3 syllables: con, gest, ed. Stress on gest.
kuhn-JES-tuhd
/kəˈndʒɛstəd/
congested is pronounced kuhn-JES-tuhd (/kəˈndʒɛstəd/). It has three syllables (con-gest-ed), with the stress on "gest". Congested describes something obstructed or crowded, typically referring to blocked passageways or densely filled spaces. It can describe physical obstruction, or figurative states like traffic or nasal passages during illness. The term connotes pressure, heaviness, and reduced flow or access.
Congested describes something obstructed or crowded, typically referring to blocked passageways or densely filled spaces. It can describe physical obstruction, or figurative states like traffic or nasal passages during illness. The term connotes pressure, heaviness, and reduced flow or access.
"The subway was congested during rush hour, making it hard to move."
"Her sinuses were congested, so she couldn't breathe easily through her nose."
"The city council found the downtown streets congested with construction detours."
Pronounce it as /kənˈdʒɛstɪd/. Start with a unstressed 'con' as /kən/, then the stressed syllable 'jest' with /ˈdʒɛst/, and finish with a light /ɪd/ for the final 'ed'. The main emphasis is on the second syllable: con- jEST- ed. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tongue high in the back of the mouth for /dʒ/; keep the 'n' nasal as you move into /dʒ/ without a break.
Two common mistakes are misplacing the stress (trying to stress the first syllable) and mispronouncing /dʒ/ as /d/ or /zh/. To correct: keep primary stress on the second syllable: /kənˈdʒɛstɪd/. Ensure you voice the /dʒ/ as a single palatal affricate, not a simple /d/ or /j/ glide; end with a clear /ɪd/ rather than a drawn-out /ɪd/.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /kənˈdʒɛstɪd/ remains, but rhoticity affects preceding vowel coloration in non-stressed syllables in some speakers. US typically has a stronger rhotic influence, UK often has non-rhoticity but the /ɪ/ and /ɚ/ differences are minor; Australian tends toward broader vowel quality but the /dʒ/ and /ˈdʒ/ sound remains consistent. In fast speech, Americans may reduce the initial /ə/ to /ə/ more or less.
The difficulty lies in the /ˈdʒ/ sound following an unstressed schwa cluster and maintaining the 'est' cluster without a hiccup: keep /kən/ as a quick onset, then move to the affricate /dʒ/ and finish with /ɪd/. The alveolar nasal /n/ can bleed into the /dʒ/ if you don't separate the sounds clearly. Mental cue: think 'con' quickly before the 'jest' chunk, then end with a crisp /ɪd/.
The unique factor is the transition from the unstressed /kən/ to the stressed /ˈdʒɛst/ and the final /ɪd/, which can be slippery in rapid speech. Focus on the clear release of /dʒ/ before the final syllable and avoid turning /ˈdʒɛstɪd/ into /ˈdʒɛstɪdə/ where the final 'ed' becomes a double syllable. Use a slow-to-fast progression to anchor the final /ɪd/ sonority.
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Congested comes from the Latin con- meaning ‘together’ and gestus from gerere meaning ‘to carry, to bear’ (ultimately via Middle French conjuster). The form in English emerged by the late Middle Ages in medical and physical sense, with connotation of obstruction or crowding. Over time, congestion broadened beyond bodily passages to describe clogged roads, packed spaces, or any impeded flow. In medical usage, congestion referred to the accumulation of fluids in nasal or chest passages; in urban contexts, it described traffic density. The OED traces congestion to the 16th or 17th century English usage, with early medical texts using it to denote blockages. The word evolved alongside terms like congested, congestion, and congestive, reinforcing a shared root around carrying or pressing together. In modern language, congested marks a state where passage or flow is hindered due to crowding, blockage, or accumulation, across physical and metaphorical domains.
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Words that rhyme with "congested"
-ted sounds
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