3 syllables: col, lect, ed. Stress on lect.
kuh-LEK-tuhd
/kəˈlɛktəd/
collected is pronounced kuh-LEK-tuhd (/kəˈlɛktəd/). It has three syllables (col-lect-ed), with the stress on "lect". Collected is the past participle adjective or verb form of collect, meaning gathered or accumulated. It also functions as an adjective describing someone calm and self-possessed in behavior or manner. The word carries a formal register and appears in both everyday and specialized contexts, often implying intentional gathering or compilation over time.
Collected is the past participle adjective or verb form of collect, meaning gathered or accumulated. It also functions as an adjective describing someone calm and self-possessed in behavior or manner. The word carries a formal register and appears in both everyday and specialized contexts, often implying intentional gathering or compilation over time.
"She collected stamps from around the world for years."
"The crowd stood still, collected in a single, quiet moment."
"He collected himself and answered the question with composed clarity."
Pronounce as /kəˈlɛktɪd/. Emphasize the second syllable: cuh-LEK-tid. The first syllable is a schwa /kə/, the second is a stressed /ˈlɛk/, and the final /tɪd/ clusters as a light 't' followed by a short /ɪd/. Your mouth should move from a relaxed position to a clear alveolar stop for /t/ and finish with a light /d/ or a tapped /d/ depending on speed. Audio references: try standard dictionary audio for /kəˈlɛktɪd/ in Cambridge or Oxford.
Two frequent errors: 1) Slurring /ˈlɛk/ and turning it into /ləˈlɛkt/ or misplacing stress. 2) Dropping the final /d/ or turning /tɪd/ into /tɪ/ or /dɪd/. Correction: maintain the final /-tɪd/ with a crisp alveolar /t/ before the final /d/, and keep the main stress on the second syllable. Practicing with a slow pace and minimal pairs (collect-ed vs collect) can help lock the pattern.
Across US/UK/AU, the key differences are minimal; all three typically use /kəˈlɛktɪd/. In the US, some speakers may reduce the final /ɪd/ to a quick /ɪd/ or even /əd/ in rapid speech. In the UK, final /ɪd/ tends to be clearly enunciated; in Australia, vowel qualities are slightly more centralized and the /ə/ can be a little more schwa-like, with similar stress. Overall rhotics are generally non-rhotic in most variants when linked, but the core /ˈlɛk/ remains constant.
The difficulty centers on the consonant cluster /-lɛk-tɪd/. You need precise tongue position for the alveolar /l/ and the production of a sharp /t/ followed by a voiced /d/. The sequence can tempt you to voice the /t/ or to blend /tɪd/ into /ɪd/. Focusing on ending with a crisp, isolated /t/ before the /d/ helps keep the ending clear and prevents blending.
The word has a distinctive second-syllable stress and a final cluster that can be tricky in connected speech: /kəˈlɛk.tɪd/. The learned nuance is keeping the /k/ plosive crisp and the /t/ arresting before the final /d/. It’s easy to flatten the /ˈlɛk/ into /ləˈlɛk/ or to mute the final /d/ in rapid speech. Paying attention to the two strong phonetic cues—the stressed syllable and the final /tɪd/) keeps it natural.
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Collected comes from the verb collect, which derives from the Latin collegere, meaning to gather together, assemble, or undertake. The Latin root com- (together) and legere (to gather, choose, or pick) fused into the Old French collects, and later into English as collectum, then collect. In English, collect emerged in the sense of gathering items or information, often used in legal, financial, or archival contexts. The form col- from Latin coll- shifts through assimilation before consonants like c and d, giving the modern participle form collected. The word has retained its core sense of gathering or bringing together while also acquiring figurative senses such as composed or self-possessed under pressure. The first known uses in English appear in medieval legal and ecclesiastical texts, where collect often described the act of gathering dues, information, or artifacts, and later broadened to general accumulation and, in modern usage, to describe a calm, controlled demeanor as in “collected demeanor.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "collected" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "collected"
-ted sounds
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