3 syllables: Mo, las, ses. Stress on las.
muh-LAS-uhz
/məˈlæsəz/
Molasses is pronounced muh-LAS-uhz (/məˈlæsəz/). It has three syllables (Mo-las-ses), with the stress on "las". Molasses is a thick, dark syrup produced during sugar refining, rich in sugar and minerals. It has a distinctive sweet, slightly bitter flavor and a syrupy texture. In cooking and baking, it provides moisture and depth, while in historical contexts it appears as a common sweetener and preservative.
nounMolasses is a thick, dark syrup produced during sugar refining, rich in sugar and minerals. It has a distinctive sweet, slightly bitter flavor and a syrupy texture. In cooking and baking, it provides moisture and depth, while in historical contexts it appears as a common sweetener and preservative.
"I stirred molasses into the cookie batter for a deep, caramelized flavor."
"The pantry labeled molasses clearly, next to the brown sugar."
"She used a spoonful of molasses to glaze the roasted carrots."
Pronounce as muh-LAY-siz, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /məˈleɪsɪz/. Start with a schwa, then an open mid-to-low front vowel for the second syllable, and end with a z sound. The initial 'mol' reduces to /mə/; the middle is /ˈleɪ/ (like late); final is /sɪz/ or /zɪz/. Practice slow: /mə/ + /ˈleɪ/ + /sɪz/ and blend.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (first instead of second) and softening the final syllable to /s/ or /z/ without voicing. Another frequent issue is mispronouncing /ˈleɪ/ as /lə/ or /ˈliː/ due to vowel reduction. Correct by emphasizing /ˈleɪ/ with a clear long A, and clearly voicing the final /z/ rather than a subtle /s/.
US and UK share /məˈleɪ.sɪz/; the rhoticity difference affects the preceding 'r' only in certain related words, not here. US tends to a slightly more centralized /ə/ in /mə/, UK keeps a crisper /ə/; AU is similar to US but may be vowel length differences in casual speech. Focused on the /ˈleɪ/ nucleus, all major varieties maintain the long A vowel, with minor diphthongal shifts.
Difficulties center on the mid-vowel /ə/ in the first syllable and the diphthong /eɪ/ in the second. The sequence /ləɪ/ sits between a reduced form and a clear /leɪ/. Beginners often misplace stress or shorten the second syllable, producing /məˈlæsɪz/ or /moˈlæsɪz/. Practice with focused mouth positioning for /ə/ and /eɪ/ and keep the final /z/ voiced.
A unique aspect is the fixed stress placement on the second syllable in most dialects, with a subtle but audible segment boundary before the final /z/. Ensure your mouth opens for /ə/ at the start, then transitions to /ˈleɪ/ with a clean gliding /eɪ/ and a voiced /z/ at the end. This specific rhythm and voicing pattern is what makes molasses recognizable across contexts.
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US vs UK vs AU: US tends to a more centralized /ə/ in the first syllable, UK retains a crisper quick /ə/, AU similar to US but sometimes a quicker glide in /eɪ/. Vowel quality: /ə/ remains schwa-like; /ˈleɪ/ is a strong diphthong with a clear glide to /ɪz/. Consonants: final /z/ is voiced; avoid a voiceless /s/. IPA references: /məˈleɪsɪz/ (US/UK/AU) emphasize /ˈleɪ/ with a distinct /s/ vs /z/ transition depending on surrounding sounds.
Molasses comes from late Latin mel, meaning honey, via Old English melesa and Middle English molasse, with roots in Greek mielos for honey and the Portuguese melasso. The term traces to the refining shock after extracting sugar from sugarcane; the thick liquid byproduct was called molasses by medieval spice traders. Early English usage appears in the 15th century texts, and by the 17th century molasses had become a common household ingredient in Europe and the Caribbean. The word evolved from describing the product’s byproduct to a standard pantry item, retaining connotations of rich sweetness and depth, and eventually expanding into variations like light, dark, and blackstrap as sugar processing intensified. Today, molasses denotes several dark syrups with varying sugar content, used globally in baking, beverages, and savory glazes, while retaining its historical association with colonial sugar trade and traditional Southern cooking in North America.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Molasses" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Molasses" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Molasses"
-sus sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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