2 syllables: ex, cused. Stress on cused.
ik-SKYOOZD
/ɪksˈkjuzd/
excused is pronounced ik-SKYOOZD (/ɪksˈkjuzd/). It has two syllables (ex-cused), with the stress on "cused". Excused is the past participle of excuse, meaning formally released from a duty or liability or shown to be free from blame. In everyday use it functions as an adjective or verb form, often indicating permission or justification. It conveys a sense of being exempt or pardoned in a given context, and its pronunciation centers on a clear /ɪ/ vowel followed by /kskjuːzd/ in most varieties depending on whether the word is stressed or unstressed in connected speech.
Excused is the past participle of excuse, meaning formally released from a duty or liability or shown to be free from blame. In everyday use it functions as an adjective or verb form, often indicating permission or justification. It conveys a sense of being exempt or pardoned in a given context, and its pronunciation centers on a clear /ɪ/ vowel followed by /kskjuːzd/ in most varieties depending on whether the word is stressed or unstressed in connected speech.
- You may skip or soften the /skjuː/ part, reducing the word to /ɪkˈzuːd/ or /ɪkˈkjuːzd/. To correct, emphasize the /s/ and /k/ and ensure the /j/ is felt as a subtle consonant before the /uː/ diphthong. - Another error is misplacing stress, saying /ˈɪks/ on the first syllable instead of the second; keep stress on the second syllable (ˈskjuː). - Final consonant can be devoiced; keep the /d/ voiced to avoid a clipped ending. - In rapid speech, assimilation can turn /skjuːzd/ into /tʃuːzd/ or /sjuːzd/; slow down slightly to keep the cluster clean.
"- He excused himself from the meeting when the alarm went off."
"- The teacher excused the tardy student after he explained the delay."
"- They excused the error and proceeded with the revised plan."
Pronounce it as /ɪkˈskjuːzd/ (US/UK/AU). The first syllable sounds like “ick” with a short /ɪ/. The second syllable features the stressed /ˈskjuː/ diphthong, where the mouth forms a rounded /uː/ after a /sk/. End with a clear /zd/ as in “lizard” without voiceless stop. In connected speech, you may hear a slight reduction: /ɪkˈskjuːd/ or /ɪkˈskjuːz/ depending on emphasis and speed. IPA: US/UK/AU: ɪkˈskjuːzd.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /sk/ cluster: say /ɪkˈskjuːzd/ with a strong /sk/ sequence. (2) Misplacing stress: place primary stress on the second syllable; some learners place it on first in error. (3) Tuning the final /d/: often devoiced or tipped as /t/ or /d/ without voicing; aim for a voiced final /d/. Correction: emphasize the /skjuː/ cluster before the final /d/, and maintain the /z/ preceding the /d/ where the voiced segment appears.
US/UK/AU share /ɪkˈskjuːzd/ structure, but rhotics and vowel quality shift slightly. In US, the /r/ is not present in this word, but the /juː/ from /juː/ remains. In UK, non-rhoticity has little effect here because there’s no /r/; however, vowel length can be shorter in certain dialects. In Australian English, you might hear a slightly more centralized or clipped onset /ɪk/ and a crisper /skjuːzd/. The crucial cue is the /ˈskjuː/ diphthong and the final /zd/ cluster, which tends to remain intact across these varieties. IPA references: US/UK/AU: ɪkˈskjuːzd.
Key challenges: the /skjuː/ cluster and the transition from /k/ to /s/ to /j/ is tricky in rapid speech; the /juː/ is a glide that often slides toward a /uː/ and can blur with the following /z/. The final /zd/ demands voicing without breaking the flow, which many learners neglect, pronouncing as /t/ or /d/ only. Practice tip: isolate the /skjuː/ sequence, then add /zd/ while maintaining voicing through the whole cluster. IPA: ɪkˈskjuːzd.
The most specific feature is the /skjuː/ sequence after the /k/: the tight /sk/ cluster followed by the /j/ glide produces a three-phoneme transition in a narrow window. You’ll hear a brief palatal offglide just before the /juː/ vowel, which can be subtle in fast speech. Ensure you articulate /s/ as a light hiss, then immediately move into the /kj/ tongue position for the /j/ before the /uː/. IPA: ɪkˈskjuːzd.
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- US: maintain a clear rhotic-free on /ɪk/ but not relevant here; focus on the non-rhoticity not affecting this word. Vowels tend to be more relaxed; the /juː/ can be a more open /uː/ in some speakers. - UK: maintain crisp /s/ and /k/ with a rounded /juː/; watch for slight length differences in unstressed contexts. - AU: often more centralized tongue position; ensure the /juː/ retains the glide toward /uː/ with a light lip rounding. All: the critical difference is the /skjuː/ cluster and the final /zd/. IPA: ɪkˈskjuːzd.
The word excused comes from the Latin ex- ‘out of, from’ + causa ‘a cause, reason,’ which passed into Old French as escuser and then Middle English as excusen, later evolving into excused. The concept originally implied giving a reason on oneself or for an action, then specifically granting relief from a duty, obligation, or blame. In the legal and social domains, excused developed a codified sense of absolution or immunity. First attested in the English language in Middle English adaptations of Latin and French legal vocabulary, the term consolidated its current sense during Early Modern English expansions where formal processes (excusing a person from a jury, a charge, or a duty) became common. Over time, excused has also broadened to common usage as a past-participial form of excuse in both formal and informal registers, retaining its central idea of releasing someone from an obligation or blame. The transition from literal “causal” exemption to a broader social permission reflects evolving norms around accountability and etiquette in English-speaking societies, aided by legal and administrative language adoption. Its pronunciation gradually stabilized into a two-syllable effort with a final -zd ending as the past participle, though connected speech may reduce the interior sounds in casual speech. Modern usage continues to oscillate between formal exemptions and casual forgiveness, with stress preference staying on the first syllable: EX-cused, though in some rapid speech forms it can blend more, producing a quicker /ɪkˈskjuːzd/ realization in specific dialects.
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Words that rhyme with "excused"
-sed sounds
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