Miracles is a plural noun referring to extraordinary events that surpass human or natural explanations, often attributed to a supernatural cause. In common usage, it denotes things that are surprisingly good or fortunate, perceived as signs or wonders. The term carries a sense of awe and improbability, frequently invoked in religious, inspirational, or phenomenally fortunate contexts.
- You may flatten the first syllable: keep /ˈmɪr/ with clear M and short I sound. - The middle syllable can become /ɪ/ or /iː/; aim for a neutral schwa /ə/ or a lightly reduced /ɚ/ if rhotic; avoid strong vowel sounds. - The final cluster /kəlz/ often becomes /kəlz/ or /kəl/; ensure you voice the final z for a clear plural ending. - In rapid speech, avoid adding extra syllables; keep it three syllables: MIR-uh-kəlz.
- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced clearly; keep the middle /ə/ neutral; /ɫ/ is not typical; final /z/ is audible. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; the /r/ is less pronounced; focus on /ˈmɪə.kəlz/ approximations; ensure the middle vowel remains schwa-like. - AU: similar to UK with slight vowel shifts; keep /ˈmɪr.ə.kəlz/ but be aware of vowel length differences; maintain crisp final /z/.
"The team achieved miracles on the court, coming back from a ten-point deficit."
"People say it’s a miracle that she survived the accident unhurt."
"The market’s rebound was considered a financial miracle by analysts."
"Experts called it a miracle when the fragile bridge withstood the tremors."
Miracles comes from the Old French milagre, later mirakel in Middle English, modeled on Latin miraculum, from mirari ‘to wonder.’ The root mirac- conveys something wondrous; -um is a Latin nominal suffix, evolving into -cle/-cle in English to mark a noun with the sense of a thing that causes wonder. The form miracle first appears in Middle English around the 13th century, often tied to divine acts. The semantic path moved from “something wondrous” to “an extraordinary event” that appears beyond ordinary cause. By the 16th–17th centuries, miracles were discussed in religious and moral discourse, then broadened in the Enlightenment and modern usage to include remarkable, almost unbelievable, good outcomes in secular contexts. Today, miracles commonly label outcomes deemed highly improbable yet positive, sometimes secularized as extraordinary coincidences or extraordinary achievements across science, sport, and personal life.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Miracles" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Miracles" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Miracles"
-als sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /ˈmɪr.ə.kəlz/ in US and UK English, with primary stress on the first syllable. The sequence is MIR-uh-kuls, where the -cles ends with an audible z sound. Start with /m/ followed by a short /ɪ/ vowel, then /r/, then an unstressed /ə/ (schwa), then /k/ and /əl/ in the final syllable, and finish with /z/. Audio references: you can compare pronunciations on Pronounce, Cambridge, or Forvo for native speaker samples.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplaced on the second syllable (mi-RAC-les) which weakens the word’s meaning. 2) Vowel reduction in the second syllable (/ɪr/ instead of /ɪə/ or /ɪ/ before r). 3) Ending cluster mispronounced as -l- instead of -əlz; ensure the final z is heard. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable /ˈmɪr/ and render the middle as /ə/ and the end as /kəlz/ with a clear /z/.
In US/UK, the initial /ˈmɪr/ is similar, but rhoticity affects the r-coloring: US /ˈmɪr.ə.kəlz/ rhotics are pronounced; non-rhotic UK English may reduce r after vowels to a softer color; AU tends to be non-rhotic, with subtle vowel quality shifts in /ɪ/ and /ə/. The final -z remains voiced in all. Focus on the middle vowel: /ə/ in most accents; some UK speakers may momentarily lengthen the middle vowel before the /k/.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable rhythm with a strong primary stress on the first syllable and a rapid /ɚ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable before /k/; the /kəl/ cluster and the final /z/ require precise timing. Additionally, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable followed by /r/ can create a tricky /ɪr/ sequence if not careful. Practice keeping the middle vowel neutral and ending with a clear /z/.
A unique aspect is maintaining a crisp /k/ before the /əl/ and ensuring the final /z/ is not devoiced in rapid speech, which is common in fast conversation. The combination /ˈmɪr.ə.kəlz/ requires a short, clipped first syllable, a light schwa in the middle, and a precise /z/ at the end; some speakers may insert a faint /ɪ/ or reduce to /ˈmɪr.kəlz/ if speech tempo increases.
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- Shadowing: listen to 6-8 natural sentences with miracles; repeat immediately with same rhythm. - Minimal pairs: MIR vs MER, MIR vs MEER; practice MIR as in /ˈmɪr/ and contrast with /ˈmɪə/. - Rhythm practice: three-syllable pattern; count beats: 1-2-3; keep stress on beat 1. - Stress practice: place primary stress on first syllable, secondary stress weakly on second if needed in longer phrases. - Recording: record yourself saying a sentence like “The miracles of science astonish us.”; compare with a native speaker. - Context practice: use miracles in two sentences daily; read news quotes or religious passages to hear natural usage.
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