Feud is a prolonged and often bitter hostility between two groups or individuals, typically extending beyond a single incident. It can involve ongoing vendettas, mistrust, and cycles of retaliation, sometimes spanning generations. The term is commonly used to describe historical or fictional conflicts as well as personal feuds.
- US: maintain a tense, fuller /uː/ with a distinct /d/; keep /f/ light and the /j/ onset crisp. - UK: slightly softer /f/ onset, but still keep the /j/ glide; post-vocalic length similar; non-rhotic but rhoticity is not relevant here. - AU: vowel quality of /uː/ can be a touch more centralized; ensure the final /d/ remains audible. IPA references: US /fjuːd/, UK /fjuːd/, AU /fjuːd/.
"The long-standing feud between the neighboring families lasted for decades."
"Two rival companies have been in a fierce feud over market share."
"Their feud was eventually resolved through mediation."
"The documentary examines the feud and its impact on the community."
Feud originates from the Middle English word feude, borrowed from the Old French feud or feue, which itself derives from the Latin foedum meaning ‘disagreeable relative or broken pledge’ (related to the verb foedar). The sense shifted in medieval Europe to denote a long-standing, hereditary quarrel among families or clans, often tied to land, honor, and revenge. By the 13th–14th centuries, feud referred to a system of reciprocal violence and feudal loyalties rather than a single argument. In English legal and historical contexts, feuds frequently described blood feuds—ambitious, escalating feuds between noble houses or tribes. The modern sense retains the core idea of sustained, hostile rivalry and shared animosity, though it can describe nonviolent disputes as well. The word’s pronunciation solidified as /fjuːd/ in English, with the initial consonant cluster and the long “u” sound guiding later spelling and usage. Over time, “feud” broadened to include nonfamilial antagonisms and, in contemporary usage, personal or corporate rivalries, while maintaining its sense of a prolonged, grievance-driven conflict. First known uses traced in medieval legal and literary records appear in the 12th–13th centuries, underscoring the term’s long association with entrenched, chronic opposition rather than a one-off argument.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Feud" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Feud" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Feud" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Feud"
-ude sounds
-ood sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounced /fjuːd/. It begins with a labiodental /f/, followed by the palatal approximant /j/ (the 'y' sound), then a long /uː/ vowel, and ends with /d/. Your mouth starts with a light /f/ with upper teeth touching the lower lip, then quickly glides into the /j/ and rounds into the /uː/ vowel, finishing with a crisp /d/. Try saying it as two consecutive sounds: /f/ + /juːd/ to feel the movement. Audio reference: standard American/British pronunciation resources will confirm /fjuːd/.
Common errors include turning /juː/ into a simple /u/ as in ‘food’ without the /j/ glide, leading to /fuːd/ or /fuːd/; or breaking the /juː/ into two syllables like /fju-ːd/ with an unnecessary pause. Another mistake is omitting the final /d/ or making it softer as in /fuː/; ensure you release a clear /d/. Keep the lip rounding consistent through the /uː/ and end with a crisp alveolar stop.
In US, UK, and AU accents, /fjuːd/ remains largely the same, but vowel length and onset acoustics can differ. US and UK tend to maintain a clear /juː/ glide with a longer, tense /uː/; AU English may have slightly centralized starting vowel quality before /uː/. The rhoticity of /r/ is not involved here, so the difference is mainly in vowel quality and timing. You’ll hear subtle differences in vowel duration and consonant release depending on the speaker’s locale.
The challenge lies in the precise /juː/ glide: you must flow from /f/ into /j/ without inserting extra vowels, then maintain the long /uː/ vowel before the final /d/. Another difficulty is avoiding a clipped or swallowed /d/ at the end; you should release a clean alveolar stop. For non-native speakers, keeping the vertical jaw stance steady while guiding the tongue from labiodental to palatal to high back vowel is essential.
Feud is a single stressed syllable with primary stress on the entire word; there are no silent letters. The challenge is not stress variation but achieving a smooth onset transition: a small, almost imperceptible /j/ after /f/ that preserves the /fj/ cluster rather than an abrupt /f/ and /uː/ separation. Focus on a steady, continuous glide from /f/ into /juː/ before the long /uː/ and final /d/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Feud"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker say Feud in a sentence and mimic in real time; aim for exact /fjuːd/ sequence. - Minimal pairs: feud vs food can help, but remember that feud has /j/; practice with glue: feud vs feud-? (practice by inserting /j/ in between /f/ and /uː/). - Rhythm and pace: as a single syllable, practice quick variations: slow, normal, fast; keep the final /d/ crisp. - Stress and intonation: practice saying statements and questions containing Feud to feel natural flow; use rising intonation for questions. - Recording: record and compare to native samples; focus on /fjuːd/ onset and final /d/ release. - Context sentences: “The family feud escalated after the disputed heir.” “The documentary explored the origins of the feud.”
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