2 syllables: an, swered. Stress on an.
AN-surd
/ˈænsɚd/
answered is pronounced AN-surd (/ˈænsɚd/). It has two syllables (an-swered), with the stress on "an". Answered is the past tense verb meaning to have given a reply or solution to a question or request. It is commonly used in past contexts and can function as a transitive verb. The pronunciation often reduces the second syllable, and the final /d/ may be lightly voiced, especially in connected speech.
Answered is the past tense verb meaning to have given a reply or solution to a question or request. It is commonly used in past contexts and can function as a transitive verb. The pronunciation often reduces the second syllable, and the final /d/ may be lightly voiced, especially in connected speech.
"She answered the door after the intercom buzzed."
"The scientist answered all the committee’s questions with confidence."
"He answered promptly, then returned to his work."
Pronounce as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈæn.sərd/ in US/UK rhotic varieties, or /ˈæn.sə(d)/ with a lighter final sound in careful enunciation. The tongue tip taps the alveolar ridge for /n/, then slides to a mid-central vowel for /ə/ before the final /d/. In rapid speech the /ər/ can merge to /ɚ/ (US) or reduce to /ə/ (UK non-rhotic). Visualize starting with /æ/ in ‘cat,’ then a quick schwa, then the final /d/ stop. Audio reference: listen for the syllabic rhythm in phrases like “answered the call.”
Common errors include pronouncing it as two separate words (’an—swered’), or misplacing the vowel in the second syllable as /i/ or /ɪ/ (’anis-erd’). Another frequent mistake is fully voicing the final /d/ with strong emphasis, instead of a lighter or unreleased ending in casual speech. Correct it by keeping the second syllable as a short /ər/ (or /ə/) and ensuring the final /d/ is a light, quick stop, not a drawn-out sound.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈæn.sɚd/ with a rhotacized /ɚ/ in the second syllable and a clear, voiced /d/ in careful speech. UK English tends toward /ˈæn.səd/ or /ˈɑːnsəd/ depending on dialect, with less rhoticity and a shorter second vowel. Australian English often presents a schwa in the second syllable /ˈæn.səd/ with a non-rhotic or weakly rhotic final /d/, and slightly different vowel quality in the first syllable. In all, the key differences lie in rhoticity of the second syllable vowel and the darkness or overt pronunciation of the final /d/.
The difficulty comes from the quick, unstressed second syllable /ər/ or /ə/ blending into a tightly spaced consonant cluster before /d/. Learners often over-articulate the middle vowel or fail to reduce it, making it sound like /æn.sər-ɪd/ or /æn.sɑrd/. Master this by practicing smooth, rapid transition from the alveolar nasal /n/ to a relaxed mid-central vowel, then a brief alveolar stop for /d/. Focus on timing and a gentle tongue blade roll for the /r/ element if your dialect uses rhoticity.
The most distinctive feature is the linking of the unreleased or lightly voiced final /d/ in fast speech, which can carry onto the next word beginning with a consonant (e.g., ‘answered doors’ sounding like ‘answered-doors’ without a strong pause). Additionally, the second syllable often reduces to /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on accent, altering the perceived rhythm. Practicing with connected speech will help you hear and produce this natural flow.
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Answered comes from the Old English word acnianian, a verb form combining the prefix a- (toward, at) with cnianian (to say, declare) from Proto-Germanic *kanjanan (to know, to declare). Over time, the form evolved through Middle English as an assimilation of the verb ‘answer,’ influenced by Old English andarwan (to reply) and compounds with -ed past tense marking. By Early Modern English, the verb settled into the pattern of regular -ed past tense for strong verbs in many dialects, though pronunciation shifted with vowel reductions and linking. The modern pronunciation /ˈænsərd/ or /ˈænsəd/ reflects typical English elision where the medial /ə/ may be reduced and the final /d/ can be voice-led or devoiced in rapid speech. First known use in written records appears in late Old English texts around the 9th to 11th centuries, with evolving usage in legal, ecclesiastical, and everyday conversational registers. The sense broadened from literally answering questions to answering in a broader sense: to reply, to fulfill, or to respond to any call for response. In contemporary usage, it’s a high-frequency verb in both speech and writing, occurring across informal and formal registers. “Answered” often appears in narratives to denote completion of a reply or resolution to a prompt, and its pronunciation is influenced by adjacent sounds, speech rate, and accent.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "answered" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "answered"
-ded sounds
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