3 syllables: Con, ceit, ed. Stress on ceit.
kuhn-SEE-tuhd
/kəˈnsitəd/
Conceited is pronounced kuhn-SEE-tuhd (/kəˈnsitəd/). It has three syllables (Con-ceit-ed), with the stress on "ceit". Conceited is a disparaging adjective describing someone who has an excessively high opinion of themselves, often displaying vanity or self-importance. It characterizes outward arrogance and self-satisfaction, usually with a negative or critical tone. The term emphasizes an inflated ego rather than mere confidence.
nounConceited is a disparaging adjective describing someone who has an excessively high opinion of themselves, often displaying vanity or self-importance. It characterizes outward arrogance and self-satisfaction, usually with a negative or critical tone. The term emphasizes an inflated ego rather than mere confidence.
"Despite his talent, he came off as conceited after boasting about his achievements."
"The conceited remarks at the party alienated many guests."
"She wasn’t vain—she was simply confident—but her conceited sneers gave people the wrong impression."
You say it as kən-SEE-tid, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /kənˈsiːtɪd/. UK: /kənˈsiːtɪd/. AU: /kənˈsiːtɪd/. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a long E in the second, and end with a short id sound. Tip: keep the vowel in the second syllable tense but relaxed, so the word doesn’t slide into a lazy “conce–ted.”
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress (say kon-SEE-ted with emphasis on the first syllable). Correction: place strong stress on the second syllable: kən-SEE-tid. 2) Using a short I in the final -ed instead of an unstressed /ɪd/ or /ɪd/ sound; say -tɪd as in 'credit.' 3) Over-lengthening the first vowel or losing the /ˈsiː/ vowel; keep /siː/ distinct. Practice a clean /kənˈsiːtɪd/ with crisp окончание.
US and UK share /kənˈsiːtɪd/ with rhotics in US present in connected speech; US may have a slightly sharper /ˈsiː/; UK often keeps non-rhoticity but maintains /siː/ clearly. Australian tends to be closer to UK in vowel quality, with slightly broader jaw movement and a touch more variation in /ɪ/ vs /iː/. Overall the core /kənˈsiːtɪd/ remains stable; minor vowel length and rhoticity shifts occur in fluency.
The difficulty lies in the stressed long /iː/ in the second syllable and the final /tɪd/ cluster, which demands precise tongue and jaw positioning. Beginners often flatten the /iː/ to /ɪ/ or blend /tɪd/ into /td/. Also, the initial /k/ and the schwa in the first syllable can rush together. Slow, deliberate practice with IPA helps isolate these phonemes and retrain muscle memory.
Is the medial /siː/ a true long vowel or a split with /s/? Answer: It is a tense, long /iː/ vowel; the /s/ is a consonant that follows after a schwa in the first syllable. The /iː/ should be held slightly longer than a quick /ɪ/; keep the lips spread and the jaw relaxed to avoid rounding that would blur the vowel quality.
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Conceited comes from the French conceit, from Latin conceitus, past participle of concēpīre ‘to take in, grasp, catch hold of.’ The root con- means ‘together’ or ‘with,’ and -ceit derives from Medieval Latin conceptus, from Latin concipere ‘to take in, seize, grasp.’ In English, conceit emerged in the 16th century through borrowed senses connected to mental grasp or idea, and by the 17th century it carried the sense of self-importance or exaggerated self-regard, evolving to its modern meaning of vanity or swagger. Early uses often implied cleverness or wit (as in a conceit in poetry), later narrowing to the unfavorable trait of vanity. First known English attestations appear in early modern texts, aligning with broader shifts in meaning from “idea or ingenuity” to “excessive self-regard.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Conceited" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Conceited" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Conceited"
-ted sounds
-ded sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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