Chagrin is a noun meaning a feeling of distress or embarrassment caused by failure or humiliation. It often conveys a quiet, rueful annoyance rather than anger, and is used in more formal or literary contexts. The term can describe the sting of disappointment in oneself or in a situation, typically accompanied by sighs or a wry smile.
- You often default to a hard first vowel; instead, use a soft schwa in the first syllable /ə/. Practice by saying chi-GRIN slowly, then speed up while keeping the schwa intact. - Misplacing the stress on the first syllable leads to chi-GRIN; ensure the stress remains on -grin /ˈɡrɪn/ after the initial /ʃə/. - Sloppy /ɡr/ blend; avoid a delayed /r/ or a separated /g/; your tongue should glide from /ɡ/ into /r/ quickly. - The final /n/ should be light and nasal; don’t drop the nasal tone or make the ending nasal too forceful. - Common mispronunciation is “cha-GRIN” with heavy initial vowel; focus on the second-syllable prominence and keep the initial /ʃ/ crisp.
- US: rhotic, but chagrin is unaffected; keep the /ɹ/ sound natural after /g/. Vowel in the first syllable remains /ə/. - UK: non-rhotic; the /r/ is not pronounced after vowels; ensure /ˈtʃæɡrɪn/ or /ʃəˈɡrɪn/? Most UK speakers render as /ʃəˈɡrɪn/; focus on a clear /ʃ/ onset and schwa in the first syllable. - AU: tends to be a little more clipped; watch the first vowel; the /ɪ/ in the second syllable often closer to /ɪ/ or /ɪə/; maintain /ˈtʃæɡrɪn/ or /ʃəˈɡrɪn/ with slight vowel height difference. - IPA references: US /ʃəˈɡrɪn/, UK /ʃəˈɡrɪn/, AU /ˈtʃæɡrɪn/ or /ʃəˈɡrɪn/ depending on speaker.
"She hid her chagrin behind a practiced smile when her proposal was rejected."
"Despite his chagrin at missing the deadline, he apologized and explained the setback."
"The critic’s scathing review caused him obvious chagrin, though he remained gracious."
"There was a note of chagrin in her voice as she admitted the miscalculation to the team."
Chagrin comes from the French chagrin, which originally signified distress, affliction, or regret. The word likely derives from Old French chagrin, from chagriner “to vex, harass,” itself possibly linked to the Basque word zagrin or a mixture of gallic terms implying distress. In English, the noun sense of a painful self-consciousness or embarrassment dates to the 18th century, expanding into literary usage as a refined or formal label for emotional discomfort tied to failure or disappointment. Over time, the word’s feel shifted toward a more understated, almost rueful annoyance, often used in letters, essays, and narrative prose to convey a sophisticated, introspective reaction to misfortune. First known use in English citations appears in the 1700s, with authors employing it to articulate a refined emotional reaction rather than blunt anger. The pronunciation preserved the French nasal qhagrin-like ending in many borrowings, while English speakers eventually anglicized it to /ʃæˈgrɪn/ in common usage, with variation across dialects reflecting stress patterns and vowel quality. Today, chagrin remains a literary and formal term for subtle social or personal disappointment, frequently paired with phrases like “with chagrin” or “to hide one’s chagrin.”
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Words that rhyme with "Chagrin"
-ain sounds
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Chagrin is pronounced /ʃəˈɡrɪn/ in US and UK English. Start with a soft sh sound /ʃ/, then a schwa /ə/ in the first syllable, followed by a clear /ɡr/ blend and the short /ɪn/ ending. The stress is on the second syllable: chi-GRIN. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for /ʃ/ and /ɡr/ with a slight jaw drop on the first syllable. Audio reference: you can hear it on Pronounce or Cambridge audio dictionaries using the entry for chagrin.
Two common errors are misplacing stress (say chi-GRIN with even stress) and slurring the /ɡr/ cluster as /ɡɹ/ or mispronouncing /ʃ/ as /s/ or /ʒ/. To correct: ensure primary stress on the second syllable /əˈɡrɪn/, articulate /ʃ/ clearly at the start, and produce the /ɡr/ blend with the tongue sweeping from the velar stop to the postalveolar /r/ quickly but distinctly. Practice with minimal pairs and isolated syllables to cement accuracy.
In US and UK, the initial consonant is /ʃ/, with a schwa in the first syllable and /əˈɡrɪn/ as the nucleus; stress on the second syllable. Australian English often features a short, near-schwa /ə/ with slightly more openness and a softer /ɡ/ release, but the overall rhythm remains chi-GRIN. Rhoticity does not change the word’s spelling or core vowel; accent mainly modulates vowel quality and intonation rather than phoneme inventory.
The difficulty lies in the /ʃ/ onset followed by a tense /ɡr/ cluster and a precise secondary stress on the second syllable. Many speakers lengthen or shorten the first vowel (schwa), misplacing primary stress or blending /ɡ/ with /d/ or /k/. The subtle consonant blend /ɡr/ requires careful timing: rapid but distinct articulation, avoiding a heavy pause between /ə/ and /ɡr/. Proper practice with IPA guidance helps stabilize the rhythm.
Chagrin features a silent or muted letter? No. It is pronounced with an audible /ʃ/ at the start, and the typical English ending /ɪn/. The unique aspect is the subtle vowel in the first syllable: it’s a near-schwa /ə/ rather than a fully charged /æ/ in some dialects. You’ll want to avoid turning it into “cha-GRIN” with emphasis on the first syllable; keep the emphasis on the second syllable and maintain a soft initial sound.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Chagrin"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker say chagrin and repeat in real time, stressing the second syllable. Aim for steady, musical rhythm: /ʃəˈɡrɪn/. - Minimal pairs: compare /ʃəˈɡrɪn/ with /ʃæˈɡrɪn/ and /ʃəˈgrɪn/ to lock in vowel quality and stress. - Rhythm practice: count “one-two, chi-grin, one-two” to feel the two-beat pattern; emphasize the second syllable with a slightly longer vowel on /ə/ and crisp /ɡr/. - Stress practice: practice with sentences like “She felt chagrin at the setback, not anger.” to stabilize marginal emphasis on second syllable. - Recording: record yourself saying the word in isolation and in sentences; compare to reference pronunciations and adjust timing and vowel quality accordingly.
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