3 syllables: con, fig, ured. Stress on fig.
kuhn-FIG-yurd
/kəˈnfɪɡjɚd/
configured is pronounced kuhn-FIG-yurd (/kəˈnfɪɡjɚd/). It has three syllables (con-fig-ured), with the stress on "fig". Configured refers to the process of arranging or setting something to a particular arrangement or specification. It often describes software or hardware setups that have been prepared for a specific use. The term implies a deliberate, engineered setup rather than a generic or default state, and is commonly used in technical, IT, and engineering contexts.
Configured refers to the process of arranging or setting something to a particular arrangement or specification. It often describes software or hardware setups that have been prepared for a specific use. The term implies a deliberate, engineered setup rather than a generic or default state, and is commonly used in technical, IT, and engineering contexts.
"The network was configured to permit secure remote access."
"We configured the software to optimize performance for our workflow."
"After the update, the device is configured to boot in safe mode."
Configured is pronounced /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jərd/ (US) or /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jəd/ (UK/AU). The primary stress is on the second syllable ‘FIG,’ with a secondary, weaker stress on the first syllable. The ending combines a soft ‘-ed’ that sounds like /-d/ or /-t/ in fast speech; you’ll often hear /-d/ as the final sound when followed by a vowel or in careful speech. Mouth position: start with a neutral schwa, then raise the lip slightly for /ɪ/, tongue at the high-front position for /ɪ/, alveolar stop /g/ created with a light contact, and finish with a voiced alveolar approximant /j/ before the final /ər/ in US or /ə/ in UK/AU. Audio reference: consult Cambridge or Forvo entry for the closest native speaker pronunciation.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (con-FIG-ured). 2) Slurring the /ɡ/ into the following /j/ making /ɡj/ blend unclear. 3) Over- or under-pronouncing the final /d/. Correction: place strong emphasis on the /ˈfɪɡ/ segment, insert a clean /j/ before the final /ərd/ cluster, and finalize with a crisp /d/. Practicing slow, then normal tempo with a minimal pair like ‘figured’ helps distinguish the /n/ vs /ŋ/ influence in different accents.
US tends to pronounce the ending as /-ərd/ with rhoticity, so /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jərd/. UK often leans toward /-jəd/ or /-jəd/ and a non-rhotic accent, giving /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jə/ or /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jəd/ depending on the speaker. Australian English sits between, with /ɜː/ or /ə/ realizations, often closer to /kən-ˈfɪɡ.jə(r)d/ with a lighter rhoticity and vowel mergers. IPA notes: US /kənˈfɪɡjərd/, UK /kənˈfɪɡjə(r)d/, AU /kənˈfɪɡjə(r)d/.
The difficulty comes from the consonant cluster /ɡj/ and the final /ərd/ or /əd/ which can blur in fast speech. The /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable is short in many dialects, and the transition from /ɡ/ to /j/ requires precise tongue movement. Additionally, many speakers reduce vowels in unstressed syllables, making /kən/ sound like /kn/ or /kən/ with less familiar schwa. Focus on crisp /ɡ/ release, then a clear /j/ before the final /ər/ or /ə/.
A distinctive feature is the /ɡj/ sequence across all major dialects, bridging the /g/ and /j/ sounds. The placement of primary stress on /ˈfɪɡ/ is also specific: it’s a syllable-timed word with clear emphasis on the second syllable in verbs. This combination—crisp /ɡ/ release into /j/ and strong /ˈfɪɡ/—is what you’ll want to reproduce precisely in careful speech.
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US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; US speakers keep /ərd/ as /ərd/. Focus on maintaining the /ɡ/ release before /j/ and assure a pronounced /r/ in the final cluster. UK: often non-rhotic; final /r/ may be silent or a schwa; practice /-jə(r)d/ or /-jəd/ in careful speech. AU: tends toward a schwa-ish /ə/ in the final syllable; blend /ɪ/ and /ə/ in /ˈfɪɡjə(r)d/ with less pronounced rhotics. IPA anchors: US /kənˈfɪɡjərd/, UK /kənˈfɪɡjə(r)d/, AU /kənˈfɪɡjə(r)d/.
Configured comes from the verb configure, which originates from the early 17th century French word configure meaning 'to form; to set up; to form into form.' Configure itself derives from the combination of the prefix con- (together) and figurare (to fashion, shape, form), from Latin fingere (to shape, to create, to pretend). The sense evolved through Middle French into English, where it gained the modern sense of arranging components, options, or parameters to achieve a specified outcome. The noun form configuration shares the same root and emerged to denote the resulting arrangement or setup. First known use in English for configure dates back to the 1600s, with the sense solidifying in the 19th and 20th centuries as technology and engineering popularized terms like ‘config’ in computing and electronics. Over time, ‘configured’ became common in IT and systems contexts, indicating a defined state that meets particular requirements. The word’s trajectory reflects a move from general shaping to precise, repeatable arrangements in technical disciplines.
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Words that rhyme with "configured"
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