhotic /r/ (r is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel) and often a lighter second syllable: /ˈliː.təz/. Australian English is typically rhotic in practice, but pronunciation of /r/ can be softer; the second syllable often reduces to /ə/ or /ər/ depending on speaker and context.
The challenge lies in the two-syllable sequence with a tense first vowel and a quick, devoiced or voiced /t/ release into a rhotacized or schwa-like second syllable. The cluster /t/ + /ər/ or /tə/ must be clean to avoid blending into /laitr/ or /liːr/. In fast speech, final /z/ attaches to the preceding vowel, sometimes causing a slight vowel length discrepancy or voice onset timing shift. Mastery requires precise tongue-tip contact for /t/ and controlled vowel duration.
Do you pronounce the second syllable as a clear /ər/ or a schwa /ə/ in casual speech, and how does that change in non-rhotic accents? In US, you’ll often hear a realized /ər/; in many UK contexts it may reduce toward a schwa /ə/ and the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. Paying attention to whether you voice the final /z/ is key, and whether the vowel before it remains tense.
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- US: rhotic /r/ pronounced; second syllable /ər/ often realized as /ɚ/ in fast speech. - UK/AU: non-rhotic or light /r/; second syllable often /ə/ or /əː/. Keep the /t/ crisp before the /ər/ or /ə/. - Use IPA: US /ˈliː.tərz/; UK/AU /ˈliː.təz/ or /ˈliː.təz/.
Liters derives from the abbreviation liter, which comes from the French litre, from Latin litera meaning ‘a letter, a measure, a line’ originally tied to measurements taken from the Latin word litra meaning a pound-weight or a stake, and then to a standard unit of measure in the metric system. The modern spelling liter (US) appeared in the 19th century as the metric system gained formal adoption in the United States. The UK and many other English-speaking regions retained litre (pronounced with the /ə/ in the second syllable), while American English settled on liter, simplifying the final s. The word’s semantic core has always been a unit of volume, but the plural form arose as a bare plural indicating multiple units. First known uses appear in scientific and trade documents from the late 18th to early 19th centuries as liters began to be used in medical and laboratory contexts, replacing older volume measures in many technical fields. Over time, literacy in international science helped cement liters as a standard measure in SI units (L).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "liters" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "liters"
-ers sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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