2 syllables: glad, ness. Stress on glad.
GLAD-nuhs
/ˈglædnəs/
gladness is pronounced GLAD-nuhs (/ˈglædnəs/). It has two syllables (glad-ness), with the stress on "glad". Gladdness, in its most common use, refers to a state or feeling of joy, pleasure, or delight. It functions as a noun describing an emotional condition or mood, often in reference to happiness resulting from favorable circumstances or acts of kindness. In usage, it can appear in phrases like “a look of gladness” or “with gladness in her heart.”.
Gladdness, in its most common use, refers to a state or feeling of joy, pleasure, or delight. It functions as a noun describing an emotional condition or mood, often in reference to happiness resulting from favorable circumstances or acts of kindness. In usage, it can appear in phrases like “a look of gladness” or “with gladness in her heart.”
"Her face lit up with gladness when she received the good news."
"The villagers greeted the volunteers with evident gladness."
"There was a quiet gladness in his smile after the ceremony."
/ˈɡlæd.nəs/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: GLAD-ness. Start with a hard G, then a short /æ/ like in cat, followed by a clear /d/. The second syllable is a quick /nəs/ with a light, unstressed schwa often reduced to a quick /nəs/ or /nəs/. For reference, you can compare to words like glad and sadness for rhythm. Practice with a brief audio model to tune the /æ/ and the tempo between syllables.
Two frequent errors: (1) Not releasing the /æ/ fully, making it sound like /ɪ/ or /ə/. Ensure a crisp, open-front vowel in the first syllable. (2) Overemphasizing the second syllable; keep /ˈɡlæd.nəs/ with a light, quick final /nəs/. Practice by saying GLAD-ness in a single breath, then try chunking as GLAD.nəs to preserve the natural rhythm. Focus on the /d/ closure before /n/ to avoid blending into /dn/.
In US/UK/AU, the initial /ɡl/ cluster remains, but /æ/ can be slightly more open in US vowel quality. US tends toward a slightly tenser /æ/; UK tends toward a more centralized /æ/ with subtle length differences; AU often mirrors US but with non-rhotic tendencies in older varieties, though contemporary AU speech can be rhotic. The final /nəs/ is typically unstressed in all, but some speakers may reduce /n/ to a syllabic nasal or link to following consonants in connected speech. Ensure the primary stress stays on GLAD, not on NESS.
The hard part is the transition from GLAD to ness: blending the voiced alveolar /d/ into the unstressed /n/ cluster requires precise timing to avoid a rough /dn/ bite. Also, the short /æ/ vowel can be mis‑articulated as /e/ or /ɪ/ for non-native speakers; keep it open and crisp. Finally, keeping the second syllable unstressed and quick without swallowing the /n/ requires light tongue movement and relaxed jaw. IPA cues help you lock each segment: /ˈɡlæd.nəs/.
Gladdness centers the energy on the first syllable; maintaining strong initial consonant release while allowing the second syllable to stay light is distinctive. The word’s two-syllable rhythm with stress on the first creates a perceptual contrast that can tempt speakers to lengthen or misplace stress. Additionally, the final /əs/ portion can blur into /əs/ or /əs/ depending on speed of speech; keep it short and barely audible to retain accuracy. IPA: /ˈɡlæd.nəs/.
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Gladdness derives from Old English glu?dnes (modern spelling gladness), rooted in glāde- meaning ‘bright, cheerful’ and related to glad, meaning ‘pleasing, inviting, joyful.’ The word traces to Proto-Germanic *glād-, from PIE root *glo- meaning ‘to be bright, illustrious.’ Early attestations appear in Middle English as gladnes(s), with the sense of happiness or pleasant feeling. Over time, the word consolidated into a stable noun form used to denote the emotion itself rather than an action or event. The semantic arc moved from explicit brightness to a broader emotional state of joy, often tied to moments of benevolence, favorable outcomes, or heartfelt reception. First known uses in English literature surface in the 12th–13th centuries in religious and poetic contexts, gradually expanding into secular prose as a general term for cheerful mood.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gladness" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "gladness" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "gladness"
-ess sounds
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