3 syllables: crit, i, cised. Stress on crit.
KRIT-is-eyezd
/ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪzd/
criticised is pronounced KRIT-is-eyezd (/ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪzd/). It has three syllables (crit-i-cised), with the stress on "crit". Criticised is the past tense or past participle form of criticise, meaning to express disapproval or point out faults. In British English it is spelled with 's', and in American usage it is more commonly 'criticized' with 'z'. The term centers on evaluating someone or something unfavorably and highlighting specific criticisms or shortcomings.
Criticised is the past tense or past participle form of criticise, meaning to express disapproval or point out faults. In British English it is spelled with 's', and in American usage it is more commonly 'criticized' with 'z'. The term centers on evaluating someone or something unfavorably and highlighting specific criticisms or shortcomings.
- You may soften the /t/ before the /ɪ/ leading to /krɪdɪsaɪzd/ instead of /krɪtɪˌsaɪzd/. Ensure the /t/ is crisp and not swallowed. - The -ised ending can be pronounced as -ize or -ised inconsistently; pick one for consistency (British: -ised /ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzd/, American: -ized /ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzd/). - The final z can sound like an s if your voicing is weak; keep your larynx engaged for /z/.
"The committee criticised the proposal for its vague methodology."
"She criticised her colleague's approach but suggested constructive alternatives."
"The editor criticised the manuscript for spelling and consistency issues."
US/UK/AU: /ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzd/. Start with a stressed first syllable 'CRI' /ˈkrɪ/. Then the '-ti-' sounds as a quick 'tɪ' (short, lax). The long final 'sied' is /ˌsaɪzd/, with a voiced 'z' sound in the final suffix. The suffix carries secondary stress or a light secondary beat: ca. ˈkrɪ.tɪˌsaɪzd. Keep the mouth relaxed around /ɪ/ and glide into /saɪz/ smoothly.
Common errors include: misplacing stress (say /ˈkrɪtɪz/ or mix the 't' and 'z' as a hard 't' and voiceless 's'), mispronouncing the final -ised as -izd only, and flattening the /ɪ/ in the second syllable. Correction tips: keep the first syllable strong with /ˈkrɪ/ and ensure the sequence /tɪ/ remains crisp before the /ˈsaɪzd/ ending. Practice the 'z' as a real voiced /z/ and avoid turning it into /s/.
Across US/UK/AU, the differences are subtler than with more divergent words. UK and many Commonwealth speakers favor /ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzd/ with a crisp /t/ and clearly voiced /z/ in -ised; US tends to align with /ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzd/ as well, but some American speakers may reduce the /ɪ/ in the second syllable or de-emphasize the secondary stress. The rhoticity doesn't affect this word much, but vowel length and the precise realization of /ɪ/ and the final /aɪz/ can vary slightly by accent.
The difficulty lies in the sequence of a short stressed vowel in the first syllable, a crisp 't' before a rounded 'i' vowel transition, and a final voiced 'z' after a 'd' consonant cluster that can bite into an extra syllabic length in fast speech. Also, the -ised suffix combines /ɪ/ and /aɪ/ in a way that may cause the 'i' sound to blur if you don’t separate the syllables clearly. Focus on articulating /ˈkrɪtɪ/ before moving into /ˌsaɪzd/.
A unique nuance is the treatment of the final -sed/-ised as a single phoneme in rapid speech. In careful pronunciation it remains /saɪzd/ with a distinct /z/ voice; in very casual speech some speakers may reduce to /saɪzd/ slurring slightly or letting the final consonant blend, but you should aim for a clear /z/ sound to preserve correctness. Remember, the root ends with /t/ preceding /ɪ/ before /saɪzd/.
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- US: Maintain rhoticity minimally; the syllables stay relatively compact; /ɪ/ remains short; - UK: Slightly longer /ɪ/ in the first stressed syllable; crisp /t/; /z/ remains voiced; - AU: Often blends vowels slightly toward /ə/ in unstressed syllables; keep /ɪ/ distinct in first syllable; IPA references can help you lock the differences.
Criticised descends from the verb criticise, which comes from the Old French critiquer or Latin criticus, meaning 'a judge' or 'a dispenser of judgment'. The noun critic entered English in the 16th century, carrying the sense of someone who analyzes, evaluates, and judges. The suffix -ise (British) or -ize (American) in criticise/criticize derives from French -iser/iser and Latin -izare, indicating a verb-forming pattern that produces actions about judging or expressing judgments. The spelling divergence—criticised (British) versus criticized (American)—emerged in the 18th–19th centuries as orthographic conventions shifted toward -ise in many Commonwealth countries while -ize predominated in the US. The pronunciation of the root critic remains relatively stable across varieties, but the terminal consonant cluster and the vowel quality in the first syllable can diverge in rapid speech across dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "criticised" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "criticised" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "criticised"
-sed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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