How to Pronounce Pearls

To pronounce "pearls", say PEARLS — one syllable, IPA /pɜːlz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

pearls

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Accent

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1

Syllable

6

Letters

/pɜːlz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “pearls”

"pearls" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with girls and whorls, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: perls — easy to mix up when writing.

What does pearls mean?

noun

  1. A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
  2. Something precious.

verb

  1. (sometimes figurative) To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.
  2. To cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains.

    “to pearl barley”

Words that rhyme with pearls

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

girlswhorlswhirlsearlesswirlscurlsearlshurlsburlscowgirlsfurlsmerles

Related words

ivorybonedropoff-whitebeadbeadsjewelsnatural

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "pearls"?▾

"Pearls" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "pearls"?▾

The IPA transcription of "pearls" is /pɜːlz/.

What does "pearls" mean?▾

Pearls: A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.

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