3 syllables: en, lar, ged. Stress on lar.
/ɪnˈlɑːɹdʒd/
Say it backEnlarged is the past-participle adjective form meaning made larger or expanded in size. It can describe physical dimensions, scope, or significance, and is used across formal and informal contexts. The word stresses the second syllable, with a three-syllable structure: en-large-ed, and it often appears in medical, legal, and descriptive prose.
"The enlarged photograph revealed details not visible at the original size."
"After the surgery, the enlarged scan showed significant growth in the tissue."
"The committee approved the enlarged budget for the next fiscal year."
US: /ɪnˈlɑːrdʒd/; UK: /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/; AU: /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/. The primary stress falls on the second syllable ‘LARG-’ while the final -ed is voiced as /d/. Start with a short “in” then open to /lɑːr/ or /lɑːn/ depending on accent, then end with /dʒd/ cluster; keep the /ɹ/ or /r/ soft in non-rhotic contexts. Picture the mouth forming a small but audible /l/ plus a clear /ɑː/ vowel, then glide into /dʒ/ (as in ‘judge’) followed by a final /d/.”,
Two common errors are: 1) Misplacing the stress by saying en-LARG-ed with primary stress on first syllable; 2) Slurring or mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as an /ʒ/ or /j/ without the required /d/ onset. Correction: maintain stable /lɑːr/ before the /dʒ/ cluster and ensure the /dʒ/ is clear and followed by a final /d/. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the /dʒd/ sequence and keep the vowel length consistent before the consonants.”,
US and UK share /ɪnˈlɑːrdʒd/ vs /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/ with a rhotic /r/ coloring in US; UK is typically non-rhotic, producing a less pronounced /r/ in 'lɑːdʒd/; AU often follows non-rhotic tendencies but with a clearer final /dɒʒ/ transition; all typically stress the second syllable. The /ɑː/ vowel can be longer in UK; US may have a slightly flatter /ɑː/ and more pronounced /r/ before the /dʒ/. IPA cues: US /ɪnˈlɑːrdʒd/, UK /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/, AU /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/.”,
Because of the consonant cluster /rdʒd/ at the end and the mid-back /ɑː/ vowel, many speakers flatten the vowel or drop the /dʒd/ sequence. The /dʒ/ must be released clearly before the final /d/. Also, the stress on the second syllable makes it easy to misplace the emphasis. Practice by isolating the /lɑːr/ and the /dʒd/ sequence, ensuring a crisp release from /r/ into /dʒ/ and then /d/.
The critical feature is the /dʒ/ sound immediately followed by /d/, forming a /dʒd/ cluster at the end. This is not common in many English words, so learners often drop the /d/ or mispronounce the /dʒ/ as /ʒ/. Focus on a clean /dʒ/ release and ensure the final /d/ is audible after the /dʒ/. This unique ending is what most distinctly shapes the pronunciation of enlarged.
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US: rhotic /r/ before /dʒ/; tend to a slightly rounded /ɜː/ or /ɑː/ in some speakers; UK: non-rhotic, /r/ less audible; AU: mid-back /ɑː/ with less pronounced rhoticity but clear /dʒ/ release. Vowel: /ɑː/ often elongated in both US and UK. Consonants: ensure /l/ is clear and the /dʒ/ is a strong affricate release followed by a clear /d/. IPA references: US /ɪnˈlɑːrdʒd/, UK /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/, AU /ɪnˈlɑːndʒd/.”,
Enlarged comes from the verb enlarge, itself from the Old French augmenter or enlarger, based on Latin amplificare (to amplify) or enlargāre. The prefix en- (in, causing to be) plus large (from Latin largus, generous or ample) conspired to yield ‘to make larger.’ The word enlargé appears in Middle English influenced by Anglo-Norman and Old French forms; its semantic shift from “to make large” to the past participle/ adjective form is aligned with standard English verb-to-adjective derivations. First attested in its modern spelling by the late 15th to early 16th centuries, usage proliferated in scientific, architectural, and legal texts where size, scope, or intensity is described. Over time, “enlarged” also adopted figurative senses (enlarged powers, enlarged rights), maintaining the central meaning of increased extent or magnitude.
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Words that rhyme with "enlarged"
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