ik-SPELD
/ɪkˈspɛld/
expelled is pronounced ik-SPELD (/ɪkˈspɛld/). Expelled is the past tense of expel, meaning to force someone or something to leave a place or organization, or to remove contents from a container. In pronunciation terms, it is a closed-syllable word with a final /d/ that is released, and the primary stress falls on the first syllable. For most speakers, the word sounds like /ɪkˈspɛld/ or /ɛkˈspɛld/ depending on vowel variation before the /sp/ cluster, with the /t/ or /d/? No, it ends with /ld/, a light L followed by a voiced alveolar stop. The word functions in formal and informal contexts, often in policy discussions or medical/legal narratives.
Expelled is the past tense of expel, meaning to force someone or something to leave a place or organization, or to remove contents from a container. In pronunciation terms, it is a closed-syllable word with a final /d/ that is released, and the primary stress falls on the first syllable. For most speakers, the word sounds like /ɪkˈspɛld/ or /ɛkˈspɛld/ depending on vowel variation before the /sp/ cluster, with the /t/ or /d/? No, it ends with /ld/, a light L followed by a voiced alveolar stop. The word functions in formal and informal contexts, often in policy discussions or medical/legal narratives.
"The club expelled him after the incident."
"The school expelled several students for cheating."
"The team was expelled from the league for violating rules."
Pronounce expelle d as /ɪkˈspɛld/ or /ɛkˈspɛld/ depending on the speaker. The primary stress lands on the second syllable: ex- 'SP' - Meld. Start with a short lax vowel for ex, then the /sp/ blend is released quickly into a dark L /ɫ/ before the final /d/. For many, the transition from /sp/ to /l/ can be tense; aim for a clear, light /l/ followed by a clean /d/ release. IPA: US/UK /ɪkˈspɛld/; AU follows the same pattern. Consider a brief, breathy onset on the first syllable to avoid a clipped first vowel; keep the /sp/ cluster tight and the /d/ released softly.
Common mistakes include: 1) Slurring the /sp/ into the preceding vowel, making /ɪspɛld/ or /ɛspɛld/ sound like /ɪspɛld/ with weak initial sound. 2) Mispronouncing the final /ld/ as /l/ or /d/ without full release, resulting in a de facto /ld/ cluster compressed. 3) In some accents, a reduced first vowel to /ə/ can yield /əkˈspɛld/. Correction: articulate a distinct /sp/ blend after the first vowel, ensure the /l/ is light but not silent, and release the /d/ crisply after the /l/.
In US/UK/AU, the core pattern /ɪkˈspɛld/ or /ɛkˈspɛld/ maintains the same stressed second syllable; differences lie in vowel quality of the first vowel and rhoticity. US often features a slightly lax initial vowel in quick speech; UK tends to a crisper /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ with non-rhoticity in some dialects, though expel as verb forms can be broader; AU tends toward clear articulation with a more uniform /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ depending on speaker. Overall, the /sp/ cluster and final /ld/ are shared; emphasis on the second syllable remains prominent.IPA references: US /ɪkˈspɛld/; UK /ɪkˈspɛld/; AU /ɪkˈspɛld/.
The difficulty stems from the /sp/ cluster transitioning into the /l/ and the final /ld/ sequence. Many speakers blend /sp/ and /l/ or produce a lenited /d/ that sounds like a tap or a stop that isn’t fully released. The initial syllable also has a light vowel that can reduce in fast speech, affecting the perceived stress. Focus on a crisp /sp/ release, a clear, light /l/, and a final, audible /d/ with stop release to maintain the correct cadence.
No, there are no silent letters in expelled. Every letter contributes to the pronunciation: two vowels in the first syllable (e and x are not separate letters here; the first vowel sound is the short/near-short vowel in the first syllable), the /sp/ cluster, the /e/ as part of the second syllable’s vowel, and the final /l/ and /d/ are both pronounced as a light L and a released D. The silent-letter trap often comes from fast speech, but in careful pronunciation you will hear all audible components.
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Expelled derives from the verb expel, which comes from the Latin expellere, formed from ex- “out” + pellere “to drive, push.” The Latin term evolved in medieval and early modern English to express forcefully driving someone or something out, as in expulsus (driven out). The English adaptation maintained the sense of outward propulsion or removal and eventually extended to figurative uses (expelling a person from a country or organization). In print, the word surfaced in the late Middle English period, with more standardized usage appearing in the 16th and 17th centuries as legal and administrative language matured. The shift from “to push outward” to “to force out of a group or place” reflects broader social and institutional controls over membership, conduct, and compliance. Today, expelled is used across education, governance, medicine, and social contexts, maintaining its core notion of explicit removal or exclusion due to policy, safety, or behavior. Its morphological structure aligns with other -ed past participles, reinforcing action completed and its resultant state.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "expelled" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "expelled"
-led sounds
-eld sounds
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