ending sound

Core Rule

Final sounds refer to the last pronounced sound in a word, often a consonant or consonant cluster—not the letter name. Always judge by sound, not spelling. In peel and trail, the final sound is a clear /l/ with no added vowel.

Articulation Guide

For /l/, place the tongue tip on the alveolar ridge, relax the tongue body, and let air flow along the sides with voicing. In word-final position, close cleanly without adding /ə/.

Word Analysis

peel /piːl/: long vowel /iː/ followed by a firm final /l/. trail /treɪl/: diphthong /eɪ/ glides directly into /l/.

Pitfalls

Spellings like -le or -el don’t always add a syllable; focus on the audible final consonant.