Begun is the past participle of begin, used in perfect tenses (have begun, had begun) and as an adjective in some contexts (the begun project). It denotes the start of an event or action. In pronunciation, it is two syllables with primary stress on the second syllable: be-GUN. It is not a standalone noun; when used as a participial adjective, it describes something that has started.
"I have begun to understand the concept after reviewing the notes."
"The project has begun, and the team is mobilizing."
"We had begun dinner when the guests arrived."
"Her career, begun in the village, later flourished in the city."
Begun derives from the verb begin, with Middle English origins. The verb begin comes from Old English beginnan, spelled and pronounced with a hard initial b- and a front lax vowel in historical forms. The past participle in English has aged through strong and weak conjugations; begun appears as the past participle in Early Modern English and has remained the standard form alongside begun as the archaic past tense in certain idioms. The development traces to Proto-Germanic *beginnaną, which is related to the act of starting or initiating. The root also influenced related words across Germanic languages, preserving the sense of setting something in motion. The first known use of begun in English appears in Middle English texts, with written forms evolving through the 13th to 16th centuries, solidifying begun as the past participle of begin and as an adjective modifier in modern usage. The pronunciation shifted over time from more distinct syllabic stress patterns toward the modern two-syllable structure with the second-stressed -gun ending, aligning with English syllable-timed rhythm.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Begun" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Begun"
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Begun is two syllables with primary stress on the second: /bɪˈɡʌn/. Start with a light bilabial /b/ followed by a short /ɪ/ as in ‘bit’. Then the stressed /ˈɡʌn/ uses a back, open-mid /ʌ/ vowel (as in ‘strut’) and a dark /ɡ/ stop. Close with /n/. In careful speech you’ll hear be-GUN clearly; in fast speech you may hear a subtle reduction to /bɪˈɡən/ for some speakers.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable as in ‘BE-gun’ or slurring the second syllable into /ən/ without a clear /ʌ/ vowel. Another mistake is pronouncing it as /ˈbeɡən/ with a stronger /iː/ sound in the first vowel. To correct: keep the first syllable short /ɪ/, and ensure the second syllable has the full /ʌ/ vowel and crisp /n/. Emphasize the /ɡ/ consonant before the /ən/ ending.
In US, UK, and AU, the core is /bɪˈɡʌn/. The main difference is vowel quality and rhoticity: US rhotic speakers keep /r/ only if following, but here there is no /r/. AU generally aligns with UK for non-rhotic forms, often with a slightly more centralized /ʌ/; some Australian speakers may slightly reduce the second syllable. UK pronunciation tends to be very clear with a crisp /ɡ/ and a strong /ʌ/. Overall, the nucleus vowel remains /ʌ/ in all three, with subtle vowel length differences.
Begun challenges learners with the two-syllable structure and the stressed second syllable, which is less common in many two-syllable verbs. The /ɡ/ is a voiced velar stop between vowels, requiring precise timing to avoid a /ɡg/ cluster. The /ʌ/ vowel in stressed syllable is a mid-central vowel that may feel unfamiliar, and the ending /n/ must be clearly released after a strong vowel. Practicing with minimal pairs helps lock in the stress and vowel quality.
Yes. The most distinctive feature is the second-syllable primary stress on /ˈɡʌn/ after a relaxed /bɪ/ initial syllable. It’s a classic example of English verbs whose past participle gear shifts stress to the second syllable in many speakers. The word also tends to be pronounced with a distinct, crisp /ɡ/ before the final /n/, avoiding a weak glottal stop in careful speech.
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