2 syllables: de, creed. Stress on creed.
dik-REED
/dɪˈkɹid/
decreed is pronounced dik-REED (/dɪˈkɹid/). It has two syllables (de-creed), with the stress on "creed". Decreed is the past tense form of decree, meaning issued by authority or laid down as an official rule. It implies a formal, authoritative determination proclaimed publicly. In usage, decreed often signals a completed act with lasting impact, typically in legal, governmental, or ceremonial contexts.
Decreed is the past tense form of decree, meaning issued by authority or laid down as an official rule. It implies a formal, authoritative determination proclaimed publicly. In usage, decreed often signals a completed act with lasting impact, typically in legal, governmental, or ceremonial contexts.
- You may mispronounce the second syllable by turning /iː/ into a short /ɪ/. To fix, lengthen the vowel with a tense mouth position: raise the tongue toward the hard palate, keep lips spread, and sustain /iː/ through the peak of the syllable. - Final /d/ is often devoiced or omitted in rapid speech; ensure your tongue touches the alveolar ridge and you release with a clear burst. - First syllable /dɪ/ is quick and light; avoid giving it excessive stress or duration. Practice by isolating the segments and rehearse linking into full phrase.
"The king decreed that all merchants must close by sundown."
"After months of debate, the council decreed a new zoning law."
"The constitution decreed strict penalties for corruption."
Pronounce it as /dɪˈkriːd/. The first syllable is a quick short /dɪ/, and the emphasis lands on the second syllable /kriːd/. The /k/ is a hard stop, the /riː/ is a long, tense vowel, and the final /d/ is a voiced alveolar stop. Keep your tongue high for the /iː/ and finish with a crisp /d/ to avoid a murmur. Audio examples: use Cambridge/Oxford audio references or Forvo; try repeating slowly then at natural speed to lock the rhythm.
Common errors: 1) Slurring or reducing the /riː/ to a quick /ri/; 2) Dropping the final /d/ or turning it into a soft /t/ in rapid speech; 3) Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable as /ˈdɛkriːd/ or flattening the /riː/ vowel. Correction: maintain secondary syllable stress on /kriːd/ with a clear, long /iː/ and a precise final /d/. Practice by isolating /kriːd/ and then attaching it to a weak prefix. Use slow pace, then increase to normal speed.
US/UK/AU share /dɪˈkriːd/, but rhoticity affects preceding vowels in connected speech. US speakers often maintain a fully pronounced /r/ in nearby words, which can slightly alter rhythm around the second syllable. UK and AU accents sustain non-rhoticity, but when adjacent vowels merge, the /r/ influence is minimal; the key difference is vowel quality and connected speech timing. The primary stress remains on the second syllable across regions.
Key challenges: the long /iː/ in the second syllable requires tense tongue height and lip rounding without adding extra vowel color; the final /d/ must be voiced and released distinctly to prevent it becoming a soft consonant; and the syllable break between /dɪ/ and /ˈkriːd/ demands smooth timing to avoid a clipped sound. Focus on a clean /d/ release and a true /iː/ vowel before the final /d/.
Is the /ˈkriːd/ portion affected by alveolar assimilation when followed by a consonant? No; in decreed, the /kriːd/ sequence remains distinct with a clear /k/ followed by a long /iː/ and a final /d/. In fast speech, you might see slight reduction of the onset strength, but the standard pronunciation remains /dɪˈkriːd/.
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- US: rhotic accent can color the preceding vowels in connected speech; ensure the second syllable remains clearly /kriːd/ even with a following /r/ or vowel. - UK: non-rhotic; focus on accurate /ɪ/ and /iː/ distinction and crisp /d/ at the end; avoid trailing vowel sounds. - AU: similar to UK; maintain relaxed jaw but precise vowel length on /iː/. IPA references: /dɪˈkriːd/; ensure tongue high for /iː/, with a strong alveolar stop for /d/.
Decreed derives from the verb decree, which comes from the Latin decretum, meaning ‘that which is judged or decided.’ Decretum itself stems from decernere, meaning ‘to decide, determine, decree’ (de- denoting apart, and cernere meaning to separate or distinguish). The form decreed follows the standard English past tense pattern -ed, but pronunciation features a phonological shift: the final -ed is voiced as /d/ after a voiced consonant or vowel (as in decreed /dɪˈkriːd/), not the /t/ or /ɪd/ variants. First attested in Middle English through Old French decree, the term expanded from “a formal order” to refer to authoritative proclamations by rulers and courts. Over centuries, decreed became a fixed verb form in legal and governmental language, reinforcing the sense of final, official determination that stands into the future. The semantic core centers on authority, legality, and irreversible action, which remains stable in modern usage. In contemporary discourse, decreed is common in political writing, constitutional commentary, and ceremonial narration, often implying broad, durable consequences. While “decree” is the noun form (a formal order), “decreed” conveys the action of issuing such an order in the past, aligning with phrases like “the laws decreed” or “the rules decreed.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "decreed" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "decreed"
-eed sounds
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