2 syllables: de, creased. Stress on creased.
dik-REEST
/dɪˈkɹist/
decreased is pronounced dik-REEST (/dɪˈkɹist/). It has two syllables (de-creased), with the stress on "creased". Decreased is an adjective or verb form indicating a reduction or decline in amount, degree, or intensity. It commonly appears as a past tense verb or past participle (e.g., values decreased) and as an adjective (e.g., decreased risk). In pronunciation, the word has two syllables with primary stress on the second syllable in many verb uses: de-CREASED, but in some adjectival uses the stress may be less prominent. Overall, it conveys a downward change or lesser quantity relative to a prior state.
Decreased is an adjective or verb form indicating a reduction or decline in amount, degree, or intensity. It commonly appears as a past tense verb or past participle (e.g., values decreased) and as an adjective (e.g., decreased risk). In pronunciation, the word has two syllables with primary stress on the second syllable in many verb uses: de-CREASED, but in some adjectival uses the stress may be less prominent. Overall, it conveys a downward change or lesser quantity relative to a prior state.
- Misplacing stress on the first syllable (de-CREASED). Focus on second-syllable emphasis for standard verb forms. - Reducing the long /iː/ to a shorter /ɪ/ or mispronouncing as /dəkriːst/ with an extra schwa. Correction: maintain /ɪ/ + /ˈkriː/ sequence and avoid extra vowel. - Weak final /t/; often pronounced /d/ or omitted in fast speech. Correction: keep crisp /t/ at the end of /st/ cluster; practice with a short pause before consonants following. - Slurring the /k/ into adjacent sounds, e.g., /dɪˈkriːst/ may be misheard as /dɪˈkrist/. Correction: ensure a clear /k/ onset before /riːst/.
"The number of patients who enrolled in the trial decreased over time."
"Sales decreased after the price hike."
"The likelihood of error decreased once the protocol was followed."
Pronounced as /dɪˈkriːst/ in both US and UK, with primary stress on the second syllable. The first syllable sounds like 'di' as in 'dip'; the second syllable 'creast' rhymes with 'beast' but starts with a 'k' sound: /kriːst/. In connected speech, the ending /d/ is realized as a light /t/ when followed by a consonant, but here the ending is the stative /st/. IPA guidance: US/UK /dɪˈkriːst/. Mouth: begin with a short /d/ and short /ɪ/, then the long /iː/ in 'crea-' using a tense vowel with the tongue high, and finish with /st/ using a tip of the tongue at the alveolar ridge. Audio reference: listen for the clear /k/ onset of the second syllable and the final /st/ cluster.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress as de-CREASED (overemphasizing the first syllable) and mispronouncing the second syllable as /kriːz/ or dropping the /t/ at the end. Another error is fronting the /d/ into a d- sound with too much dental release. Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable: /dɪˈkriːst/. Ensure the second syllable has a clear long /iː/ before the /st/ cluster, and pronounce the final /t/ as a crisp voiceless alveolar plosive when followed by a consonant in connected speech.
US/UK pronunciation is /dɪˈkriːst/, with secondary differences in the quality of /iː/ and the vowel length. In US English, the /r/ is not prominent after /k/; in rhotic accents you might feel subtle linking in rapid speech though /r/ is not present here. Australian English often reduces the vowel slightly less or more; the /iː/ may be somewhat shorter and the final /st/ lightly aspirated. Overall, the core is the stress on the second syllable and the /k/ + /riː/ sequence; the final /st/ remains a crisp cluster. IPA remains /dɪˈkriːst/ in standard transcriptions, with minor vowel quality differences.
The difficulty lies in the second-syllable /kriː/ sequence where a velar plosive /k/ blends with a high front vowel /iː/ producing a tight, tense cluster. The final cluster /st/ requires precise tongue-tip contact and air release. Also, ensuring the correct stress on the second syllable without overemphasizing the first is challenging in rapid speech. Practice focusing on the onset /d/, the high front long vowel /iː/, and a clean /st/ release to avoid a slurred or mis-stressed result.
Does the 'ed' ending in decreased function as a separate syllable or is it fused with the verb stem in rapid speech? It is pronounced as part of the second syllable in most uses, with the /d/ or /t/ ending depending on the following sound; in slow, careful speech, you hear /d/ after the /t/ ending? Actually, the ending is part of the /kriːst/ segment: /dɪˈkriːst/. In careful enunciation, the /d/ is linked to the /t/ sound into /d/ or /t/? Here, the final cluster is /st/ with preceding /iː/; the typical pronunciation uses the /d/ as part of the past tense marker /d/ or /t/ only when followed by a vowel; in this word, the ending is /st/ as part of the /kriːst/ sequence, not a separate /d/.
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- US: rhotic accents do not alter the /r/ here; emphasize the /k/ + /riː/ with a slight raise of the tongue for the /iː/. - UK: RP may have a slightly tighter /iː/ and crisper /t/; ensure non-rhoticity affects only the /r/ not present here. - AU: vowel quality may be more centralized; practice maintaining the high front vowel quality but allow subtle vowel reduction in casual speech. Use IPA /dɪˈkriːst/ across varieties and adjust rhythm to fit surrounding words.
Decreased comes from the verb decrease, which derives from Old French descrescre, from Latin decrescere, formed from de- (down, away) + crescere (to grow). The stem crescendo in meaning involves growth; decrease turns that meaning inward to a downward change. The sense development moves from “to grow less” to “to become smaller in amount or degree.” First appearing in Middle English as decresen, the word evolved through Norman French influence and Latin roots. By the 16th century, the modern form decreased appeared in legal and scientific texts, indicating a measurable reduction. Over time, usage extended from physical quantities to abstract measures such as probability, intensity, or risk, reflecting a general linguistic tendency to convert verbs into adjectives and participles to describe states or results. The evolution demonstrates how a simple negated growth concept can model various domains—economics, medicine, data analysis—where a quantifiable drop is critical to interpretation. The current usage balances formal and scientific register, appearing in research reports, clinical notes, and policy discussions, with the exact pronunciation preserved across major varieties of English.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "decreased" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "decreased"
-sed sounds
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