2 syllables: Ha, sten. Stress on Ha.
HAY-suhn
/ˈheɪsən/
Hasten is pronounced HAY-suhn (/ˈheɪsən/). It has two syllables (Ha-sten), with the stress on "Ha". Hasten is a verb meaning to cause something to happen sooner or to move quickly. It implies accelerating progress or urging forward action, often by prompting, urgency, or effort. In usage, it can describe acting to speed a process or someone’s speed in moving toward a destination, typically carrying a sense of促使或催促。.
verbHasten is a verb meaning to cause something to happen sooner or to move quickly. It implies accelerating progress or urging forward action, often by prompting, urgency, or effort. In usage, it can describe acting to speed a process or someone’s speed in moving toward a destination, typically carrying a sense of促使或催促。
- You’ll hear or make the mistake of giving the first syllable a short, clipped /e/ as in 'pen' rather than the long /eɪ/ in /ˈheɪ/. To fix: practice /heɪ/ in isolation, then combine with /sən/. - Second syllable issues: learners often over-pronounce the /t/ or insert a full vowel; keep it as /sən/ with a reduced vowel and quick release. - Stress misplacement: ensure main stress stays on the first syllable; avoid excessive emphasis on the second syllable unless speaking very slowly for emphasis. - Connected speech: in rapid speech, you might merge /heɪ/ and /sən/; practice with linking: /ˈheɪ.sən/ → /ˈheɪsən/ to maintain clarity. - Final consonant: avoid voicing the final /n/ too hard or trailing; keep it light and silent enough to allow the sentence to flow.
"She hurried to hasten the departure, packing the car now."
"The manager’s decision to speed up the timeline hastened project completion."
"You can hasten your recovery by following the doctor’s orders."
pronounced as two syllables: /ˈheɪ.sən/ in all major dialects. Primary stress on the first syllable. Start with the long a as in 'hay' (/heɪ/), then a soft schwa in the second syllable /sən/. Keep the 't' as a light, near-tap stop rather than a harsh /t/ release in casual speech. Audio references: standard dictionaries and pronunciation resources can provide native-speaker samples; you’ll hear the /ˈheɪ.sən/ rhythm clearly when spoken slowly, then faster in connected speech.
Common errors include: (1) misplacing the stress, saying ‘ha-STEN’ with secondary stress on the second syllable; (2) pronouncing the first syllable as /hæs/ with a short /a/ as in 'hat,' which makes it sound like a different word; (3) overemphasizing the t, producing a clipped /t/ release. Correction: keep /heɪ/ with a long A, then glide into /sən/. Practice by isolating /heɪ/ and then adding /sən/ smoothly to form /ˈheɪ.sən/.
Across US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation remains /ˈheɪ.sən/ with primary stress on the first syllable and a relaxed second syllable /sən/. The key accent differences lie in syllable-timing and vowel length: US speakers may have a slightly longer /eɪ/ and a more flapped or softer /s/ in rapid speech; UK speakers maintain crisp enunciation with clear /s/; AU speakers tend toward a more centralized vowel quality in the second syllable and smoother connected speech. Overall, the vowel in /heɪ/ stays close to the 'hay' sound in all regions.
The challenge lies in achieving the exact /ˈheɪ.sən/ rhythm with correct stress and a smooth transition between syllables. Many learners lengthen or shorten the /eɪ/ unintentionally, or insert a hard /t/ release that distorts the second syllable. Also, the second syllable /sən/ requires a quick, soft schwa and a light lilt into the final syllable; keeping the air steady without voicing a separate vowel can be tricky. PRACTICE: isolate /ˈheɪ/ and then blend into /sən/ with a gentle, continuous flow.
A unique aspect is maintaining primary stress on the first syllable while not giving the second syllable undue weight. The /sən/ should be more of a quick, unstressed ending rather than a full syllable with a strong vowel. Pay attention to the subtle /ən/ or /n/ end: some speakers may hear a nasalized or reduced vowel in connected speech. Focus on releasing the final /n/ softly to avoid clipping it.
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- US: keep /eɪ/ as a crisp long vowel; /ˈheɪ.sən/ with a slightly slower /s/ articulation before the /ən/. - UK: maintain crisp /s/ and a tighter /ən/ ending; avoid American rhoticity effects on the /r/; you should not produce an intrusive /r/. - AU: smoother vowel transitions; slightly more centralized /ə/ in /ən/; keep a relaxed jaw and softer /t/ if it appears in rapid connected speech. - IPA references: US /ˈheɪ.sən/, UK /ˈheɪ.sən/, AU /ˈheɪ.sən/; practice with slowed and fast recordings to match the rhythm.
Hasten comes from Middle English hasten, from Old French hastir, from the adjective hasty. The root idea is speed or quickness. The word likely derives from Latin hastus, meaning spear or shaft, which metaphorically connected to hastening as forces driving forward. The first English uses appear in the 13th–14th centuries, where hasten conveyed both quick movement and urging someone to take action. Over time, the meaning narrowed primarily to accelerating progress or moving with speed, rather than the broader sense of mere rapid motion. The evolution reflects social emphasis on urgency in decision-making and action, especially in contexts like military, travel, and business, where hastening something implies intentional acceleration rather than passive speed. In modern usage, hasten often appears in formal or literary registers, and as a standalone verb or in phrases like hasten to confirm or hasten progress. The spelling has remained relatively stable, with no major semantic shifts in the last few centuries, though usage frequencies peak in contexts of urgency, departure, or change management. The word’s pronunciation has remained stable across dialects, with the first syllable stressed and the “ten” part carrying moderate emphasis in typical speech patterns. First known use is documented in medieval texts, aligning with early English legal and administrative language that valued prompt action.
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Words that rhyme with "Hasten"
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