3 syllables: em, pow, ered. Stress on pow.
im-POW-urd
/ɪˈmpaʊɚd/
empowered is pronounced im-POW-urd (/ɪˈmpaʊɚd/). It has three syllables (em-pow-ered), with the stress on "pow". Empowered describes a state in which someone has been given power, authority, or confidence to act. It implies a shift from potential or constraint to capability and agency, often resulting from support, information, or autonomy. The term conveys both a sense of empowerment and active deployment of power in a responsible, decisive way.
Empowered describes a state in which someone has been given power, authority, or confidence to act. It implies a shift from potential or constraint to capability and agency, often resulting from support, information, or autonomy. The term conveys both a sense of empowerment and active deployment of power in a responsible, decisive way.
"She felt empowered after receiving the training to lead the project."
"The interns were empowered to make decisions within their scope of work."
"A community program aims to empower residents to advocate for safer neighborhoods."
Pronounce as im-PAW-erd with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /ɪmˈpaʊərd/; UK: /ɪmˈpaʊə(r)d/. Start with a short, unstressed initial /ɪ/ sound, then the stressed /ˈpaʊə/ sequence where /aʊ/ is the diphthong in 'pow', followed by a light /r/ and a final /d/. Mouth: lips neutral to slightly rounded for /aʊər/, tongue moves from mid-high position to diphthongal glide. Tailor the ending to your accent: US often rhotics with a noticeable /ɹ/ before the /d/, UK may reduce the /ɹ/ in non-rhotic varieties.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress by saying em-PAW-ered with the emphasis on the first syllable; fix by practicing the trochaic pattern I-M-PAW-erd and keeping the main beat on the second syllable. (2) Slurring the /ə/ and /ər/ into a flat /ɚ/ or not distinguishing /ər/; practice separating the /ə/ and the rhotic vowel /ə(r)/, then add the final /d/. Adjust the ending so the /d/ is clear and not swallowed.
In US English, you’ll most likely hear /ɪmˈpaʊərd/ with a rhotic /r/ before the final /d/. UK English often features a non-rhotic variant: /ɪmˈpaʊə(d)/, with a lighter or silent /r/ before consonants and sometimes a reduced final /d/. Australian English tends toward /ɪmˈpaʊəd/ or /ɪmˈpaʊə(d)/, with a schwa-like ending and a soft or non-rolled /r/. The core stressed /paʊə/ diphthong remains, but rhoticity and vowel quality shift the perceived vowel length and consonant release.
The difficulty centers on the consonant cluster at the end and the diphthong in the stressed syllable. The /ˈpaʊər/ sequence includes a transitioning glide from /aʊ/ to a mid-central /ə/ before the final /r/ (in rhotic varieties) or plain /ə/ (non-rhotic). Speakers often flatten the /aʊ/ or merge /ər/; practice separating the diphthong from the following schwa and ensuring a crisp final /d/. Use slow, careful articulation and graduations from /ˈpaʊər/ to /ˈpaʊəd/ depending on the accent.
A useful focus is the transition from the stressed /paʊə/ to the final /r/ (or /d/ in non-rhotic accents). You should practice the glide from /aʊ/ into /ə/ and then a clear stop /d/. Slightly raising the middle vowel in /ə/ to avoid a reduced, indistinct ending helps maintain the word’s integrity in rapid speech. Emphasize the second syllable’s peak and ensure a short, crisp /d/ at the end.
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Empowered comes from the combination of the prefix em- (a variant of en-, meaning to cause to be in a certain state) and the noun power, with the suffix -ed forming the past participle/adjective meaning “made powerful.” The em- prefix blends with power to form empowered in the sense of “made to have power.” The root word power traces to Old French pooir/poiur via Latin potere, from Latin potens meaning “able, powerful.” The modern sense broadened in the 19th and 20th centuries to include psychological and social dimensions of empowerment—giving individuals or groups the authority, resources, information, or confidence to act. First recorded uses of a form close to empowerment appear in the 17th–18th centuries in political and religious discourse, but the fused adjective empowered becomes common in the 19th–20th centuries with social and organizational language. In contemporary English, empowered carries both tangible (authority, resources) and intangible (self-efficacy, autonomy) connotations, often in discussions of leadership, development, and rights. The word’s evolution mirrors shifts toward participatory governance and human potential advocacy, where empowerment is as much about perception and opportunity as it is about formal power.
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Words that rhyme with "empowered"
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