How to pronounce “designed”
Designed is pronounced /dɪˈzaɪnd/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — zaɪnd. 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 zaɪnd in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“designed” sound by sound
“designed” is built out of 6 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.
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dSame tongue position as /t/ — tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth — but voice the sound and release it without aspiration.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
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aɪStart with the mouth open at an /a/-like position and glide up toward /ɪ/, closing the jaw as you go.
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nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
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dSame tongue position as /t/ — tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth — but voice the sound and release it without aspiration.
Words that rhyme with “designed”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “designed”
Each of these differs from “designed” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “designed”
- How do you pronounce “designed”?
- “designed” is pronounced /dɪˈzaɪnd/, with the stress on the second syllable (zaɪnd). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “designed”?
- “designed” has 2 syllables: dɪ · zaɪnd. The stress pattern is oO.
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