3 syllables: lyr, i, cal. Stress on lyr.
LIR-ik-uhl
/ˈlɪɹɪkəl/
lyrical is pronounced LIR-ik-uhl (/ˈlɪɹɪkəl/). It has three syllables (lyr-i-cal), with the stress on "lyr". Lyrical is an adjective describing language or style that is musical, poetic, and expressive, often conveying emotion with rhythm and imagery. It can also refer to lyrics or the structure of songs. In broader literary use, it denotes a melodious, imaginative quality that evokes a song-like or flowing cadence.
Lyrical is an adjective describing language or style that is musical, poetic, and expressive, often conveying emotion with rhythm and imagery. It can also refer to lyrics or the structure of songs. In broader literary use, it denotes a melodious, imaginative quality that evokes a song-like or flowing cadence.
"Her writing had a lyrical quality, filled with vivid imagery and rhythm."
"The singer delivered a lyrical performance that moved the audience to tears."
"Poems and ballads often possess lyrical language that lingers in the mind."
You pronounce lyrical as /ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: LI-ri-cal. The middle syllable is weakly stressed or unstressed, and the final syllable uses a schwa /ə/ followed by /l/. Start with a clear L, then a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable, a light /r/ without a strong rhotic vowel, and finish with /ɪ/ or a reduced vowel transitioning to /kəl/. Listen to a careful pronunciation practice and mirror the rhythm of a song’s lines.
Two common errors: (1) under- or over-pronouncing the middle syllable as a full vowel. Keep the second syllable light, like /ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl/, not /ˈlaɪ.rɪ.kəl/. (2) Dipping into an /lɪrɪ/ cluster with a strong /ɹ/ or an /ɪ/ that’s too tense. Aim for a soft, quick /ɪ/ in the middle and a relaxed final /kəl/. Use a slow, isolated practice and then blend into words with a similar rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the initial /ˈlɪr/ remains, but rhoticity affects the following vowel: US is rhotic, often giving a stronger /ɹ/ sound to the second syllable, while UK and AU can be slightly less retroflexed. The final /kəl/ remains relatively reduced in all three, but Australians may have a flatter /ə/ as a near-schwa. Listen for the crisp first syllable and the light, quick ending; avoid a heavy /ˌlaɪ/ onset.
The difficulty centers on the sequence of a stressed, stressed-weak pattern: /ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl/. It requires balancing a crisp initial /l/ with a quick, light middle /ɪ/ and a centralized, reduced final /kəl/. The tendency to over-articulate the middle syllable or to flatten the final schwa into /ɪ/ can disrupt the rhythm. Practicing syllable-by-syllable and then in phrases helps maintain the melodic cadence.
There is no silent letter in standard pronunciation; all three syllables carry phonetic content: /ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl/. The subtlety lies in the second syllable’s reduced vowel and the final /əl/ sequence. Ensure you keep the final /əl/ as a weak, unstressed schwa plus /l/ rather than a fully emphasized syllable.
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Lyrical comes from the noun lyric, which originates from Latin lyricus, from Greek lyricos, meaning “made for or sung to the lyre.” The root lyre relates to musical composition and sung poetry in ancient Greece. The adjective sense, “expressive in a song-like way,” emerged in English by the 16th century as translations and critical terms from classical poetry and music literature. The term later broadened to describe prose or poetry that has the musicality of song, not merely meter but a cadence, imagery, and emotional resonance reminiscent of lyric poetry. First known use in English records appears in the late 1500s as a way to qualify poetry and songs with lyrical intensity, evolving to describe both the quality of language and, in literary criticism, the broader expressive, imaginative voice of a speaker or writer.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "lyrical" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "lyrical" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "lyrical"
-cle sounds
-cal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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