2 syllables: e, voked. Stress on voked.
iv-OHKT
/ɪˈvoʊkt/
evoked is pronounced iv-OHKT (/ɪˈvoʊkt/). It has two syllables (e-voked), with the stress on "voked". Evoked means summoned or elicited a response or memory, often through an action, image, or trigger. It describes bringing a particular feeling, idea, or memory to mind, or causing a reaction by inspiring or provoking it. The term is commonly used in contexts like emotions, memories, or deliberate stimulation of responses in research or art.
Evoked means summoned or elicited a response or memory, often through an action, image, or trigger. It describes bringing a particular feeling, idea, or memory to mind, or causing a reaction by inspiring or provoking it. The term is commonly used in contexts like emotions, memories, or deliberate stimulation of responses in research or art.
- You may mispronounce the initial vowel; ensure you use a clean /ɪ/ (short i) sound rather than a prolonged schwa at the start. - The /v/ should be voiced; don’t gloss it over as /f/ or omit it. - The final /kt/ must be crisp; avoid letting it drift into /k/ or /t/ or merge into /k/ with an extra vowel.
"The historian’s visit evoked memories of my grandmother’s stories."
"Her speech evoked a strong emotional reaction from the audience."
"The painting evoked a sense of calm despite the busy room."
Pronounce as /ɪˈvoʊkt/ (US) or /ɪˈvəʊkt/ (UK/AU). The secondary-stressed syllable carries the main emphasis: e-VO-ked. Start with a short initial /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ sound, then a strong rising diphthong /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ in the stressed syllable, followed by a clear /kt/ cluster. Keep the /v/ voiced and place your tongue at the alveolar ridge for the /t/ release. See audio references in dictionaries for precise mouth movements.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /v/ and saying /ɪˈoʊkt/ or /ɪˈoʊkt/ with a weak /v/; ensure the /v/ is voiced and audible. (2) Slurring the /kt/ into /k/ or /t/; practice a crisp release by briefly releasing the tongue from the alveolar ridge. (3) Misplacing the stress as /ˌɛˈvoʊkt/ or on the first syllable; keep primary stress on the second syllable (vo). Practice with staged syllable emphasis: ei-VOKED. Regularly check with minimal pairs and speed drills.
In US English, /ɪˈvoʊkt/ with a rhotic /r/less impact in the vowel; in UK/AU, /ɪˈvəʊkt/ with a slightly more centralized first syllable and a longer /ɔʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong in the stressed syllable. Australians often exhibit a even more centralized vowel in the first syllable and a crisp /kt/ final; rhoticity remains reduced. Overall, vowel length, vowel quality, and the diphthong slope differ subtly, but the stress pattern remains on the second syllable across accents.
The difficulty lies in the /ɪ/ vs /ɪə/ onset, the strong /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong in the stressed syllable, and the /kt/ consonant cluster at the end, which requires a precise tongue position and air release. Learners often flatten the diphthong or fuse /v/ into /b/ or drop the /t/; maintaining a voiced /v/ and a clear final /kt/ release is essential. Listening for native timing and practicing with minimal pairs helps solidify rhythm and accuracy.
No. In standard varieties of English, the final 'd' is pronounced as a voiced alveolar stop /d/ or assimilates into the final /t/ release in casual speech, but it is not silent. The core pronunciation remains /ɪˈvoʊkt/ or /ɪˈvəʊkt/. Some rapid speech may feature a reduced or elided vowel in casual registers, but the /d/ sound is typically still perceived in rapid articulation.
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- US: rhoticity is subtle in /ɪˈvoʊkt/, keep the /ɪ/ steady and the /oʊ/ as a clear diphthong with lip rounding; /v/ should be clearly voiced. - UK: /ɪˈvəʊkt/ with a slightly schwa-like first syllable and a crisper /əʊ/; keep jaw more relaxed and tongue low-mid for /ə/. - AU: similar to UK; slight regional vowel shifts can deepen the /ə/ in the first syllable and the /ɪ/ may be shorter. IPA reference: US /ɪˈvoʊkt/, UK /ɪˈvəʊkt/, AU /ɪˈvəʊkt/.
Evoked derives from the verb evoke, which comes from the Latin evokeare, formed from e- (out) + vocare (to call). The root voc- means speak or call, and evoke entered English via French evoke from medieval Latin, with earliest attestations around the 16th century in the sense of calling forth. The word shifted to its figurative uses in the 17th–18th centuries, where it began meaning to bring to mind or elicit emotion or memory, as in art, literature, or rhetoric. Over time, evoke broadened to include scientific or psychological triggers, where stimuli provoke an internal response. In modern usage, evoke often pairs with memories, images, atmospheres, or sensibilities, emphasizing the triggering of a response by an external cue rather than direct cause. The phonetic and semantic evolution reflects a move from literal “calling out” to “calling forth” intangible reactions, maintaining the core idea of bringing something into awareness by cue or suggestion.
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Words that rhyme with "evoked"
-ked sounds
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