Veils refers to pieces of fabric or netting worn over the face or head to conceal or decorate, often used for modesty or ceremonial purposes. As a plural noun, it denotes more than one such covering. The term can also metaphorically signify coverings or barriers that obscure or disguise truth or visibility.
- You may neutralize the diphthong /eɪ/ to a simple /e/ or /ɛ/; this yields /velz/ or /velz/. Keep the glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ within the same nucleus to preserve /eɪ/. - Some speakers voice the /l/ too strongly or insert an extra vowel before /z/, producing /veɪəlz/ or /veɪlzɪ/. Aim for a clean transition from /eɪ/ to /z/. - Final /s/ assimilation: in rapid speech, you might slide into a voiceless /s/; focus on voicing the final /z/ fully, finishing with a crisp release.
US: Pronounce /eɪ/ with a bright, forward tongue. UK: Maintain tight jaw and a slightly higher vowel position; AU: Keep a relaxed, open mouth with a slightly longer diphthong. Across all, ensure the -s is voiced /z/ and not devoiced in connected speech. IPA: /veɪlz/.
"She wore delicate lace veils for the wedding ceremony."
"The fog outside laid veils over the hills, softening the outlines of the town."
"New evidence drew veils away from the mystery, revealing hidden motives."
"The cold morning offered veils of mist that drifted across the river."
Veils traces to the Middle English word veile from Old French voile, ultimately from Latin velum meaning sail or cover. The term first appeared in the English language around the 13th century, originally referring to a covering or cloak. Over time, veils became associated specifically with head coverings worn by women in religious, ceremonial, and social contexts. The sense widened to include any sheer fabric used to obscure or partially conceal, such as in fashion and bridal attire. The plural form veils emerged naturally as countless cultures adopted multiple layers or styles of veiling. The word is cognate with similar terms in other Romance languages (voile in French, velo in Italian) and retains the primary sense of a fabric or material acting as a cover or screen. In modern usage, veils can be decorative or functional, and the term frequently appears in idioms related to concealment and revelation. The phonology of veils reflects its Old French lineage with a final z sound from pluralization, aligning with other English words ending in -ils derived from French roots.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Veils" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Veils" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Veils"
-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.
Pronounce it as /veɪlz/. Start with a voiced labiodental fricative /v/, then introduce the diphthong /eɪ/ as in 'day', and end with the voiced alveolar fricative /z/. Keep your tongue high enough for the /eɪ/ glide, and finish with a crisp /z/ without voicing bleed from preceding sounds. In careful speech, you’ll clearly enunciate -veɪlz- rather than compressing to /veɪlz/ in rapid speech.
Two common errors are pronouncing it as /velz/ by merging the /v/ with a short /e/ and not producing the /eɪ/ diphthong, and saying /veɪls/ with an unvoiced final /s/ or a tense jaw that rounds the vowel too early. To correct: keep the /eɪ/ as a clear glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ within the same syllable, and release with a steady /z/. Practice slowly focusing on the diphthong nucleus before voicing the final /z/.
In US and UK accents, /veɪlz/ remains stable, but US speakers may slightly flatten the /eɪ/ toward a more centered /eɪ/ depending on region; Australian speakers often maintain a bright /eɪ/ with minimal variance. The rhoticity has little effect here because /v/ and /z/ are non-rhotic anchors in this word. Focus on maintaining a clear /eɪ/ vowel and a voiced final /z/ across accents.
The difficulty lies in the diphthong /eɪ/ combined with a voiced final /z/. Some speakers unconsciously shorten the diphthong or de-voice the /z/ in rapid speech. Additionally, the transition between /v/ and /eɪ/ requires steady mouth movement; misplacing the tongue can yield /vælz/ or /viːlz/. Practicing the diphthong and ensuring a crisp voice onset for /z/ helps maintain accuracy.
In standard English plural where the base ends with -l, the final s sound tends to be voiced /z/ as in veils. Since veils ends with /l/ preceding the suffix, the plural adds /z/. In careful speech, you will hear a linking effect if the next word begins with a vowel, but the core pronunciation remains /veɪlz/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Veils"!
- Shadow 2-3 short dialogues including veils in wedding or mystery contexts to hear natural phrasing. - Minimal pairs: veils vs valves, veils vs veils? (uncommon). Use other words: veins, vails. - Rhythm: practice 3-beat cadence: v-ails / ve-ils, emphasizing the diphthong. - Stress: primary stress on word as a single-syllable noun; keep a steady pitch. - Recording: record yourself reading sentences with veils; compare to a native speaker.
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