How to pronounce "backpedals" in English
ˈbækˌpɛd.əlz
BAK·ped·əlz
Primary stress: BAK
Hear native speakers say backpedals in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “backpedals”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
BAK
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ped
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
əlz
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("BAK"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "backpedals" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "backpedals is" sounds like "backpedals-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "backpedals" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“mechanical problems but the Ukrainians later backpedals declining to offer a”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “backpedals”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
mechanical problems but the Ukrainians later backpedals declining to offer a
Hear it in context: “backpedals”
1 clipThe English word “backpedals” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈbækˌpɛd.əlz (phonetic respelling: BAK-ped-əlz). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (BAK · ped · əlz), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (BAK). Grammatically, “backpedals” functions as a verb, noun and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 1 authentic English video clip demonstrating how native speakers articulate “backpedals” in natural connected speech across American (US: 1 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (1 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @1:55
“to Boeing initially Iranian and Ukrainian officials both blamed mechanical problems but the Ukrainians later backpedals declining to offer a cause while the investigation is ongoing for more on the story we can speak to”
Definition & Meaning: “backpedals”
- To pedal backwards on a bicycle.
- To step backwards.
- An act of backpedalling (in any sense).
Example Sentences (3)
- “The road was on a hill and the boy was going down the slope, and as he flashed by he started backpedalling very quickly so that the free-wheeling mechanism of his bike made a loud whirring sound.”
- “The player had to backpedal before catching the ball.”
- “mechanical problems but the Ukrainians later backpedals declining to offer a”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “backpedals”
- Pronunciation:
- BAK-ped-əlz
- Syllables:
- BAK · ped · əlz
- Written Hyphenation:
- back · ped · als
- Primary stress:
- BAK
- IPA:
- ˈbækˌpɛd.əlz
- Hear it in context
- backpedals
Words that Rhyme with “backpedals”
-ækˌpɛdəlzWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"backpedals" (⁄ˈbækˌpɛd.əlz⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "backpedals" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about backpedals
How do you pronounce “backpedals”?
“backpedals” is pronounced ⁄ˈbækˌpɛd.əlz⁄ (BAK-ped-əlz). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “backpedals”?
“backpedals” has 3 syllables: BAK · ped · əlz.
Where is the stress in “backpedals”?
The primary stress in “backpedals” is on “BAK”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “backpedals” mean?
To pedal backwards on a bicycle.
How can I hear “backpedals” used in real sentences?
This page has 1 real-world video example of “backpedals” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “backpedals”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).