Trowels is the plural of trowel, a flat-bladed hand tool used for digging, smoothing, and shaping earth or plaster. It typically has a pointed or rounded blade and a handle, enabling precise placement and surface finishing in gardening and masonry. The term conveys both the tool itself and its application in construction or horticulture contexts.
US: rhotic r plus broader /aʊ/ vs UK/AU with /əʊ/ and less rhoticity; UK tends to /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ with reduced r-coloring, Australian blends may approach /əʊ/ slightly and show lighter /l/; all share final /əlz/ when slowed. Use IPA references /ˈtraʊ.əlz/ (US) vs /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ (UK) vs /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ (AU).
"She laid the bricks with a small trowel while the mortar dried."
"The gardener cleaned the soil away with a trowel before planting."
"He used a plaster trowel to smooth the new wall surface."
"During the renovation, she kept a trowel handy for finishing touches."
The word trowel comes from Old English trogian, meaning to twist or turn, related to the Dutch twijel and the Middle Low German droel, all pointing to a tool used for digging and shaping earth. The modern English trowel developed in the medieval period as masons needed a flat-bladed instrument for applying and smoothing lime and plaster. The spelling settled into trowel by the 14th century, reflecting the long o sound that later shifted in pronunciation. The plural form trowels follows standard English pluralization with -s, pronounced as /z/ in most accents. Throughout its evolution, the term has expanded to cover variations of flat-bladed tools used in gardening and construction, including brick trowels, pointing trowels, and mortar trowels, each specialized for a surface finish or material.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Trowels" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Trowels"
-wls sounds
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Pronounce as TROH-uhlz in US; TRoh-uh-lz in UK (two-syllable with a light schwa), with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈtraʊ.əlz/ (US) or /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ (UK). For clarity: begin with /t/ + /r/ cluster, then a diphthong on the first vowel, and end with a voiced -əlz.”
Common errors include misplacing the second syllable as a full vowel instead of a schwa or reduced vowel, producing /ˈtraw.els/ instead of /ˈtraʊ.əlz/, and replacing the /t/ with a /d/ in rapid speech. Correct by articulating a clean /t/ with a following /r/, using a clear /aʊ/ in the first syllable, and reducing the second syllable to /əl/ rather than /əlz/ in fast speech.
US typically uses /ˈtraʊ.əlz/ with a stronger rhotic r influence before the vowel; UK favors /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ with a shorter vowel and less rhoticity in non-rhotic dialects; AU often aligns with UK patterns but with a slight broadening in the /əʊ/ diphthong and a softer /l/ in some speaker groups. Overall, the first syllable vowel quality and the r-coloring (or lack thereof) illustrate the key differences.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with a reduced second syllable and the /ʊ/ or /ɜː/ quality depending on accent; the cluster /tr/ followed by a rounded diphthong can trip the tongue when moving to the alveolar /l/ and /z/. Practice a crisp /t/ + /r/, then glide into the English /aʊ/ or /əʊ/ depending on dialect, and end with a light /əlz/ or /əlz/ with voice onset. IPA guidance helps anchor phonation.
A notable feature is the transition from the liquid /r/ into a front vowel that often carries a reduced second syllable. In many accents, the final /z/ is linked to the preceding vowel and can sound more like /ɪz/ or /əlz/ depending on speech rate. Focus on maintaining a steady /ˈ-traʊəlz/ or /ˈtrəʊ.əlz/ with a distinct first syllable and a reduced second for natural flow.
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