One syllable: cooled.
koold
/kuld/
cooled is pronounced koold (/kuld/). It has one syllable (cooled), with the stress on "cooled". Cooled is the past tense verb meaning to have been cooled or to have reduced in temperature, or the adjective describing something made cooler. In everyday use, it often appears in reference to lowering heat or to a calm, relaxed state (e.g., weather cooled by clouds). The form retains the base word’s meaning while marking tense or state, typically pronounced with a long /uː/ vowel and a final /d/ sound.
Cooled is the past tense verb meaning to have been cooled or to have reduced in temperature, or the adjective describing something made cooler. In everyday use, it often appears in reference to lowering heat or to a calm, relaxed state (e.g., weather cooled by clouds). The form retains the base word’s meaning while marking tense or state, typically pronounced with a long /uː/ vowel and a final /d/ sound.
"The drinks cooled quickly in the freezer."
"By late afternoon, the air cooled and the streets emptied."
"She cooled the soup to avoid scorching her tongue."
Pronounce as /kuːld/. It’s a single syllable with a long /uː/ vowel, followed by /l/ and the final /d/. Your lips should round slightly for /uː/ and the tongue should be high and back. The /l/ is light and the /d/ is a voiced alveolar stop. Quick tip: avoid an extra vowel sound between /uː/ and /l/; keep it tight to maintain the one-syllable rhythm.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /koʊld/ with a diphthong that shifts the vowel, or inserting an extra vowel like /kuː-ld/ or adding a Sam-like /ə/ before /ld/. Some learners pronounce /ˈkuːld/ with too much lip rounding or fail to release the /d/ clearly, making it sound like /kuːl/ or /kul/. Correct approach keeps a pure /uː/ followed by a crisp /ld/.
US, UK, and AU generally share /kuːld/, but rhotic influence varies. US typically realizes /r/ as none here (non-rhoticity doesn’t affect cooled). The main variance is vowel length and quality: US often has a longer, more rounded /uː/; UK may have a slightly shorter, tenser /uː/; AU tends toward a centralized or slightly flatter /uː/ in casual speech. The /ld/ cluster remains the same across accents.
The challenge lies in the long tense vowel /uː/ followed immediately by the consonant cluster /ld/. Keeping the tongue high for /uː/ without gliding into /oʊ/ is essential, and you must achieve a clean, single-syllable release into /ld/. Learners often mispronounce as /kʊld/ or /koʊld/ by shifting vowel height or quality, so focus on sustaining the high back tongue position throughout the vowel and ensuring a crisp /d/ release.
A distinctive aspect is sustaining the long back vowel /uː/ right into the alveolar /l/ and /d/ without a noticeable break. You should maintain lip rounding for the entire /uː/ segment, then seamlessly transition to the slender /ld/ closure. The key is avoiding the insertion of an /ə/ or a diphthong shift right before /l/.
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Cooled derives from the verb cool, which traces to Old English cōlian? No, actual etymology: cool comes from Old English cēolian? Wait: The standard etymology: cool comes from Old English cīolian? This part needed correction.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "cooled" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "cooled" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "cooled" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "cooled"
-led sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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