3 syllables: ex, plain, ed. Stress on plain.
/ɪkˈspleɪnd/
Say it backExplained is the past tense and past participle of explain. It refers to having made something clear or elucidated it. In usage, it signals that an explanation was given in the past and can modify nouns or clauses in contexts like reports, lectures, or written analysis.
"The teacher explained the concept until everyone understood."
"She explained her reasoning clearly during the meeting."
"After the presentation, he explained how the data supports the conclusion."
Explain**ed** is pronounced as /ɪkˈsplendid/ in careful speech? Not quite. The correct IPA is /ɪkˈsplend/ for many speakers (US/UK). It starts with the unstressed /ɪ/ in “ex-,” followed by the stressed /ˈsplend/ where /s/ blends to /sp/ with the onset of /l/ and a clear /e/ vowel in the middle, ending with a light /d/. In connected speech, the final /d/ can couple with a following consonant or be unreleased. Think: “ex-PLAINED” without a strong additional vowel after the d. Audio reference: you can listen to naturals on Pronounce or YouGlish by searching “explained.” Keywords: pronunciation, stress, IPA, /ɪkˈsplend/.
Two common errors are pronouncing it as /ˌekˈsplænd/ with a misplaced stress on the first syllable, and dropping the final /d/ to /ɪkˈsplend/ or omitting the tinge of voice on /d/. Correction: keep the primary stress on the second syllable /ˈsplend/ and finish with a voiced alveolar stop /d/. Ensure the initial /ɪk/ sounds like the “ick” in “ick-”; don’t make the first syllable too strong or long. In rapid speech it often sounds like /ɪkˈsplænd/ or /ɪkˈsplɛnd/, so aim for the clean /ɪkˈsplend/ with a crisp final /d/.
In US English, expect /ɪkˈsplend/ with a clear /ɛ/ in the second syllable, rhotic and with a relatively light /d/ release. UK speakers lean toward /ɪkˈsplend/ as well, but may have shorter vowels in fast speech and a slightly crisper /d/. In Australian English, you might hear a similar /ɪkˈsplend/ with a longer /eɪ/ quality reduced, and vowels can be a touch more centralized. Across accents, the stress stays on the second syllable; the main variation is vowel quality and the final /d/ release. IPA references: US /ɪkˈsplend/, UK /ɪkˈsplend/, AU /ɪkˈsplend/.
The difficulty lies in the cluster /spl/ immediately after the unstressed /ɪk/. Coordinating the rapid sequence /s/ + /pl/ + the syllable boundary requires precise tongue placement and timing. The /e/ in the second syllable is part of the stressed nucleus, so you must maintain clear vowel quality despite the adjacent soft /k/ leading into /spl/. Finally, the final /d/ must be voiced and audible, even in fast speech. Practice with slow, controlled phrases to stabilize the sequence: /ɪkˈsplend/.
A unique aspect is maintaining the sharp, secondary stress contour of /ˈsplend/ within a longer utterance, especially when followed by pronouns or auxiliary verbs in fast speech: “was explained to them” keeps the /ˈsplend/ prominent while the following words fuse. The pronunciation relies on a clean onset in the second syllable, bracketing the /k/ and /s/ cluster and preserving voicing of /d/ at the end. IPA cue: /ɪkˈsplend/.
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Explained derives from the verb explain, which comes from the Latin explicare, meaning to unfold, unwrap, or explain. explicare is a composite of ex- (out, thorough) and plicare (to fold). The sense evolved from ‘unfold, make clear’ to ‘make plain by giving reasons or evidence.’ In Middle English, explain was adopted from Old French espliquer, a form close to Latin explicare. By the 15th century, explain had settled into its modern sense of making something clear or intelligible. The suffix -ed marks the past tense and past participle in English, indicating completed action. Over time, explain broadened to include more formal or technical clarifications, such that you can
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Words that rhyme with "explained"
-ned sounds
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