STRUHG-uhlz
/ˈstɹʌɡəlz/
struggles is pronounced STRUHG-uhlz (/ˈstɹʌɡəlz/). Struggles is the plural noun or verb form of struggle, referring to efforts or difficulties in overcoming obstacles. In everyday use it denotes persistent or repeated exertion and hardship, often in the face of adversity, and can describe both ongoing challenges and specific episodes. The term carries connotations of endurance, strain, and striving.
Struggles is the plural noun or verb form of struggle, referring to efforts or difficulties in overcoming obstacles. In everyday use it denotes persistent or repeated exertion and hardship, often in the face of adversity, and can describe both ongoing challenges and specific episodes. The term carries connotations of endurance, strain, and striving.
"- She struggles to balance work and study, but she keeps pushing forward."
"- The company struggles with supply chain delays during the holiday season."
"- He struggles with public speaking, yet he practices every day."
Pronounce it as /ˈstrʌɡ.əlz/. Start with the /str/ cluster, where the tongue blocks at the alveolar ridge and lips push forward. The stressed first syllable has /ʌ/ as in 'struggle' and a light, schwa-like /ə/ in the second syllable, ending with a voiced /z/. Keep the /ɡ/ clearly released before the /əlz/ sequence. If you speak quickly, you might hear /ˈstrəɡ.əz/ in casual speech; aim for the full /ʌ/ in the first vowel for accuracy.
Two frequent errors: 1) mispronouncing the initial cluster as /stɹ/ or simplifying to /strɡ/ without the vowel /ʌ/ or /ə/; 2) dropping the /əl/ segment, saying /ˈstrɡlz/ or /ˈstrʌɡlz/ with a heavy /l/ or omitted vowel. Correct by enforcing the /str/ release, then a short /ə/ or /ʌ/ before /l/ and the final voiced /z/. Practice with “struggle” to anchor the root vowel, then attach the plural /-z/.
In US, you’ll hear /ˈstrʌɡ.əlz/ with rhoticity maintaining the /r/ before the vowel. UK often uses a non-rhotic pattern; the /r/ is less prominent, producing /ˈstrʌɡ.əlz/ or a slightly reduced /ˈstrʌɡl̩z/ in rapid speech. Australian tends to be closer to US but with a flatter /ʌ/ and a more pronounced ending consonant; some speakers may reduce the second syllable to a schwa or even /əl/ merging as /l̩z/. Overall, the root vowel remains /ʌ/ in most varieties.
Difficulties stem from the consonant cluster /str/ at the start, requiring precise tongue placement and airflow. The sequence /str/ blends into the unstressed /ə/ or /ʌ/ syllable, then transitions to /ɡ/ before /əlz/. This triplet of movements—alveolar stop release, velar stop, and a soft syllabic nucleus—can cause vowel shortening, insertion, or mis-timing in rapid speech. Mastery comes from isolating the cluster and practicing it with the following /əlz/ as a fixed unit.
A unique aspect is the subtle vowel quality in the second syllable: many learners substitute /ə/ with a stronger /ɪ/ or /ʌ/ leading to /ˈstrɪɡ.əlz/ or /ˈstrʌɡ.əlz/. Another nuance is the optional syllabic /l/ in rapid speech; some speakers reduce /əl/ to /l/ or /l̩/ before /z/. Paying attention to the может: mouth position for /ɡ/ before a vowel-less or vowel-light ending helps achieve clean closure. Exact IPA anchors: /ˈstrʌɡ.əlz/ with a clear /ɡ/ before the /əlz/.
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Struggles derives from late Middle English struggles, from the verb struggle, itself from Old French ester “to strive, struggle,” ultimately from Latin urgere “to press, urge” or a sense of fighting against. The root word struggle appears in various Germanic languages with a similar semantic field of exertion and resistance. In English, the plural struggles emerges as the noun form indicating multiple acts of struggle or a condition of ongoing difficulty, while the verb form denotes the act of making strenuous efforts. Over time, usage broadened from physical fighting or wrestling to metaphorical effort—emotional, financial, or social struggles. The first known uses of struggle in English date back to the 14th century, with contexts ranging from physical combat to internal battles of the mind. By the 17th–19th centuries, “struggle” had cemented its metaphorical sense of contest or difficulty, leading to the modern plural “struggles” that frequently appears in both formal reporting and everyday speech. In contemporary English, “struggles” often collocates with adjectives such as ongoing, daily, or personal, as well as with nouns like withstanding, overcoming, or time, shaping nuanced implications for effort and resilience.
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Words that rhyme with "struggles"
-les sounds
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