How to Pronounce Scales

To pronounce "scales", say SCAL-es — 2 syllables, IPA /skeɪlz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

scales

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Accent

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Speed

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2

Syllables

6

Letters

/skeɪlz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “scales”

"scales" has 2 syllables: scal-es. It rhymes with entails and travails, if that helps it stick.

What does scales mean?

noun

  1. A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.
  2. An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement, means of assigning a magnitude.

    “Please rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 10.”

verb

  1. To change the size of something whilst maintaining proportion; especially to change a process in order to produce much larger amounts of the final product.

    “We should scale that up by a factor of 10.”

  2. To climb to the top of.

    “Hilary and Norgay were the first known to have scaled Everest.”

noun

  1. Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or reptile.
  2. A small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a butterfly or moth to give them their color.

Words that rhyme with scales

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

entailstravailsdetailsgaleswailstailstalesnailstrailssailsbalesprevails

Related words

descaleplatesurmountscurfshell

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "scales"?▾

"Scales" has 2 syllables: scal · es.

What is the IPA transcription of "scales"?▾

The IPA transcription of "scales" is /skeɪlz/.

What does "scales" mean?▾

Scales: A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.

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