3 syllables: dis, gust, ed. Stress on gust.
dis-GUHS-tuhd
/dɪˈsɡʌstəd/
disgusted is pronounced dis-GUHS-tuhd (/dɪˈsɡʌstəd/). It has three syllables (dis-gust-ed), with the stress on "gust". Disgusted describes a strong feeling of aversion or repulsion, typically in response to something unpleasant. It conveys emotional reaction, often with a blend of surprise or disdain. The word functions as an adjective describing the speaker’s state or reaction, and can also indicate labeling someone’s behavior as morally or aesthetically offensive in certain contexts.
Disgusted describes a strong feeling of aversion or repulsion, typically in response to something unpleasant. It conveys emotional reaction, often with a blend of surprise or disdain. The word functions as an adjective describing the speaker’s state or reaction, and can also indicate labeling someone’s behavior as morally or aesthetically offensive in certain contexts.
- You will tend to tilt stress to the first syllable if you’re not careful; ensure the second syllable carries the burst of energy. - Final -ed in English often reduces; avoid merging /t/ with /d/ in rapid speech; aim for a clear /t/ before the final /d/. - The /ɡ/ should be a clean stop rather than a soft or fricative; avoid blending into /ŋ/ or /dʒ/. - Be mindful of the vowel in /ɪ/ for the third segment; keep it short and tense to prevent a lazy ending.
"She looked at the mess and seemed disgusted."
"The crowd grew disgusted by the foul odor wafting through the hall."
"He turned away, disgusted by the sight of the injured animal."
Disgusted is /dɪsˈɡʌs.tɪd/. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: dis-GUST-ed. Start with /dɪs/ (short i, a quick s), then /ˈɡʌs/ (GUST like 'gust' with a short 'u'), and end with /tɪd/ (schwa-like or light 'i' plus final 'd'). Voice is light and clipped on the second syllable, with the vowel in -ed often reduced in rapid speech. Visualize consonant sequence: d - i - s - g - u - s - t - e - d; keep the lips relaxed for /ɪ/ and move into a crisp /d/ at the end.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing the stress, saying dis-GUST-ed vs dis-gus-TED. 2) Slurring the /ɡ/ into /dʒ/ or making it a hard 'g' with a markedly voiced /ɡ/ before the /ʌ/; keep a clean /ɡ/ as in gust. 3) Reducing the final /tɪd/ to a quick /d/ or /ɪd/; ensure /t/ is audible before the final /d/. Corrections: emphasize the /ˈɡʌs/ chunk, articulate /t/ before the ending, and keep the final /d/ light but distinct. Practicing with slow tempo helps stabilize the sequence.
In US, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable is lax, and the /ɡ/ is clearly enunciated; the /t/ can be unreleased in fast speech, but keep it when learning. UK often has a similar pattern, but some speakers may reduce the final /ɪd/ to a closer syllable like /ɪd/ or even /əd/ in rapid speech. Australian may show slightly broader vowels in /ɪ/ and /ʌ/, with tendency toward a lighter /t/ or a glottalization before the final /d/ in informal speech. The main contrast remains stress placement on /ˈɡʌs/, with vowel quality shifts across regions.
The difficulty centers on the liquid-to-plosive transition (circling from /s/ into /ɡ/ and then to /t/). The second syllable carries the main stress, so misplacing stress is common. Additionally, the /ʌ/ vowel in /ˈɡʌs/ can be unfamiliar for some learners, and the final /tɪd/ cluster requires precise timing to avoid a reduced or merged ending. Mastery comes from isolating each phoneme, maintaining crisp /t/ before the final /d/, and keeping the tongue in a relaxed but ready position for the flapped or light /ɾ/ in rapid speech.
A unique aspect is the second-syllable primary stress on /ˈɡʌs/ and the relatively short, tense /i/ or schwa-like end in fast speech. In careful speech, you’ll articulate the ending as /tɪd/, but in casual speech many speakers reduce to /təd/ or even /dɪd/ depending on tempo. The consonant sequence around the vowel—/dɪs ˈɡʌs tɪd/—requires a crisp /t/ before the final /d/. Keeping the jaw relaxed during the /ɪ/ helps avoid over-tensing the tongue.
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- US: rhotic, flatter /ɝ/ and broader /ɔ/ shifts may influence preceding vowels; keep /ˈɡʌs/ crisp. - UK: non-rhotic; avoid adding extra r-colouring to the stressed syllable; maintain clear /ɡ/ and final /tɪd/. - AU: broader vowels, possible /ɜː/ in some contexts; watch for glottalization of /t/ in casual speech. Use IPA cues to tie mouth positions to similar words: dis-GUST-ed contrasts with disgust in noun form.
Disgusted comes from the Old French disgustier, from des- (a prefix meaning removal or negation) combined with gust, from the Latin gustus meaning taste. The sense evolved from a literal sense of “to cause to lose taste or to be disgusted” to a figurative sense of revulsion. Early English borrowed disgust as a verb meaning to offend or to cause to hate, with -ed forming adjectives indicating a state (disgusted). The core root gust- ties to taste, flavor, or perception. The term first entered English in the late Middle Ages to describe moral or aesthetic revulsion, aligning with other -ed adjectives that describe emotional states. By the 16th-17th centuries, disgusted as a descriptor for a permanent or continuing emotional reaction became common in literature and speech, reinforcing its use in everyday modern English to describe intense aversion or moral displeasure.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "disgusted" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "disgusted"
-ted sounds
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