How to pronounce “engraved”
Engraved is pronounced /ɪnˈɡreɪvd/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — ɡreɪvd. 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 ɡreɪvd 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 “engraved”
✗ Often said: /ˈeŋræved/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ɪnˈɡreɪvd/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“ɡreɪvd”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “engraved” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“engraved” sound by sound
“engraved” is built out of 7 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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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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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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ɡBack of the tongue seals against the soft palate and releases while the voice is already on — no puff of air.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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eɪStart at the /e/ position and glide upward and forward toward /ɪ/ — the jaw closes as you say it.
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vUpper teeth on the lower lip, push air through the gap, and add voicing so the lip buzzes.
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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 “engraved”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “engraved”
- How do you pronounce “engraved”?
- “engraved” is pronounced /ɪnˈɡreɪvd/, with the stress on the second syllable (ɡreɪvd). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “engraved”?
- “engraved” has 2 syllables: ɪn · ɡreɪvd. The stress pattern is oO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “engraved”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈeŋræved/, but it is actually /ɪnˈɡreɪvd/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“ɡreɪvd”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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