2 syllables: Has, tened. Stress on Has.
HAY-suhnd
/ˈheɪsənd/
Hastened is pronounced HAY-suhnd (/ˈheɪsənd/). It has two syllables (Has-tened), with the stress on "Has". Hastened is the past tense of hasten, meaning to cause something to go faster or to move quickly. In usage, it describes an action that was expedited or made quicker, often by an action or influence. The term conveys urgency or acceleration, and it can describe events, processes, or movements that occurred sooner than expected.
verbHastened is the past tense of hasten, meaning to cause something to go faster or to move quickly. In usage, it describes an action that was expedited or made quicker, often by an action or influence. The term conveys urgency or acceleration, and it can describe events, processes, or movements that occurred sooner than expected.
"The manager hastened the approval process to meet the deadline."
"Her injury hastened her return to work."
"Market conditions hastened the launch of the product."
Pronounce as /ˈheɪs.ənd/ (US) or /ˈheɪ.sənd/ (UK). Primary stress on the first syllable HAY. The second syllable is a reduced schwa + nd; keep the t soft but audible as a light t or d in connected speech. If you’re teaching, you can model slowly: HAY-s-ənd, then speed up to natural connected speech. Listen for a crisp first syllable and a gentle ending.
Common errors include dropping the second syllable, saying HAY-stend with a strong t, or turning the ending into full syllables like HAY-s-tay-nd. Correct by ensuring the middle is a light, unstressed schwa: /ˈheɪ.sənd/. Keep the final nd as a soft nasal + alveolar stop blend without over-articulation. Practice with minimal pairs: hasten vs hastened vs hastier to feel the -ənd ending rather than -end or -end with a hard T.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈheɪsənd/ with a rhotic, though the r is not present here. In UK English, /ˈheɪs(ə)n(d)/ features a clearer schwa and a more prominent non-rhotic ending. Australian English tends to reduce the middle vowel slightly more and may render the ending as /-ən(d)/ with a softer nasal. Across all, the first syllable keeps the /eɪ/ diphthong, but the final consonant cluster is the tricky point for cross‑accent listeners.
The difficulty lies in the non-stressed middle syllable and the final -ened cluster, which combines a nasal and a close alveolar stop without a fully released t in rapid speech. You also have to maintain the diphthong /eɪ/ in the first syllable while coordinating the tongue for the final /ən(d)/. The key is keeping the middle /ə/ reduced without turning into a separate syllable, and ensuring the final nd is crisp but not overly forceful.
The unique aspect is balancing a clear stressed first syllable with a very light, almost silent middle vowel and the -ened ending that can trail into a soft /ən(d)/. It’s essential to distinguish the second syllable as a weak vowel (schwa) plus the nasal then the consonant cluster, not a full syllable like -end. This distinction helps prevent a mispronunciation such as HAST-en or HAY-stend—a common slip for non-native speakers.
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Hastened derives from the verb hasten, rooted in Old French hastener and Latin hastare, meaning to hurry or make haste. The English form hasten entered Middle English from Old French hastenir, with roots in hastus ‘made fast, quick’ and hasten meaning to hurry. The underlying sense evolved from a general notion of making something go faster to a specific action of accelerating a process, event, or movement. In usage, hasten often carries a forward-moving, urgent nuance, implying an active cause. The term began appearing in English texts in the medieval period, with various spellings reflecting phonetic shifts and evolving syntax. Over time, hasten retained its direct transitive sense (“to hasten something”) alongside intransitive uses (“to hasten”). In contemporary English, hastened is common in formal writing, journalism, and narrative prose, especially when describing the acceleration of events or outcomes. First known uses include literary references from the late medieval/early modern era, with the sense of urging or pressing toward quicker results appearing in religious and political writings as well. Today, hastened is widely recognized as a precise verb indicating intentional acceleration.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hastened" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Hastened" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Hastened"
-ned sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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