TRAY-lurz
/ˈtɹeɪlɚz/
trailers is pronounced TRAY-lurz (/ˈtɹeɪlɚz/). A plural noun or verb form referring to items that accompany or precede something, or to promotional video clips. In common usage, it most often denotes a group of devices or vehicles towed or transported, or, as a verb, the act of creating or showing trailers. The word emphasizes movement, previews, or supplementary materials associated with main content or travel.
A plural noun or verb form referring to items that accompany or precede something, or to promotional video clips. In common usage, it most often denotes a group of devices or vehicles towed or transported, or, as a verb, the act of creating or showing trailers. The word emphasizes movement, previews, or supplementary materials associated with main content or travel.
"The park announced new movie trailers during the intermission."
"We rented two trailers for the cross-country move."
"The film studio released several trailers to build anticipation."
Pronounce as /ˈtreɪ.lɚz/ in US and /ˈtreɪ.ləz/ in UK; Australian often /ˈtreɪ.ləz/ with a light schwa before the final /z/. Start with the /treɪ/ as in “tray,” then a rhotic or non-rhotic central vowel before the final /z/. Stress is on the first syllable. Picture your mouth forming a long /eɪ/ glide, then a brief tip of the tongue for the /l/ and a voiced /ɚ/ or /ə/ before the final /z/. You’ll hear the ending as a light z- sound rather than a strong consonant cluster.”
Mistakes include pronouncing the second syllable as a strong /ər/ in non-rhotic accents or dropping the /l/, producing /ˈtreɪ.ɚz/. Another is misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic speakers, leading to /ˈtreɪ.ə.z/ or /ˈtreɪ.ləz/. Correct by clearly articulating /l/ in /treɪl/ and ensuring the final /z/ is voiced. Practice with minimal pairs like tray-try and tell yourself to keep the /l/ light and the vowel in /treɪ/ elongated before the /l/.
US tends to be rhotic with a clear /ɚ/ in the second syllable, sounding like /ˈtreɪlərz/ or /ˈtreɪ.lɚz/. UK often uses a weaker rhoticity, /ˈtreɪ.ləz/, with a shorter second vowel. Australian may reduce the second vowel further to a schwa or even /ɐ/ depending on speaker, yielding /ˈtreɪ.ləz/ or /ˈtreɪ.lɐz/. The initial /treɪ/ remains consistent; the key differences are the second syllable vowel and rhoticity, affecting perceived vowel height and r-coloring. IPA references reflect /ɚ/ vs /ə/ and rhotic presence.
The difficulty centers on the sequence /treɪ/ + /l/ + /ər/ (or /ə/) and the final /z/. The liquid /l/ before a mid-central vowel can cause vowel shift, and non-rhotic speakers may reduce the /r/; matching the vowel quality in the second syllable to a schwa or rhotic vowel challenges subtle tongue retraction and lip rounding. Also, maintaining the long /eɪ/ diphthong quality across rapid speech requires precision to avoid blending into /e/ or /i/. IPA cues help anchor articulation.
Note the clear, strong onset consonant cluster /t/ + /r/ after the syllable start, making sure not to blur the /r/ into a vowel. The first syllable should have a crisp /treɪ/ with a precise /l/ immediately after, before the schwa-like or rhotic vowel in the second syllable. The plural /z/ at the end should be voiced and lightly released, not merged with the preceding vowel. IPA landmarks: /ˈtreɪ.lɚz/ (US), /ˈtreɪ.ləz/ (UK).
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "trailers"!
Trailer comes from the sense of something that trails behind or is towed, derived from the verb trail. The noun “trailer” originally described something towed behind a vehicle, such as a wagon or caravan, and then extended to mobile entertainment advertisements (movie trailers) in the early 20th century. The word traces to Old English tracian ‘to pull, draw’ and related Germanic roots connected with dragging or trailing. By the late 19th century, the notion of something that follows or is drawn behind became idiomatic for vehicles drawn behind a truck or car. In cinema, the term was borrowed to describe short promotional clips that “trail” the main feature, first emerging as film previews in the 1910s and 1920s. Over time, “trailer” broadened to describe both vehicle-based utility trailers and promotional video clips, with plural form “trailers” used for multiple instances. Contemporary usage spans: vehicle trailers, media trailers, and metaphorical trailers that accompany main content. First known use evidence appears in early film trade publications and catalogs from the US and UK around the 1910s–1920s, with rapid adoption in American cinema by the 1930s. The word’s sense continues to evolve with digital media, where trailers proliferate online as marketing previews, while physical trailers remain common in transport and lodging contexts.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "trailers" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "trailers" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "trailers" 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 "trailers"
-ils sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
