One syllable: Tale.
tayl
/teɪl/
Tale is pronounced tayl (/teɪl/). It has one syllable (Tale), with the stress on "Tale". Tale is a fictitious or legendary narrative, typically concise and focused on a single story arc. As a noun, it denotes a short, often moral or entertaining, story passed down through culture. In usage, it contrasts with broad epics by emphasizing plot, character, and a clear ending.
nounTale is a fictitious or legendary narrative, typically concise and focused on a single story arc. As a noun, it denotes a short, often moral or entertaining, story passed down through culture. In usage, it contrasts with broad epics by emphasizing plot, character, and a clear ending.
How to Pronounce Tale
"She told a tale about a brave knight who outwitted a dragon."
"The village has a long tale of loss and resilience."
"His tale of mistaken identity had everyone in stitches."
US/UK/AU pronunciation is the same: /eɪl/. Start with a long vowel glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ toward /l/, but in practice it’s the diphthong /eɪ/ followed by final /l/. The mouth opens mildly for /eɪ/, tongue high-mid for onset, lips relaxed. Ensure the ending /l/ is light, not a dark velar sound. Stress is on the single syllable. Listen to native speakers and imitate the smooth glide for natural rhythm.
Common errors include mispronouncing the /eɪ/ as a pure /eː/ or /aɪ/, and softening the /l/ into a vowel-like offglide. Some speakers may add extra consonants or distort the ending by making a /l/ heavier. To correct: hold the /eɪ/ as a true glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ while keeping the /l/ crisp at the tail. Practice with slow reduced pace and then speed up.
In all major accents, /eɪ/ is the nucleus, but vowel quality can vary: US typically has a brighter /eɪ/ with less tongue elevation, UK often features a slightly more centralized diphthong, and Australian blends can be broad but light on the onset. rhoticity doesn’t affect /eɪ/ here since /r/ is not present. Pay attention to the final /l/: US and UK may produce darker vs lighter /l/; AU often leans toward a lighter, more fronted /l/.
The difficulty lies in producing a clean /eɪ/ glide without tipping into /e/ or /aɪ/, and in articulating a precise light /l/ at the end without vocalizing zusätzlich vowels. Some learners also under- or over-emphasize the /l/ or insert extra vowels between /eɪ/ and /l/. Focusing on a single-syllable flow—glide then light /l/—helps maintain clarity and natural rhythm.
The key is the short, tight end with /l/ in a single-syllable word. Unlike longer words, you don’t have a second syllable to carry vowel length; the entire sequence must feel compact and smooth. You should avoid trailing vowel sounds or adding an extra consonant (e.g., 'tale-uh' mistaken). Focus on ending with a crisp, subtle /l/ while maintaining the /eɪ/ glide.
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Tale entered English from Old English tale (‘a tale or narrative’), with roots in Proto-Germanic tale- ‘story’ and Proto-Indo-European root tel- ‘to tell, count’. The word’s semantic core has long centered on a structured narrative, typically conveyed orally or in print. In Middle English, tale acquired the sense of a communicated event or tale told by a storyteller, often with elements of repetition or formulaic phrasing. Over centuries, tale broadened to include not just simple stories but also legendary or cautionary narratives, becoming a catchall for any recounting of events with a beginning, middle, and end. Etymological evolution reflects social transmission: tales were tools for entertainment, education, and cultural memory. By the 16th–18th centuries, the word also denoted the content of newspapers (tales of events) and legal matters (tales as narratives in court). In modern use, tale preserves its core sense of a narrated sequence of events, frequently used in phrases like “folk tale,” “fairy tale,” and “tall tale,” while maintaining its association with culture, tradition, and storytelling craft.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Tale" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tale" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Tale" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Tale"
-ale sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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