3 syllables: com, men, ded. Stress on men.
kuh-MEN-did
/kəˈmɛndɪd/
commended is pronounced kuh-MEN-did (/kəˈmɛndɪd/). It has three syllables (com-men-ded), with the stress on "men". Commended is the past participle form of commend, meaning officially praised or recommended. It denotes formal recognition for achievement or merit. The pronunciation centers on a stressed /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ (UK) or /ˈkɑː.mend/ (US) with a clear two-syllable structure, and final /d/ release; the word is often used in formal contexts such as awards, reviews, or institutional notices.
Commended is the past participle form of commend, meaning officially praised or recommended. It denotes formal recognition for achievement or merit. The pronunciation centers on a stressed /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ (UK) or /ˈkɑː.mend/ (US) with a clear two-syllable structure, and final /d/ release; the word is often used in formal contexts such as awards, reviews, or institutional notices.
-You can make the first syllable a bit too short or weak, which blurs the initial /k/ and the attention-grabbing start of the word. Try a clean consonant cluster with /k/ then /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ before /m/. -Second-syllable vowel confusion: mix-ups between /ɪ/ vs /ɛ/; keep it as a clear short vowel /ɛ/ (US) or /ɛ/ (UK) with a crisp /nd/ end. Avoid trailing vowels. -Final /nd/ cluster: some say /n/ only or /nd/ as /n/ with a heavy /d/; practice a light, brief /n/ before a soft /d/ release. -Common misplacement of stress: ensure the stress stays on the first syllable rather than weakening it; it should feel like a little drumbeat at the start.
"The committee commended her for the innovative research."
"He was commended by the board for his leadership and integrity."
"The officer was commended publicly in the city council meeting."
Pronounce it as /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ in UK English or /ˈkɑː.mend/ in US English. The stress sits on the first syllable. Start with a hard /k/ followed by /ɒ/ (UK) or /ɑː/ (US), then /m/; the second syllable contains /ɛ/ (short e) or /e/ depending on speaker, ending with /nd/ with a light release into the final /d/. Audio references: try Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries’ audio.
Common errors include flattening the first vowel to a schwa or misplacing stress as /ˌkɒmˈɛnd/ instead of the correct /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/. Another mistake is delaying or weakening the /m/ sound before the /e/; keep a clear bilateral /m/ flow. Finally, some speakers insert an extra /n/ or pronounce the final cluster as /-ənd/ or /-end/ with a heavy /d/. Correct by maintaining two-syllable rhythm and crisp /nd/ release.
In US English, you’ll hear a full /ˈkɑː.mend/ with rhotic /r/ absent in the word, and tense vowels. UK English often uses /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ with shorter /ɒ/ and a clear /e/; Australian can merge vowels toward /ˈkɒm.mend/ with a slightly flatter intonation. Across accents, the first syllable remains stressed; the main variation is vowel quality and length. Keep the /m/ as a single consonant, and ensure the /nd/ is a clean, light release.
The difficulty lies in the mid-front vowel in the second syllable and the final /nd/ cluster, which can lead to a mispronounced /md/ or a lingering /n/. The transition from /m/ to /ɛ/ or /e/ is quick and requires precise tongue movement. Additionally, many non-native speakers place the primary stress on the second syllable or reduce it; keep the initial syllable stressed and the second syllable clearly enunciated to preserve meaning.
The word has primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ or /ˈkɑː.mend/. This two-syllable pattern is fixed; do not shift stress to the second syllable. The second syllable is unstressed but clearly articulated with a short vowel. Misplacing stress to /kɒmˈend/ can make the word sound like a misaccented verb form; keep the strong initial emphasis for natural, formal usage.
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-US: Pronounce /ˈkɑː.mend/ with rhotic presta; keep the initial vowel longer and the final /e/ close to schwa; rhythm: two strong beats then a quick end. -UK: Use /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and a clear /ɛ/; maintain crisp /nd/. -AU: Often closer to US, but may reduce vowel length; keep /ˈkɒm.mend/ with two syllables and a non-rhotic-like quality in careful speech. -IPA references: US /ˈkɑː.mend/, UK /ˈkɒm.ɛnd/, AU /ˈkɒm.mend/.
Commended comes from the verb commend, which itself derives from the Latin commendare (to commit to someone’s charge, entrust, praise). The Latin root commend- derives from com-, meaning “together,” and mendare, meaning “to entrust, commit.” In Middle English, commend progressed from meaning “to entrust to someone’s care” to “to praise publicly,” reflecting a shift from an act of trust to an act of approval. By the 16th century, commend had taken on the sense of recommending or praising someone or something, and commendable (adjective) followed. The past participle commended entered legal and formal documents to indicate official praise or recognition. In modern usage, commended commonly appears in formal writing, awards, and reports, signaling endorsement or commendation by an authority or institution. The word retains a strong ceremonial tone, often partnered with nouns like “for,” “for his service,” or “by the committee.”
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Words that rhyme with "commended"
-ded sounds
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