Diluted means made thinner or weaker by adding liquid, often reducing strength or concentration. It describes something that has been watered down or lessened in intensity, quality, or effectiveness. In usage, it can refer to substances, mixtures, or even abstract qualities that have been diminished.
Tip: practice with pace and mouth position in mirror to ensure the /lj/ glide is seamless and the final consonant is crisp.
"The medicine was diluted with water to a safe dose."
"Her enthusiasm was diluted after the disappointing news."
"The coffee tasted weak because it was diluted with extra milk."
"The report’s impact was diluted by overly technical language."
Diluted comes from the verb dilute, from Latin dilūtus, past participle of diluere meaning “to wash away, wash out, or dissolve” (from di- “apart” + luere “to loosen, wash”). In English, dilute appeared in Middle English as dilutenen (to wash away, to loosen). The sense gradually shifted: from physical washing or dissolving a solution to reducing concentration or strength. By the 16th–17th centuries, diluted began to describe mixtures with reduced potency or density in both scientific and metaphorical contexts. The term expanded in pharma, chemistry, and general usage to include any reduction in intensity, quality, or effectiveness. Today, it frequently appears in phrases like “diluted solution” or “diluted earnings,” retaining the core notion of decreasing concentration or impact while leaving the core substance present in a lesser form.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Diluted" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Diluted"
-ded sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce /ˈdɪljuːtɪd/ in US and UK variants, with the primary stress on the first syllable: DIL-yu-ted. In American speech the middle vowel often reduces to a long /uː/ after /l/, and the sequence /lju/ can sound like /lju/ or /ljuː/. In casual speech, the /ju/ can be elided slightly, but the strong initial stress remains clear. Audio references: YouGlish and Forvo offer examples of /ˈdɪljuːtɪd/ and /ˈdɪləˌtɪd/ cross-dialect variations.
Common errors include misplacing stress (say /ˈdɪl·u·dɪd/ instead of /ˈdɪljuːtɪd/), and pronouncing the /lj/ cluster as two separate segments without a smooth glide, turning it into /dɪlˈjuːtɪd/ or /dɪlˈjuːtɪd/. Another error is shortening the second syllable too much, making it sound like /ˈdɪl.juː.tɪd/ with inconsistent rhythm. Focus on tying the /l/ and /j/ into a single syllabic transition: /ˈdɪl.juː.tɪd/.
US: /ˈdɪljuːtɪd/ with rhoticity; the /r/ is not involved here, but the /l/ and /j/ form a strong /lj/ sequence. UK: /ˈdɪljuːtɪd/ or /ˈdɪl.juː.tɪd/, with a possible lighter /j/ and slightly rounded vowel quality. AU: /ˈdɪːljuːtɪd/ or /ˈdɪl.juː.tɪd/, with a more centralized vowel in some regional variants and a tendency toward a more flattened /ɪ/ before /l/; still honor the primary stress on the first syllable. In all, the glide /ljuː/ is central; non-rhotic accents may drop r after vowels but not here.
The challenge lies in the /lj/ cluster after the initial stressed syllable and the long /uː/ vowel in the second syllable. English speakers must smoothly connect /l/ to /j/ to form /ljuː/ without an awkward break; this requires precise tongue blade elevation for /l/ and a palatal approximant /j/ with the high front tongue position. The vowel /uː/ also requires a rounded, tense configuration. Mastery comes from practicing the exact sequence /l/ + /j/ + /uː/ in one fluent glide.
No, there are no silent letters in diluted. Each letter contributes to the pronunciation: the first syllable carries the stressed /l/ and /j/ sequence, the second syllable uses /tɪd/ with a light, quick t and the final /d/. Ensure you articulate the /t/ and /d/ clearly in connected speech to avoid a rushed ending.
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