Pronunciation

How to pronounce “calls

“calls” is pronounced /kɔlz/ (KAWLZ) in American English and /kɔːlz/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “calls” in one beat

Say it like this

calls

/kɔlz/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɔːlz/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. callskɔlz
IPA (American)
/kɔlz/
IPA (British)
/kɔːlz/
Respelling
KAWLZ
Syllables
1 — calls
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kɔlz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/kɔlz/

British

/kɔːlz/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “calls” means

  1. noun

    a telephone connection

    she reported several anonymous calls

  2. noun

    a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course

    he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call

  3. noun

    a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

    the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience

Say it in a sentence

She usually calls her mother on Sunday evenings.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

calls”, answered

How do you pronounce “calls”?

“calls” is pronounced /kɔlz/ (KAWLZ) in American English and /kɔːlz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kɔlz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “calls” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /kɔlz/ — a single beat.

Is “calls” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kɔlz/ (KAWLZ); British English says /kɔːlz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “calls” mean?

As a noun: a telephone connection For example: “she reported several anonymous calls” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “calls”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kɔlz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “calls” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.