How to pronounce “collage”
Collage is pronounced /kəˈlɑːʒ/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — lɑːʒ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 2 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting lɑːʒ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “collage”
✗ Often said: /ˈkɑːleɪɡ/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /kəˈlɑːʒ/
Why the two come apart: the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it; also, the stress lands on the second syllable (“lɑːʒ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “collage” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“collage” sound by sound
“collage” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
-
kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
-
əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
-
lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
-
ɑːOpen the mouth wide, drop the tongue low and back, keep the lips unrounded, and hold it long — the doctor-says-"ahh" vowel.
-
ʒSame as /ʃ/ — tongue blade behind the ridge, lips slightly rounded — but with the voice turned on.
Silent letters in “collage”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- eThe letter “e”Silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “collage”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “collage”
- How do you pronounce “collage”?
- “collage” is pronounced /kəˈlɑːʒ/, with the stress on the second syllable (lɑːʒ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “collage”?
- “collage” has 2 syllables: kə · lɑːʒ. The stress pattern is oO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “collage”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈkɑːleɪɡ/, but it is actually /kəˈlɑːʒ/, because the silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead) is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
- Does “collage” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent final “e” (it lengthens the vowel instead).
Stop looking words up one at a time
You just looked up one word. PHONO puts the IPA above every word of whatever you are reading — in your browser, in a PDF, in any app — the moment you select it. An offline pronunciation dictionary, US and UK audio, one hotkey.