How to pronounce "spandrel" in English
span·drel
Hear native speakers say spandrel in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “spandrel”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
span
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
drel
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
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 "spandrel" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "spandrel is" sounds like "spandrel-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "spandrel" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“You do this, and you do this, and you're going to get this little spandrel thing sticking out there.”— StanfordWatch clip
“Within arc bridges themselves, you could have a spandrel arc bridge, where the deck is above the arch.”— WIREDWatch clip
“of the spandrel might be the chin the chin on a human May simply result from”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“over the place while we're talking and the authors of a recent review have another suggestion that the chin isn't an adaptation at all it's a spandrel a”— SciShowWatch clip
“An awesome shart with spandrel branches and stained glass leaves and fog in the spandrels.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Spandrel usually refers to the solid panel between the transparent ones.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “spandrel”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
You do this, and you do this, and you're going to get this little spandrel thing sticking out there.
Hear it in context: “spandrel”
26 clipsThe English word “spandrel”. Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (span · drel). Grammatically, “spandrel” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 26 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “spandrel” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Stanford, WIRED, YaleCourses.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #1 · @87:09
“that has a muzzle foreshortened and a jaw at this angle. You do this, and you do this, and you're going to get this little spandrel thing sticking out there. going to get this little spandrel thing sticking out”
- 🇺🇸 USWIREDClip #2 · @9:51
“in axial compression along the arc. Within arc bridges themselves, you could have a spandrel arc bridge, where the deck is above the arch. you could have a spandrel arc bridge,”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #3 · @9:19
“piece of the organism from the larger hole in which it's embedded an example of the spandrel might be the chin the chin on a human May simply result from the fact that the human face has been reshaped by elction since our chimpanzee”
- 🇺🇸 USSciShowClip #4 · @14:44
“needed something stronger to contain our tongues those little suckers move all over the place while we're talking and the authors of a recent review have another suggestion that the chin isn't an adaptation at all it's a spandrel a another suggestion that the chin isn't an adaptation at all it's a spandrel a”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @22:30
“The dark pane of quiet so close to all the traffic. An awesome shart with spandrel branches and stained glass leaves and fog in the spandrels. leaves and fog in the spandrels.”
Definition & Meaning: “spandrel”
- The space (often more or less triangular) between the outer curve of an arch (the extrados) and a straight-sided figure that bounds it; the space between two contiguous arches and a straight feature above them.
- Horizontal member between the windows of successive storeys of a tall building.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Usual practice then builds a wall above each curved end of the arch, known as a spandrel, which directly joins the bridge's sidewalls. […] With sidewalls and spandrels in place, you can fill the space between them with material up to the height of the bridge deck, and then place the road or railway on top.”
- “2002, Kerstin Lang, Seismic Vulnerability of Existing Buildings, vdf Hochschulverlag AG, page 25, Due to the fact that the walls are joined by floors and spandrels, a coupling effect is produced. Depending on the extent of the spandrels, this coupling effect will be bigger or smaller.”
- “You do this, and you do this, and you're going to get this little spandrel thing sticking out there.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “spandrel”
- Syllables:
- span · drel
- Hear it in context
- spandrel
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"spandrel" 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, "spandrel" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about spandrel
How many syllables are in “spandrel”?
“spandrel” has 2 syllables: span · drel.
What does “spandrel” mean?
The space (often more or less triangular) between the outer curve of an arch (the extrados) and a straight-sided figure that bounds it; the space between two contiguous arches and a straight feature above them.
How can I hear “spandrel” used in real sentences?
This page has 26 real-world video examples of “spandrel” 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 “spandrel”?
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⁄).