2 syllables: Ag, grieved. Stress on grieved.
uh-GREEVD
/əˈɡɹivd/
Aggrieved is pronounced uh-GREEVD (/əˈɡɹivd/). It has two syllables (Ag-grieved), with the stress on "grieved". Aggrieved is an adjective describing someone who feels resentment or grievance due to perceived injustice or unfair treatment, often prompting complaint or protest. It conveys a sense of injustice felt personally and deeply, sometimes with moral indignation. The term is formal and frequently appears in legal, political, or literary contexts, but is also found in everyday criticism when someone feels wronged.
adjectiveAggrieved is an adjective describing someone who feels resentment or grievance due to perceived injustice or unfair treatment, often prompting complaint or protest. It conveys a sense of injustice felt personally and deeply, sometimes with moral indignation. The term is formal and frequently appears in legal, political, or literary contexts, but is also found in everyday criticism when someone feels wronged.
- Common mistakes include compressing the two consonants /ɡr/ into a quick, indistinct blur, leading to /əˈɡriːvd/ sounding like /əˈɡriːvd/ with weak /ɡr/. Tip: practice isolating /ɡr/ with words like green, grip, grow and then combine with /iːv/ to form /ɡriːv/. - Another frequent error is pronouncing the second syllable as /ɪv/ or /ɪvd/ with a short vowel; correct by ensuring the /iː/ is a long tense vowel as in 'reed' and keep /v/ and /d/ distinct. - A third mistake is over-attaching the final /d/, making it sound like an intrusive /d/; practice with a light release of /d/ after /v/ to keep the ending clean.
How to Pronounce Aggrieved
"She spoke in an aggrieved tone, convinced the decision was unfair."
"The crowd grew animated as the aggrieved residents described their losses."
"An aggrieved response can dominate the discussion when countless errors are cited."
Pronounce as ə-GRIEVEd, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU əˈɡriːvd. Start with a neutral schwa, then a hard G followed by a long E vowel as in 'greed,' ending with a soft d. Lip position: relaxed for the schwa, plus slight fronting for the /ɡriː/ sequence, tongue high for the long vowel, then a brief alveolar stop at the end.
Two common errors are (1) misplacing the stress, saying ag-GRIEVED with the emphasis on the first syllable, and (2) confusing /riːv/ with /riːvə/ or truncating the final /d/. Correct by stressing the second syllable: əˈɡriːvd, ensure the /riː/ is a long, tense vowel like 'reed,' and finish with a clear final /d/. Practice the transition from /ɡr/ to /iː/ without inserting an extra vowel.
In US and UK, the main vowel is a long /iː/ in the second syllable, yielding əˈɡriːvd; rhoticity affects only surrounding words, not the target. In some non-rhotic British variants, you may hear a slightly reduced vowel before the /d/, but the stressed /riː/ remains clear. Australian tends to be closer to non-rhotic British patterns with a crisp /d/ at the end and a clear /iː/. Overall, the primary stress remains on syllable two in all three, with minor vowel quality shifts.
Difficulties include the two-consonant cluster /ɡr/ immediately after a schwa, which can blur for learners, and maintaining a long /iː/ before the final /v/ and /d/. The transition from /ɡr/ to /iː/ requires precise tongue movement to avoid a reduced vowel like /ɪ/. Practice focusing on ending with a clear /vd/ sequence rather than an undesired /v/ or /d/ alone.
Yes: the secondary consonant cluster /ɡr/ after the initial schwa and the long vowel /iː/ create a distinctive rhythm. The initial syllable is weak (ə), but the second syllable carries strong sonority with /ɡriːv/. Ensure the /ɡr/ sequence is crisp and that final /vd/ is released cleanly, not as /v/ or /d/ alone. This combination sets Aggrieved apart from near-synonyms.
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- US: rhotic influence is minimal for this word; ensure the /ə/ at the start is weak and unstressed, the /riː/ is long and tense, and final /vd/ is a crisp stop. - UK: maintain non-rhotic tendencies; the /ə/ remains schwa-like, /ɡriːv/ is clearly stressed but the /r/ may be less pronounced depending on the speaker. - AU: tends toward a crisp /ɡriːvd/ with less post-vocalic coloring; keep /ˈ/ strong on second syllable, and the final /d/ is released. Use IPA references to calibrate vowel length and rhotic presence.
Aggrieved traces to the late Middle English aggrive — an alteration of Old French agrever or directly from Latin aggravare, meaning to worsen or to burden. The root elements are ag- (toward, toward) and grave (heavy, serious). In English, the sense evolved in the 17th–18th centuries to describe someone burdened by a grievance or complaint. The adjective form aggrieved emerged to describe a person who carries a grievance as a result of perceived injustice; by the 19th century usage broadened to legal and political contexts as well as literary rhetoric. The word has retained its core meaning of emotional injury tied to fairness or rights, though it appears in modern discourse with both formal and colloquial tones. First known uses appear in legal and narrative texts where someone felt wronged and sought redress, with the form and spelling stabilizing around the 1800s and beyond, paralleling the rise of standardized judicial language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Aggrieved" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Aggrieved" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Aggrieved"
-ved sounds
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