How to pronounce “exaggerated”
Exaggerated is pronounced /ɪɡˈzædʒərˌeɪtəd/. It has 5 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — zæ. 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 5 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 zæ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOoōo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “exaggerated”
✗ Often said: /ˈeksæɡəræted/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ɪɡˈzædʒərˌeɪtəd/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“zæ”), 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; 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 “exaggerated” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“exaggerated” sound by sound
“exaggerated” is built out of 10 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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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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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
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æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
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dʒThe voiced twin of /tʃ/: stop the air with the tongue at the ridge and release it into a voiced /ʒ/ buzz.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
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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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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
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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.
Questions people ask about “exaggerated”
- How do you pronounce “exaggerated”?
- “exaggerated” is pronounced /ɪɡˈzædʒərˌeɪtəd/, with the stress on the second syllable (zæ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “exaggerated”?
- “exaggerated” has 5 syllables: ɪɡ · zæ · dʒər · eɪ · təd. The stress pattern is oOoōo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “exaggerated”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈeksæɡəræted/, but it is actually /ɪɡˈzædʒərˌeɪtəd/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“zæ”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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