4 syllables: Cor, rug, a, ted. Stress on Cor.
KAW-ruh-gay-tid
/ˈkɔɹəˌɡeɪtɪd/
Corrugated is pronounced KAW-ruh-gay-tid (/ˈkɔɹəˌɡeɪtɪd/). It has four syllables (Cor-rug-a-ted), with the stress on "Cor". Corrugated is an adjective describing a surface that has parallel folds or ridges, giving it a wavy, wrinkled, or fluted texture. It often refers to materials like metal or cardboard that have been shaped into grooves to increase strength or rigidity. The term conveys a sense of lined, grooved contours.
adjectiveCorrugated is an adjective describing a surface that has parallel folds or ridges, giving it a wavy, wrinkled, or fluted texture. It often refers to materials like metal or cardboard that have been shaped into grooves to increase strength or rigidity. The term conveys a sense of lined, grooved contours.
"The corrugated metal roof rattled softly in the wind."
"She ran her fingers along the corrugated cardboard to feel the ridges."
"The box’s corrugated walls provided extra cushioning for the fragile items."
Corrugated is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈkɔːr.dʒəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/ in US and UK; Australian varies slightly with a longer first vowel. Break it as CORR-u-gated: CORR (kawr) + u (uh) + ga-ted (gay-tid). The key is a clear /ˈkɔːr/ or /ˈkɒr/ onset, then a soft /dʒə/ before /ˈɡeɪ/ and final /tɪd/. Audio reference: consult Forvo orPronounce pages for speaker variations.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing stress, saying coRRA-gated or coRRA-gated with wrong syllable emphasis; 2) Slurring the /dʒ/ into a simple /j/ or /g/, making it /ˈkɔːr.jəˌɡeɪtɪd/ instead of /ˈkɔːr.dʒəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/; 3) Mispronouncing the 'gu' as a hard /ɡ/ without the yod-like /dʒ/ blend. Corrections: emphasize the /dʒ/ cluster after the first syllable, keep the /ɡ/ soft before /eɪ/, and pronounce final /tɪd/ clearly.
US: /ˈkɔːr.dʒəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/ with rhotic /r/ and slightly tense first vowel. UK: /ˈkɒr.jəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/ or /ˈkɒːr.dʒəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/, non-rhoticity may affect linking; Australian: /ˈkɔː.dʒəˌɡeɪ.tɪd/ with more centralized vowel in some speakers and a stronger /dʒ/ onset after first syllable. Differences mainly in rhotics, vowel quality of the first syllable, and syllable linking.
Three main challenges: the /dʒ/ in the middle blends awkwardly with /ə/ and /ɡeɪ/; the first syllable bears primary stress and features a rounded back vowel that can drift toward /ɔː/ in fast speech; and the final -ed yields a light /ɪd/ or /ɪd/ sound that can blur with preceding consonants. Focus on maintaining a distinct /dʒ/ and crisp final /tɪd/ to avoid slurring.
Unique aspect: the sequence -rri-g- in many varieties creates a tiny cluster where the /r/ is followed by a rounded vowel before /dʒ/; hearing and reproducing the exact timing helps. Also, the t/d sound at the end can voice-lead or devoice in rapid speech; aim for a light /tɪd/ with clear tongue tip contact.
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Corrugated comes from the Late Latin corrugatus, from corrugare “to wrinkle, to creased,” formed from cor- (together, with) and rugare (to wrinkle, to fold). The English form appears in the 17th century, initially in technical contexts describing surfaces molded with grooves or ridges. By the 19th and 20th centuries, corrugated gained common usage in industrial vocabulary, especially for materials like corrugated metal and cardboard, where the rigidity and strength are enhanced by alternating folds. The word’s sense expanded from physical wrinkling to the recognizable wavy texture in manufactured sheets, with “corrugation” becoming a standard term in engineering, architecture, packaging, and construction. First known uses appear in engineering treatises and manufacturing manuals that describe forming processes and the resulting structural benefits, such as improved load distribution and resistance to bending. Today, corrugated surfaces are ubiquitous—from roofs to shipping boxes—retaining the core idea of parallel grooves that increase stiffness while adding a distinctive geometric rhythm to the surface.
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Words that rhyme with "Corrugated"
-ted sounds
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