2 syllables: mail, box. Stress on mail.
MAYL-bahks
/ˈmeɪˌlbɑks/
mailbox is pronounced MAYL-bahks (/ˈmeɪˌlbɑks/). It has two syllables (mail-box), with the stress on "mail". Mailbox refers to a container or slot for receiving mail, or the system that handles mail delivery. It is a compound noun formed from mail and box, typically used in everyday English to denote where letters and parcels are deposited or stored. In computing contexts, it can also denote an inbox or a place where messages accumulate. The term is common in both American and British usage and is highly productive in metaphorical language (email inbox, mailbox rule).
Mailbox refers to a container or slot for receiving mail, or the system that handles mail delivery. It is a compound noun formed from mail and box, typically used in everyday English to denote where letters and parcels are deposited or stored. In computing contexts, it can also denote an inbox or a place where messages accumulate. The term is common in both American and British usage and is highly productive in metaphorical language (email inbox, mailbox rule).
"I checked the mailbox for the morning letters."
"The postman left a note on the mailbox."
"Please clear the mailbox slot so the mail can be delivered."
Say MAI-lbox with primary stress on MAI. The first syllable uses the /eɪ/ diphthong in 'mail,' followed by a reduced mid back vowel in 'box' /bɒks/ (US) or /bɒks/ (UK/AU). IPA: US /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/, UK /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/, AU /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/. Ensure a clear separation between syllables but maintain a smooth link from /eɪ/ to /bɒ/ before the /ks/.
Common mistakes: 1) Weakening the /l/ so it sounds like /mɛɪlbɒks/ instead of clear /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/. 2) Slurring the /l/ into /m/ making /ˈmeɪmbɒks/. 3) Dropping the second syllable or misplacing stress as MAI-lbox with misplaced emphasis. Correction: keep primary stress on MAI, articulate the /l/ clearly, and maintain the /b/‑/ɒ/ sequence before /ks/.
US and AU typically align: /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/ with /ɒ/ as in 'cot.' UK often uses a similar rhotic pattern but may slightly reduce the vowel in Americanized rapid speech; the /l/ is light and clear in all. The key is that rhoticity is variable in casual UK speech, but most speakers still retain /ˈmeɪlˌbɒks/. In fast speech, the /ˌ/ may blur to a seam rather than a full syllable break.
Two main challenges: the vowel glide in /eɪ/ followed by a crisp /l/ and the abrupt /bɒks/ onset after a light /l/. The tongue must move from approximate alveolar contact for /l/ to the bilabial /b/ without over-arching the jaw. Beginners often merge /l/ and /b/ or mispronounce the /ɒ/ as /ɑ:/. Practice by isolating /eɪl/ then adding /bɒks/ in tight, rapid transitions.
Does the word 'mailbox' ever have a syllable boundary so soft that the /l/ merges with the /b/? In careful speech, you’ll hear a clear boundary: /ˈmeɪl/ + /ˌbɒks/. In rapid speech, some native speakers blend slightly, but maintaining the stop /b/ articulation helps avoid a mushy /l-/b/ transition.
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Mailbox combines mail (from Old French maille, meaning goods, merchandise, or letters carried by a messenger) and box (from Old English bēox, box, container). The compound emerged in English in the 18th or 19th century with the proliferation of organized postal services and standardized mail collection boxes on streets and buildings. Initially, a metal container or “mail box” was noted in city directories as a receptacle for incoming letters. Over time, the term broadened to include personal mail enclosures and later, the metaphorical “mailbox” for electronic messages (email) as email systems grew in the late 20th century. The earliest printed references typically describe a physical receptacle for mail at residences or post offices, often described as a wall-mounted or freestanding box with a slot for insertion of letters and a lid or door for retrieval. By the late 20th century, computer science adopted the term to describe message storage in email systems, preserving the core idea of a fixed receptacle for communications.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "mailbox" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "mailbox"
-ack sounds
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