3 syllables: Los An, ge, les. Stress on ge.
loh-SAN-juh-luhs
/loʊs ˈændʒələs/
Los Angeles is pronounced loh-SAN-juh-luhs (/loʊs ˈændʒələs/). It has three syllables (Los An-ge-les), with the stress on "ge". Los Angeles is a major U.S. city and the seat of Los Angeles County, known for its entertainment industry and diverse culture. The term refers to the city itself (Los Ángeles in Spanish) and, by extension, the greater metropolitan area. In English, it’s typically treated as a two-word proper noun with specific English pronunciation and stress pattern.
nounLos Angeles is a major U.S. city and the seat of Los Angeles County, known for its entertainment industry and diverse culture. The term refers to the city itself (Los Ángeles in Spanish) and, by extension, the greater metropolitan area. In English, it’s typically treated as a two-word proper noun with specific English pronunciation and stress pattern.
"She moved to Los Angeles to work in film and television."
"Los Angeles hosted the Olympics in 1984."
"The neighborhoods of Los Angeles are incredibly diverse."
Say /loʊs ˈændʒələs/ in General American. The first word rhymes with 'goes' but with an /l/ onset: /loʊs/. The second syllable stresses ANG as in 'angel' but with a softened final /ləs/. In fast speech you might hear /ˈlɔːs ˈændʒəlɪz/ or /ləˈsæn.d͡ʒəl.ɪz/ across accents; for clarity, enunciate 'An' as /ændʒ/ (the 'j' as 'zh' + 'l' + 'z' blend). Audio reference: you can check native speaker pronunciations on Pronounce or YouGlish: /loʊs ˈændʒələs/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (putting primary stress on the first word or the wrong syllable in 'Angeles'), and mispronouncing /æ/ as /eɪ/ or replacing /d͡ʒ/ with /ʒ/ or /t͡ʃ/. Also, final -es can be reduced inconsistently, producing /-əs/ or /-ɪz/. To correct: keep primary stress on the second word (ANG-uh-luhs), render /æ/ as the short /æ/ in 'An-' and ensure /d͡ʒ/ is a clear 'j' sound in 'Angeles' rather than 'angel' without the 'j'.
In US English it's /loʊs ˈændʒələs/ with a rhotic rless first word and a clear /d͡ʒ/ in the second. UK English often stresses similarly but may have a slightly shorter /oʊ/ or a more central vowel in 'Los,' and the final -es can be more /-ɪz/ or /-əz/. Australian English is non-rhotic in some varieties, potentially weakening rhoticity in 'Los' and showing subtle vowel narrowing in 'Angeles.' Overall, the tensing and the /æ/ and /d͡ʒ/ remain prominent across accents.
The difficulty lies in blending two languages' phonetics (Spanish origin and English phonotactics), the sequence /s ˈændʒ/ in 'Los Angeles' with the /d͡ʒ/ affricate, and the 'Angeles' pronunciation where the 'e' is not silent and the final s is voiced in American English. Speakers often misplace stress or mispronounce the 'An-' as /æŋ-/. Slow, careful articulation of /s/ + /ˈændʒ/ and final /-əs/ helps, as does practicing the transition between the first word and second with natural linking.
The unique aspect is the combination of the /s/ ending in 'Los' and the /d͡ʒ/ starting 'Angeles,' which creates a consonant cluster /s ˈændʒ/ that can trip non-native speakers. Ensuring the /d͡ʒ/ is a single affricate, not two separate sounds, and that the final /əs/ is not reduced to /ɪz/ is key. Additionally, the proper intonation pattern, with a clear secondary stress on 'An-' versus a potential tertiary pitch shift, helps listeners identify the place name correctly.
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Los Angeles derives from Spanish, meaning 'The Angels.' The city’s name originated when the settlement was established by Spanish colonists in the late 18th century and was named in honor of the patron saints of the Franciscan mission, Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, which translates to 'Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.' The full original name was La Misión de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula (Mission of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula). Over time, the name was shortened to Los Angeles for common reference, and then further colloquial form 'L.A.' emerged in American English. The term Angeles itself is borrowed from Latin-based Spanish, reflecting the religious and Mission-era naming conventions. The city’s growth in the 19th and 20th centuries cemented the modern, globally recognized metropolis of Los Angeles.
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Words that rhyme with "Los Angeles"
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