4 syllables: con, ju, ga, ted. Stress on ga.
kahn-juh-GAY-tid
/ˌkɑndʒəˈɡeɪtɪd/
conjugated is pronounced kahn-juh-GAY-tid (/ˌkɑndʒəˈɡeɪtɪd/). It has four syllables (con-ju-ga-ted), with the stress on "ga". Conjugated is the past participle and adjective form of conjugate, meaning to cause to join together chemically or to inflect a verb by adding endings. In chemistry, it describes a system with alternating single and multiple bonds; in grammar, it denotes a verb form that shows tense, person, or number. The term often implies a connection or linkage between parts of a molecule or clause.
Conjugated is the past participle and adjective form of conjugate, meaning to cause to join together chemically or to inflect a verb by adding endings. In chemistry, it describes a system with alternating single and multiple bonds; in grammar, it denotes a verb form that shows tense, person, or number. The term often implies a connection or linkage between parts of a molecule or clause.
"The conjugated dienes in the molecule create a color-stable system."
"In Latin, the verb is conjugated to reflect mood, tense, and number."
"The two rings are conjugated, allowing electrons to delocalize."
Pronounce as /kənˈdʒuːɡ.eɪ.tɪd/ in US and UK; stress on the second syllable 'ju' (con-JU-gated). The 'con-' is unstressed, 'ju' is a clear, long 'juː' vowel, and the 'gated' ends with a soft 'tɪd' (tiddle) sound. For audio reference, listen to careful enunciation on pronunciation-focused resources and mimic the flow: con-jug-a-ted with a light touch on the final 'ed'.
Common errors include reducing the second syllable 'ju' to a short 'u' (kənˈdʒuɡətɪd) and misplacing stress as on the first syllable (ˈkɒndʒuɡeɪtɪd). Another pitfall is pronouncing the final '-ed' as a separate syllable with a full 'ed' (ˈkənˌdʒuːɡeɪtˈiːd). Aim for the two-part stress and the final quick 'dɪd' or 'ɪd' ending; the 't' blends softly into the 'ɪd'.
In US and UK, the main difference is vowel quality in the stressed syllable: US often has a tenser /ˈdʒuːɡ/ with lengthier 'juː', while UK may be slightly shorter with a more clipped 'juː'. Australian tends to be closer to UK in rhoticity and vowel length but may show subtle vowel shifting in the second syllable. The final '-ed' tends to be a light 'ɪd' or 'əd' across accents.
Because it combines a stressed syllable with a long diphthong /uː/ and a final unstressed '-ed' cluster that can be swallowed. The transition from /dʒ/ to /uː/ to /ɡeɪ/ requires precise tongue positioning: a high back tongue for /uː/, then a动 retreat to /ɡ/ before /eɪ/. The 'tɪd' or 'ɪd' ending should be quick, not drawn out.
A unique aspect is the consonant cluster after the stressed nucleus: /dʒ/ followed by /uː/ and /ɡ/. You’ll hear a smooth transition from a voiced postalveolar affricate to a long back vowel, then a hard /g/ into /eɪ/. Practice the sequence con- with a focus on keeping the /ˈdʒuː/ clearly separated from the trailing /ɡeɪ/ and reducing any unnecessary glide before the final /tɪd/.
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Conjugate comes from the Latin conjugare, meaning 'to unite, join together, pair' from con- 'with, together' + jungere 'to join'. The botanical and mathematical usage followed in the 17th–18th centuries, but the chemistry sense of alternating bonds became common in the 19th century as chemists described conjugated systems with delocalized pi electrons. The verb form conjugate emerged earlier in grammar; English uses 'conjugate' as both a verb (to conjugate a verb) and an adjective (conjugated molecules, conjugated systems). The term has become central in organic chemistry for describing structures where alternating single and multiple bonds enable electron delocalization, and in linguistics, describing finite verb forms linked to subject person and number. First known uses appear in Latin texts and later in early modern chemistry writings; the modern sense in chemistry solidified with the study of conjugated dienes and aromaticity. The word’s adaptability across disciplines reflects its core meaning: to join or pair elements in a connected system.
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Words that rhyme with "conjugated"
-ted sounds
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