2 syllables: mo, lars. Stress on mo.
MOH-lurz
/ˈmoʊl.ɚz/
molars is pronounced MOH-lurz (/ˈmoʊl.ɚz/). It has two syllables (mo-lars), with the stress on "mo". Molars are the large, flat-topped teeth at the back of the mouth, specialized for grinding food. They function in chewing and breaking down complex textures, usually arranged in each quadrant with four wisdom teeth sometimes included. The term can also refer collectively to all molar teeth. In medical contexts, molars are contrasted with premolars and incisors in dental anatomy.
Molars are the large, flat-topped teeth at the back of the mouth, specialized for grinding food. They function in chewing and breaking down complex textures, usually arranged in each quadrant with four wisdom teeth sometimes included. The term can also refer collectively to all molar teeth. In medical contexts, molars are contrasted with premolars and incisors in dental anatomy.
- Misplacing or weakening the /l/ in the second syllable; you might produce a vague /or/ instead of a clear /lɚ/ sequence. Correct by anchoring the tongue tip to the alveolar ridge for /l/ and keeping the tip light for a fast /lɚ/ transition. - Dropping the final /z/ or making it voiceless; ensure vocal fold vibration is present and the vocal tract doesn’t close too early. Use a light, crisp /z/ after /ər/ or /əz/. - Varying the first-syllable vowel too much, as in /ˈmæl/ or /ˈmiːl/; keep the mid-to-high fronted /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ depending on accent; practice with minimal pairs to lock the diphthong. - Tensing the jaw excessively, which can blunt the /l/; keep the jaw relaxed and lips neutral to avoid a lisp-like effect.
"The dentist noted a crack in one of my molars that needs a filling."
"Chewing with your molars helps grind food into manageable pieces."
"Some people have their wisdom teeth removed to prevent crowding of the molars."
Say /ˈmoʊ.lərz/ in US English, with primary stress on the first syllable. The second syllable sounds like ‘ler’ with a schwa; rhotics are present in US and Australian accents. In UK English, it’s closer to /ˈməʊ.ləz/ with a diphthong in the first syllable and a lighter final /z/. Listen to dental diction samples and practice the smooth transition from /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ to the /l/ plus /ər/ cluster. Practice rhythm: two beats on MO- (moh) and one on-lars.”,
Common mistakes include pronouncing the first syllable with a short, clipped vowel (/mɒ/ or /mɔ/) or dropping the /l/ so it becomes /ˈmoʊərz/. Another pitfall is turning the second syllable into /ərz/ without the palatal contact, resulting in a weaker /lə/ or a mis-timed voicing. To correct: keep the /oʊ/ diphthong clearly, articulate the /l/ with the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge, and release into a precise /ər/ before the final /z/. Recording helps confirm the correct vowel length and the r-colored schwa.”,
In US and AU, you’ll hear rhotic /r/ in the second syllable: /ˈmoʊ.lərz/ (US) and /ˈmoː.ləz/ or /ˈmoː.ləz/ in AU with stronger /ː/ vowel in some regions. In UK, non-rhotic tendency may yield /ˈməʊ.ləz/ or /ˈməʊ.ləz/ with a weaker final /ɹ/ quality. The first syllable diphthong is more prominent in US /oʊ/ than in UK /əʊ/, and the /l/ can be clear syllabic in British speech. Practicing with rhotic and non-rhotic models helps you align with target listeners.”,
The difficulty comes from the cluster /l/ + /ər/ after a strong diphthong in the first syllable, plus plural /z/ voicing. You must coordinate tongue tip for /l/, then quickly move to the rhotacized /ər/ (or /əz/ in non-rhotic variants) without adding vowel intrusion. The plural final /z/ must be voiced and not devoiced, which is easy to mispronounce after a syllable boundary. Mastery requires clear tongue-tip elevation, precise lip rounding for /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, and controlled voicing on /z/.”,
A distinctive feature is the r-colored schwa in many American pronunciations: the /ər/ in the second syllable carries a mild rhotic quality that blends the vowel with /ɹ/. This can be subtle in UK ears where /ə/ is more centralized and less rhotic. Emphasize the precise transition from the /l/ to the /ər/ in US examples to capture the recognizable 'moh-lerz' rhythm for SEO and natural speech.”,
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ in /lɚ/; ensure a clear /oʊ/ vowel in the first syllable and articulate /l/ with a light touch; practice linking to /ər/ without breaking the flow. - UK: often non-rhotic; /ˈməʊ.ləz/ or /ˈməʊ.ləz/ with a more open /əʊ/ and a softer final /z/. The /l/ is dark and can be clearer; your mouth stays wider in the second syllable. - AU: variable rhoticity, but common to retain rhotic /ɹ/ in many contexts; emphasize a longer /oː/ or /oʊ/ before /l/ and a crisp /z/; mouth tends to be more relaxed, with less retroflexion. - IPA references: US /ˈmoʊ.lɚz/, UK /ˈməʊ.ləz/, AU /ˈmoː.ləz/; practice with recordings and mimic native speakers.” ,
The word molars derives from Latin molaris, from mola ‘millstone, crusher’ (related to molere ‘to grind’). The dental sense evolved in medical Latin and early modern anatomical texts to describe the backmost grinding teeth. The plural molars appears in English during the dental anatomical period of the 17th–18th centuries as clinicians began to codify tooth types (incisors, canines, premolars, molars). The root mola itself ties to the same Indo-European root seen in words like mill, mortar, and molar in other Romance languages, reflecting the tooth’s grinding function. Over time, “molar” shifted from a general grinding instrument metaphor to a concrete anatomical label. In contemporary dentistry, “molars” explicitly refer to the posterior grinding teeth, including first, second, and third molars; wisdom teeth (third molars) are sometimes discussed as a separate subset due to eruption and removal considerations. The term’s usage is stable in medical literature, dental records, and everyday language to denote the back teeth used for maceration and pulverization during chewing.
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Words that rhyme with "molars"
-ars sounds
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