3 syllables: com, man, ded. Stress on man.
kuh-MAN-did
/kəˈmændɪd/
commanded is pronounced kuh-MAN-did (/kəˈmændɪd/). It has three syllables (com-man-ded), with the stress on "man". Commanded is the past tense verb meaning to have given an order or directive, or to have commanded authority. It is a regular -ed verb formed from the base verb command, with the primary stress on the syllable before the suffix in many forms; in isolation it typically sounds like /kəˈmændɪd/ in many dialects, with the final -ed pronounced as /ɪd/ or /d/ depending on context.
Commanded is the past tense verb meaning to have given an order or directive, or to have commanded authority. It is a regular -ed verb formed from the base verb command, with the primary stress on the syllable before the suffix in many forms; in isolation it typically sounds like /kəˈmændɪd/ in many dialects, with the final -ed pronounced as /ɪd/ or /d/ depending on context.
"- The general commanded the troops with a firm hand."
"- She commanded immediate attention from the crowd."
"- He commanded the room as if it were his stage."
Pronounce it as /kəˈmændɪd/. The syllable boundary is com-man-ded, with primary stress on the second syllable “mand.” Begin with a schwa in the first syllable, then the open, low vowel /æ/ in “mand.” The final /d/ is a voiced stop; in careful speech you’ll distinctly hear the /d/ release. If you’re teaching it aloud, slow it to: kə- MAN - dɪd, then speed up while maintaining the stress on MAN.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress or mispronouncing the vowel in the stressed syllable. Some learners say /ˈkɒmənʃt/ or flatten the /æ/ to /e/ as in /kəˈmɛndɪd/. Correction: keep the primary stress on /mænd/ and use /æ/ as in cat for that vowel; ensure the second syllable reduces to /ɪ/ in /-ɪd/. Finally, avoid devoicing the final /d/ in rapid speech; keep a crisp voiced /d/ at the end to prevent /t/ substitution.
In US English, /kəˈmændɪd/ with a rhotic, relaxed /ɚ/ first sound; in UK English, many speakers reduce to /kəˈmɑːndɪd/ or /kəˈmændɪd/ depending on where the /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ is used; in Australian English, /kəˈmændɪd/ with a smoother /ə/ in the first syllable and a tighter /ɪ/ in the final syllable. Rhoticity in US means the ‘r’ is typically silent in this word anyway; the key differences are in the vowel of the second syllable and the /ɑː/ vs /æ/ realization.
The difficulty lies in the diphthongless, tense vowel in the second syllable /mæ̃/ and the final /ɪd/ cluster that can become /ɪd/ or /d/ depending on context. Learners often misplace the stress or replace /æ/ with a schwa, and may voice the final /d/ as /t/ in rapid speech. Focus on the lift-centered /æ/ for mand, keep the primary stress on the second syllable, and practice the final /d/ clearly to avoid it becoming an unreleased or /t/-like sound.
There are no silent letters in commanded, but the trickiness is the middle syllable; the “mand” contains the short /æ/ vowel and the /n/ immediately follows. Ensure you fully vocalize the /æ/ and keep the /m/ and /n/ distinct rather than blending them. The final ed isn’t silent; it’s /ɪd/ (or /d/ in faster speech). Practicing with the minimal pair ‘command’ /kəˈmænd/ vs ‘commanded’ helps solidify the pronunciation pattern.
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Commanded derives from the Latin root commandare, formed from the combination of com- (together, with) and mandare (to entrust or order). The Latin mandare is itself from mand- (to hand over) plus the suffix -are. The word entered English via Old French command, then Middle English, evolving into the verb form command + -ed for past tense. The semantic focus remained on giving orders or exercising authority, though extended to concepts like commanding an army, commanding space, or commanding attention. Early uses in Middle English appear around the 13th century in legal and military contexts, with the sense shifting toward “to order” or “to direct.” By the 16th–17th centuries, commanded increasingly took on the sense of having authority over others or to have asked or ordered something preemptively, reinforcing a formal, managerial, or hierarchical nuance that persists in modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "commanded" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "commanded"
-ded sounds
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