2 syllables: Wal, rus. Stress on Wal.
WAWL-ruhs
/ˈwɔlɹəs/
Walrus is pronounced WAWL-ruhs (/ˈwɔlɹəs/). It has two syllables (Wal-rus), with the stress on "Wal". Walrus is a large marine mammal with long tusks; the term also informally labels a person who is slow, clumsy, or sleepy. The word appears in zoological contexts and in casual speech, often as a vivid image or metaphor. It conveys a sense of heft and blunt resilience, rooted in its distinctive tusks and bulk.
nounWalrus is a large marine mammal with long tusks; the term also informally labels a person who is slow, clumsy, or sleepy. The word appears in zoological contexts and in casual speech, often as a vivid image or metaphor. It conveys a sense of heft and blunt resilience, rooted in its distinctive tusks and bulk.
Tips: practice with minimal pairs like log/lag (not exactly relevant) but use coarticulation drills: wal-rus vs wal-rus; record and compare to native audio. Remember to keep your jaw relaxed but stable; the tongue high near alveolar ridge for /l/ and moves quickly to the postalveolar area for /r/.
"The walrus hauled itself onto the rocky shore, spraying seawater with its whiskered face."
"We studied the walrus in the exhibit, noting its thick whiskers and massive tusks."
"A nautical joke compared the ship’s captain to a stubborn walrus in calm seas."
Pronounce as WAL-rəs, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: ˈwɔː.lrəs or ˈwɔː.ləs depending on speaker. Start with the open back rounded vowel in the first syllable, then a light ‘r’-colored schwa in the second: /ˈwɔː.lrəs/ or /ˈwɔː.ləs/. Keep the tongue low in the first vowel, lips rounded, and avoid tensing the jaw. You’ll want a quick but clear second syllable without adding a vowel before the final -s.
Common errors include: (1) misplacing stress, saying wal-RUS instead of WAL-rəs; (2) pronouncing the second syllable with a full vowel like -us as in 'bus' rather than a weak -rəs; (3) mispronouncing the /l/ or adding an extra consonant as in 'wal-ruhs'. Correction: keep primary stress on WAL, reduce the second syllable to a schwa or shwa-like sound, and produce the final -s with a simple voiceless s; optionally link the /l/ to the r sound by a light intervocalic transition. IPA reference: /ˈwɔː.lrəs/ or /ˈwɔː.ləs/.
In US and UK, the first syllable uses an open back rounded vowel /ɔː/ often lengthened; rhoticity influences the /r/ in the second syllable—with rhotic accents, you hear a postvocalic r; in non-rhotic variants, r is less pronounced. Australian speakers may nasalize slightly and retain a clear /l/ followed by a light /ɹ/ in rapid speech. Overall, the main variance is rhoticity and vowel quality in the first syllable: US/UK often share /ɔː/; AU can be more centralized or rounded depending on region.
The difficulty lies in the short, clipped second syllable after a prominent stressed first syllable and the presence of an /l/ before /ɹ/ in some varieties. The /l/ blends with r-coloring in many speakers, and the /r/ in /lr/ cluster can be challenging to articulate distinctly, especially in non-rhotic accents where linking is subtle. Also, mastering the compact /lɹ/ sequence without adding a full vowel helps maintain natural rhythm across dialects.
Walrus features a trochaic opening with a slender, clipped secondary syllable; avoid pronouncing it as /ˈwɔːl.uː.rəs/ or introducing extra vowel between /l/ and /r/. The key is a smooth transition: /ˈwɔːl.rəs/ with the second syllable reduced; keep the first vowel stable and avoid over-articulation on -rus. Focus on the quick /l/ contact with the following /r/ to create a natural linking sound, and ensure the final /s/ is crisp rather than hissed.
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US: rhotic, /r/ pronounced; first vowel typically /ɔː/ or /ɑ/ depending on dialect; keep second syllable short with reduced vowel. UK: often non-rhotic, /r/ less pronounced; maintain open /ɔː/ first vowel and a lighter /l/ before a subtle /r/; AU: variable rhoticity, tends to be clear /ɔː/ and a slightly stronger /r/ linking in connected speech.
- Vowels: focus on /ɔː/ in the first syllable; ensure minimal lip rounding; in some US varieties, you may hear /ɑː/ depending on region. - Consonants: /l/ known for its light contact with the alveolar ridge; /r/ should be a quick, crisp sound, not a rolled trill. - Linking: in connected speech, you might hear wal.rəs as one smooth unit; avoid adding extra vowels between /l/ and /r/. - IPA references: US /ˈwɔː.lɹəs/, UK /ˈwɔː.ləs/, AU /ˈwɔː.lɹəs/; adjust r-coloring per speaker. - Practice: exaggerate the initial /w/ lightly, then settle into the /ɔː/; keep jaw relaxed and tongue low for the vowel.
Walrus traces its roots to the Dutch walrus, from Germanic origins, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *walrusa- or *walrusaz; the word entered English via Old Norse and Dutch maritime vocabularies. The term originally described the animal’s bulk and tusks, distinguishing it from other seals. In Middle English, walrus appeared in scientific and travel literature as explorers cataloged Arctic fauna. The modern spelling stabilized by the 18th century as natural history expanded, with the word appearing in field guides and zoological texts. The semantic shift toward metaphorical use (a slow, bulky person) occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries, aided by vivid coastal imagery and satirical caricatures. Today, walrus remains firmly anchored in zoology but also in colloquial speech as a colorful descriptor, retaining its visceral sense of size and weight while occasionally carrying playful or pejorative connotations, depending on context.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Walrus" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Walrus" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Walrus"
-rus sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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