2 syllables: Mus, sels. Stress on Mus.
MUHS-uhlz
/ˈmʌsəlz/
Mussels is pronounced MUHS-uhlz (/ˈmʌsəlz/). It has two syllables (Mus-sels), with the stress on "Mus". Mussels is a plural noun referring to edible bivalve mollusks with dark, oblong shells that are typically steamed or simmered. The word is frequently used in culinary contexts and can also appear in discussions of marine life. It emphasizes the plural form of mussel, often in recipes or menu descriptions.
nounMussels is a plural noun referring to edible bivalve mollusks with dark, oblong shells that are typically steamed or simmered. The word is frequently used in culinary contexts and can also appear in discussions of marine life. It emphasizes the plural form of mussel, often in recipes or menu descriptions.
- You might over-elaborate the first vowel, turning /ʌ/ into /a/ or /ɑː/; keep it short and central. - Forget the voicing on the final /z/, ending with /s/; ensure your vocal folds vibrate for /z/ to sound like the correct plural ending. - The /l/ can blend into the /z/; separate with a tiny pause or micro-resonance before the /z/ for clarity. - When in rapid speech, you may reduce to /ˈməsˌels/ or /ˈmʌsəlz/; aim for /ˈmʌ.səlz/ consistently. - Don’t skip the schwa in the second syllable; a weak /ə/ ensures natural rhythm and prevents a heavy second beat.
"We served steamed mussels with garlic butter and white wine."
"The market had fresh mussels, clams, and oysters."
"She rinsed the mussels before adding them to the pot."
pronounced /ˈmʌ.səlz/. The first syllable has the stressed vowel /ʌ/ like ‘cup’, and the second is a lighter /ə/ followed by /lz/. The s in the final cluster is voiced as /z/. Tip: keep the first vowel short and avoid an extra /s/ sound before the final /z/. Audio examples: you can compare with recordings on Pronounce or Forvo to hear the /ˈmʌ.səlz/ rhythm.
Two common errors are pronouncing it as /ˈmuː.səl/ (lengthening the first vowel to /uː/) and misplacing the final /z/ as a /s/ or ignoring the /əlz/ ending. To correct: keep the /ʌ/ in the first syllable short, then move quickly to a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with a voiced /z/ in /-əlz/. Practice with contrastive pairs like mussel vs muscles and focus on final voiced consonant clarity.
In US/UK/AU, the primary difference is the vowel quality in /ʌ/ and the rhoticity, but mussels remains /ˈmʌ.səlz/ across. US speakers may have slightly stronger rhotic influence in connected speech, UK speakers may reduce the /ə/ more, and AU speakers often preserve a clipped /ɐ/ in the first syllable depending on region. The final /z/ remains voiceless rather than a /s/ in many casual utterances, but all three generally keep the /ˈmʌ.səlz/ pattern.
The challenge lies in the concise two-syllable structure with a short /ʌ/ vowel and a reduced second syllable /ə/ before the voiced /lz/. The sequence /səlz/ can feel tight in fluent speech, making it easy to mispronounce the /z/ as a /s/ or to merge /s/ and /z/. Pronouncing with clear voicing for the final /z/ and keeping the second syllable light helps avoid common slips.
The word’s ending combines a syllabic /l/ with a voiced /z/ in /-əlz/, which can blur in fast speech if you don’t articulate the /l/ before voicing. A question-specific tip: practice minimal pair mussels vs mussel to reinforce the plural vs singular distinction while maintaining the same initial stress and vowel quality. You’ll hear the contrast most clearly in careful speech or in diction-focused practice.
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- US: clear, rhotic pronunciation; ensure the /r/ not present, but the /ɚ/ is not typical here; focus on /ˈmʌ.səlz/ with a crisp final /z/. - UK: slightly lighter vowel in /ʌ/ and a very quick, relaxed second syllable; keep /ə/ centralized. - AU: tends toward clipped vowels; maintain /ˈmʌ.səlz/ with a short, central /ə/ and a fully voiced /z/. IPA references should be consulted for subtle regional differences.
The word mussel comes from Old English mosol or musel, derived from Proto-Germanic *mus- or *muslej, linked to the Proto-Indo-European root *mus- meaning ‘soft or worm-like creature’ (in some Germanic languages). The plural mussels retains the regular -s plural in English. The term has long been used to describe various edible shellfish with a two-part shell, but in modern English it most commonly refers to the marine bivalve Mytilus edulis and related species. The first known written uses appear in medieval English culinary or natural history texts, where mussels were described in lists of seafood. Over time, the word shifted from a broad crustacean-oriented label to a precise culinary item; by the 18th–19th centuries, “mussels” had become a standard plural noun in cookbooks and menus as global seafood markets expanded. The sense of “edible shellfish gathered from coastal waters” remains stable, while regional varieties and species have diversified in scientific taxonomy and gastronomic usage.
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Help others use "Mussels" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mussels" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Mussels" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Mussels"
-les sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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