2 syllables: De, praved. Stress on praved.
dee-PRAYVD
/diˈpɹeɪvd/
Depraved is pronounced dee-PRAYVD (/diˈpɹeɪvd/). It has two syllables (De-praved), with the stress on "praved". Depraved is an adjective describing someone morally corrupt or perverted, often to an extreme degree. It implies actions or behavior that violate ethical norms and exhibit a clear departure from what is considered decent or virtuous. The term carries strong negative connotations and is commonly used in formal or literary criticism.
adjectiveDepraved is an adjective describing someone morally corrupt or perverted, often to an extreme degree. It implies actions or behavior that violate ethical norms and exhibit a clear departure from what is considered decent or virtuous. The term carries strong negative connotations and is commonly used in formal or literary criticism.
How to Pronounce Depraved
"The detective described the killer as depraved, noting the brutality of the crimes."
"Her depraved disregard for others' feelings shocked the community."
"The author painted a depraved portrait of the villain, showcasing his twisted motives."
Pronounce it as di-PRAYVD with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /dɪˈpreɪvd/. Start with a light /d/ onset, then /ɪ/ as in 'bit', followed by the stressed /ˈpreɪ/ (a long /eɪ/ as in ‘prey’), and end with /vd/ where the /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative and the /d/ is an unreleased or lightly released stop in many rapid speech variants. Mouth position: tongue high to mid for /ɪ/, then raise the tongue body toward the hard palate for /eɪ/ while slightly spreading lips for the diphthong.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (e.g., de-PRAVED) and mispronouncing the /preɪ/ as /præ/ or /preɪ/ with a monophthong. Another pitfall is inserting an extra syllable or slurring the final /vd/ into /v/ or /d/ too abruptly. To correct: keep the strong beat on the second syllable, ensure /eɪ/ is the genuine diphthong with a clear glide from /e/ to /ɪ/; articulate /v/ and finish with a clean /d/, almost releasing the /d/ just after the /v/ without lingering.
All three accents share /dɪˈpreɪvd/ structure, but rhoticity or vowel quality can shift. US and AU typically maintain /ɪ/ in the first vowel and a crisp /ˈpreɪ/ diphthong; UK often has slightly tighter vowel quality and a marginally shorter /ɪ/ before the diphthong, with less brushing of the lips on /v/ in rapid speech. The final /d/ can be unreleased in some regional US varieties. Overall the core stress pattern stays on the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the diphthong /eɪ/ in the stressed syllable and the consonant cluster at the end /vd/. Many speakers oversimplify the /eɪ/ to a pure /e/ or /iː/, and either blend /v/ and /d/ into a single sound or drop one of them in fast speech. Practice with deliberate mouth opening to produce /preɪ/ clearly, and pause slightly before the final /vd/ to ensure both consonants are audible.
Yes. The final -ed is part of the /vd/ cluster; you do not pronounce a separate /ɪ/ or extra vowel. The ending is a voiced labiodental fricative /v/ followed by a voiced alveolar stop /d/. In rapid speech you may hear a light release on the /d/, but it remains a single /vd/ sequence.
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Depraved comes from the French depraver, from the Latin deprāvus, meaning ‘rotten’ or ‘deviant’, which itself derives from de- ‘apart, away’ + pravus ‘proud, turned, crooked’. The earliest English usage appeared in the 17th century. Initially, depraved described things morally corrupted or warped, often in religious or ethical discourse. Over time, it broadened to describe persons exhibiting extreme moral corruption or perversion. The sense expanded with literary and legal contexts, reinforcing the strength of the condemnation. In modern usage, depraved retains its intensity and is frequently reserved for actions that are egregiously immoral or shocking. The word has remained sonically stable, with the main stress on the second syllable: de-PRAV-ed, though some speakers may place emphasis on the root ‘prave’ in careful speech. Its collocational profile remains strongly negative, commonly paired with nouns like behavior, acts, or crimes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Depraved" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Depraved"
-ved sounds
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