2 syllables: lo, cals. Stress on lo.
LOH-kuhlz
/ˈloʊkəlz/
locals is pronounced LOH-kuhlz (/ˈloʊkəlz/). It has two syllables (lo-cals), with the stress on "lo". Locals refers to people who live in a particular area or community. The term is often used to distinguish residents from visitors, tourists, or outsiders. It carries a neutral or slightly insider connotation, and is commonly used in casual or descriptive contexts about a town, neighborhood, or region.
Locals refers to people who live in a particular area or community. The term is often used to distinguish residents from visitors, tourists, or outsiders. It carries a neutral or slightly insider connotation, and is commonly used in casual or descriptive contexts about a town, neighborhood, or region.
- You may flatten the first syllable into a quick /ləʊ/ or /lə/ in rapid speech. Try to give the first syllable real length and a crisp /oʊ/ to avoid a reduced pronunciation. - The /əl/ sequence can blur; practice isolating the schwa before /l/ and ensure the /l/ is light but audible before the /z/. - Finally, watch voicing on the final /z/; in noisy environments or with weak breath, you may end with a voiceless /s/; keep the vocal fold vibration for the final consonant.
"The locals recommended a great café around the corner."
"We spent the afternoon with the locals and learned a lot about the area."
"Locals notice small changes in the town’s rhythm that outsiders miss."
Locals is pronounced with two syllables: LOH-kulz in US English and LOH-kuls in UK/AU variants. The primary stress is on the first syllable: /ˈloʊ.kəlz/ (US) or /ˈləʊ.kəlz/ (UK/AU). The second syllable contains a schwa or a light /ə/ before the final /l/ plus /z/. Mouth position emphasizes a rounded, tense initial vowel, followed by a relaxed mid-central vowel; the final z is voiced. Use a clean /k/ onset and avoid linking to avoid blending with following sounds.
Two common errors are: 1) misplacing the stress or making the second syllable too prominent, which softens the word; ensure first syllable carries primary stress /ˈloʊ/. 2) mispronouncing the final consonant cluster as /-lz/ or dropping the final z; keep the final /z/ voiced with clear release. Another misstep is exaggerating the /ʊ/ or /ʌ/ in the second syllable; aim for a short, relaxed /ə/ (schwa) before /l/ then /z/.
In US English, /ˈloʊ.kəlz/ with a clear long /oʊ/ and rhotic /r/-like r-coloring in adjacent words; the /l/ is light and the second syllable is reduced. UK and AU varieties tend to /ˈləʊ.kəlz/ or /ˈlɔː.kəlz/ based on vowel shifts; rhoticity varies—some UK speakers are non-rhotic, which slightly reduces the linking of /r/ but keeps /z/. Australians often maintain a clear /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ distinction depending on region, with a more centralized second syllable. In all, the ending is a voiced /z/; the main variance centers on the first vowel quality and rhoticity influences in connected speech.
Two main challenges: the vowel change in the first syllable, from a tense /oʊ/ to a shorter kick in fast speech, and the quick transition from /k/ to /əl/ before the final /z/—the /l/ can blend with the preceding schwa, making the /əl/ sound elusive. Also, maintaining a clear, voiced final /z/ without devoicing in casual speech is tricky in noisy environments. Practice isolating the /ˈloʊ.kəlz/ sequence and exaggerating the muscles briefly before normal speed.
A common query is whether locals sounds like /ˈloʊ.kəlz/ or /ˈlɔː.kəlz/ in regions with vowel shifts; the answer is: regional vowel realizations influence the first syllable, but the general pattern remains two syllables with primary stress on the first; capture the free vowels in the initial syllable and keep the /k/ and /z/ clearly articulated to avoid ambiguity with nearby words like 'locus'.
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- US: emphasize the /oʊ/ with a somewhat rounded lips posture, keep /l/ clear, and finish with a voiced /z/; the r-color or consonant linking is minimal since locals ends with /z/. - UK: vowel may be more fronted; the /oʊ/ can be realized as /əʊ/ with less diphthong movement; ensure the second syllable remains unstressed and the /l/ is light. - AU: similar to UK but with slightly broader vowel qualities; maintain non-rhotic tendencies in many speakers; keep the final /z/ audible. IPA: US /ˈloʊ.kəlz/, UK/AU /ˈləʊ.kəlz/ or /ˈlɔː.kəlz/ depending on region.
Locals originates from the adjective local, itself from the Latin localis, meaning 'of a place, pertaining to a place.' Local entered English in the 15th century to describe something 'of a region' and later as a noun to denote the inhabitants of a place. The plural locals emerged as a natural extension when referring to groups of people who reside in a given area, often contrasted with outsiders. The sense evolved through social and geographic jargon, with usage swelling in travel, journalism, and everyday speech to identify people who share a common geolocation. The word’s contractions and casual tone are reinforced by frequent collocations like “the locals” or “local residents,” cementing its standing as a familiar, everyday term in many varieties of English. First known uses appear in English texts from the early modern period, but the concept of residents versus outsiders predates modern spelling, appearing in legal and civic language in medieval and early modern Europe. The modern plural form locals has remained stable, accessible, and widely understood in global English, especially in informal conversation and reportage.
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Words that rhyme with "locals"
-als sounds
-les sounds
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