2 syllables: cir, cled. Stress on cir.
SUR-kuhld
/ˈsɝkəld/
circled is pronounced SUR-kuhld (/ˈsɝkəld/). It has two syllables (cir-cled), with the stress on "cir". Circled is the past tense form of the verb circle, meaning to draw or form a circle around something or to surround it. It can also describe something arranged in a circular pattern. The term often appears in instructional, geographic, or diagrammatic contexts, and may imply emphasis or focus by encircling an object, person, or detail.
Circled is the past tense form of the verb circle, meaning to draw or form a circle around something or to surround it. It can also describe something arranged in a circular pattern. The term often appears in instructional, geographic, or diagrammatic contexts, and may imply emphasis or focus by encircling an object, person, or detail.
"The instructor circled the key dates on the timeline."
"The logo is circled with a red ring to highlight it."
"During the map activity, we circled all the locations we needed to visit."
Circled is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈsɜːr.kəld/ in US/UK/AU varieties. The primary stress falls on the first syllable. Start with the open-mid back central vowel /ɜː/ (like 'bird' without r-coloring in rhotic accents). Then /r/ is pronounced in rhotic varieties, followed by a clear /k/ before the schwa-less or light /ə/ and final /ld/. The sequence sounds like SER-kuld, with the final 'ld' blending quickly. Listen for a brief reduction in the second syllable before the final consonant cluster.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (trying to stress the second syllable) and mispronouncing the /ɜː/ as a short /ɜ/ or /ɪ/. Some learners omit the /r/ in non-rhotic accents or add an extra vowel in the second syllable. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable /ˈsɜː/ and ensure the second syllable is brisk: /kəld/. Practice with the two-syllable rhythm: SER-kuld, not sir-CUL-d. Ensure the final /ld/ blends as a single light alveolar-lateral cluster.
In rhotic accents (US, AU), you’ll hear a pronounced /r/ after the /ɜː/ in the first syllable: /ˈsɜːr.kəld/. Non-rhotic accents (some UK varieties) may have a weaker or less pronounced /r/ in the first syllable, approaching /ˈsɜː.kəld/ with a softer r. The second syllable remains /kəld/; the r-coloring doesn’t affect it. Australian English tends to be rhotic with a variable but often clear /r/ and a slightly broader vowel in /ɜː/. Overall, stress and syllable timing stay similar, but rhoticity and vowel quality influence the perceived vowel length and consonant linking.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the stressed /ˈsɜː/ into the /k/ and the consonant cluster /ld/. Learners may vowel-lengthen or merge the /k/ with /l/ or add an extra syllable. The subtle /ɜː/ vowel can be tricky in non-rhotic regions, where the r-like quality is less pronounced. Additionally, the final /ld/ cluster requires quick aerodynamic closure; avoid pronouncing /d/ as a separate syllable, aim for a smooth /ld/ blend.
Unlike words with an apparent silent letter pattern, circled has no silent letters. The challenge is the short, compact second syllable and the combination /kəl/ where the ‘l’ can color the preceding /ə/ into a more schwa-like sound. In careful speech, you’ll hear two distinct vowels: /ɜː/ in the first, then /ə/ or /ɪ/ in unstressed second syllable depending on regional vowel length. Mastery comes from practicing steady, two-beat rhythm with a clean /ld/ release.
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Circled derives from circle, which comes from late Latin circulare, from circulus ‘a small circle, ring,’ itself a diminutive of circus. The Latin circulus combines circum- ‘around’ with a root related to origo ‘to begin, rise’ through Indo-European heritage, giving a sense of roundness and circumference. The verb form circled appeared in English in the Middle Ages as a past-tense formation of circle, carried into modern usage to denote action of making or marking a circle. Over centuries, circled gained figurative senses—emphasized outlines in diagrams, annotations in manuscripts, and later, digital UI indicators (e.g., a circled check or symbol) to denote completion or focus. The noun form circle has older attestations in Old English circul, but circled as a verb-like participle became standard in Early Modern English and persists in contemporary usage for both literal and metaphorical encirclement, including phrases like circled items or circled dates on a plan.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "circled" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "circled"
-led sounds
-ed? sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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