How to pronounce "spandrels" in English
span·drels
Hear native speakers say spandrels in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “spandrels”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
span
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
drels
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 "spandrels" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "spandrels is" sounds like "spandrels-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "spandrels" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“And the architectural term for those triangles are "spandrels." And spandrels, in architecture, is something that forms between two arches.”— StanfordWatch clip
“And, as I've already described, the bases, the spandrels, and the frieze all belong to the Constantinian period.”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“interest disguises hope and spandrels full of powerful feathers and the fmatic”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“these accidents "spandrels," or traits that rather than being "adaptive" just stuck around as byproducts of other processes.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“An awesome shart with spandrel branches and stained glass leaves and fog in the spandrels.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“An awful lot of what those folks go through in these whole song and dances of adaptation are merely spandrels.”— StanfordWatch clip
Practice Speaking “spandrels”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
And the architectural term for those triangles are "spandrels." And spandrels, in architecture, is something that forms between two arches.
Hear it in context: “spandrels”
28 clipsThe English word “spandrels”. Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (span · drels). Grammatically, “spandrels” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 28 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “spandrels” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Stanford, YaleCourses, Harvard University.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #1 · @84:36
“without coming up with this triangular space. And the architectural term for those triangles are "spandrels." And spandrels, in architecture, is something that forms between two arches. are "spandrels."”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #2 · @64:52
“come from an arch, a lost Arch of Marcus Aurelius. And, as I've already described, the bases, the spandrels, and the frieze all belong to the Constantinian period. and the frieze all belong to the Constantinian period.”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #3 · @21:17
“achieved on a walk or you are the destination of this poem in which interest disguises hope and spandrels full of powerful feathers and the fmatic faces of the seraphim fill the roof of Heaven they seem so calm in their”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @2:11
“of behaviors could just be accidents of evolution -- late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould called these accidents "spandrels," or traits that rather than being "adaptive" just stuck around as byproducts of other processes. as byproducts of other processes.”
- 🇺🇸 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: “spandrels”
- 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.”
- “And the architectural term for those triangles are "spandrels." And spandrels, in architecture, is something that forms between two arches.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “spandrels”
- Syllables:
- span · drels
- Hear it in context
- spandrels
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"spandrels" 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, "spandrels" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about spandrels
How many syllables are in “spandrels”?
“spandrels” has 2 syllables: span · drels.
What does “spandrels” 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 “spandrels” used in real sentences?
This page has 28 real-world video examples of “spandrels” 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 “spandrels”?
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⁄).