One syllable: grade.
grayd
/ɡɹeɪd/
grade is pronounced grayd (/ɡɹeɪd/). It has one syllable (grade), with the stress on "grade". Grade refers to a measure or rank assigned to something based on quality, value, or performance, or to the process of evaluating and scoring. It also serves as a verb meaning to assign a score or to flatten or shape material. In everyday use, it spans educational scores, quality tiers, and slope or incline calculations. The term carries evaluative and analytic connotations across contexts.
Grade refers to a measure or rank assigned to something based on quality, value, or performance, or to the process of evaluating and scoring. It also serves as a verb meaning to assign a score or to flatten or shape material. In everyday use, it spans educational scores, quality tiers, and slope or incline calculations. The term carries evaluative and analytic connotations across contexts.
"The teacher handed back the graded papers with notes for improvement."
"We need to grade the students based on their final exam and class participation."
"Her project was graded on accuracy, originality, and presentation."
Pronounce it as /ɡreɪd/ with a hard G. The vowel is a long A sound, as in 'ace' or 'blade.' Start with a closed-back gulp of air, then glide into /eɪ/ (diphthong) before reaching the final /d/. The stress is on the single syllable. Tip: keep the tongue high-front for /ɡr/ and finish with the voiced alveolar /d/, releasing air steadily.
Common errors include tensing the jaw and misproducing the /eɪ/ as a quick /e/ or /ɛ/; another frequent issue is softening the final /d/ to a tap or almost silent sound in rapid speech. To correct: align tongue for /ɡ/ at the back-left of the mouth, hold the /r/ lightly before the vowel, and glide from /eɪ/ to /d/ with a clean release. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the diphthong integrity.
In US and UK, /ɡreɪd/ is similar, but US rhotics can subtly add a post-vocalic quality in some dialects; Australian speakers may display a slightly broader diphthong with a longer /eɪ/ and a lighter /d/ release. The most noticeable variation is the vowel quality and the speed of the diphthong glide, not the consonant onset, which remains /ɡ/.
The challenge lies in the precise diphthong /eɪ/ and the clean, final /d/ release after a preceding /r/ cluster: /ɡr/. Some speakers tuck the tongue too far, producing a schwa-like central vowel, which weakens the diphthong. Focus on a steady glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ as in /eɪ/ and ensure a crisp /d/ without voicing bleed from the /r/.
A useful, word-specific nuance is the /ɡr/ cluster. In fast speech, ensure the /r/ does not delay the /eɪ/ glide. You can practice with a small, quick /ɡr/ onset followed by a tight, forward /eɪ/ vowel, then a strong /d/ closure. This clean onset and diphthong glide create a more natural, native-like pronunciation across dialects.
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Grade originates from the Old French gradière, grada, meaning a step, rung, or degree, related to the Italian gradino and Latin gradus meaning ‘step, degree, rank.’ In Middle English, grade appeared as a measure or tier, evolving to mean the level of quality or standing. The term broadened in education and assessment to denote a score or mark reflecting performance. By the 19th century, grade also described the incline of a slope in engineering and construction, tied to its sense of ‘level’ or ‘rank’ within a system. First known uses appear in the 15th–16th centuries in references to steps or gradations of rank, with educational usage crystallizing in the 18th–19th centuries as formal grading systems developed in schools and universities. Contemporary usage retains both evaluative and geometric senses across domains, including educational grades, quality grades, and slope grades.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "grade" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "grade" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "grade"
-ade sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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