2 syllables: head, ed. Stress on head.
HED-uhd
/ˈhɛdəd/
headed is pronounced HED-uhd (/ˈhɛdəd/). It has two syllables (head-ed), with the stress on "head". Headed is the past participle and past-tense form of head, used as an adjective meaning 'toward the head' or 'on course to be headed toward a destination,' and as a verb form in phrases like 'headed for' or 'headed up.' It typically involves the pronunciation of a single stressed syllable followed by a light, unstressed -ed ending. In rapid speech, the -ed often reduces to a syllabic or voiced alveolar stop, depending on context.
Headed is the past participle and past-tense form of head, used as an adjective meaning 'toward the head' or 'on course to be headed toward a destination,' and as a verb form in phrases like 'headed for' or 'headed up.' It typically involves the pronunciation of a single stressed syllable followed by a light, unstressed -ed ending. In rapid speech, the -ed often reduces to a syllabic or voiced alveolar stop, depending on context.
"The team is headed to the finals after a strong season."
"She’s headed the new project from start to finish."
"We’re headed toward a calmer solution, I think."
You pronounce it as /ˈhedɪd/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with an aspirated h, short e as in 'bet' for /e/, followed by a light /d/ and then a final schwa-like or light /ɪ/ before the final /d/. In rapid speech the second syllable can reduce, sounding like /ˈhɛd/ or even a syllabic /d/ in very casual contexts. IPA: US/UK /ˈhedɪd/, AU /ˈhedɪd/.
Common errors include devoicing too much at the end, pronouncing the second syllable as a full vowel (e.g., /ˈhɛhɪd/) or clipping the vowels to a lax schwa without the /ɪ/ of the second syllable. Another frequent issue is misplacing the /d/ at the end, producing a dull /t/ or silent consonant. Correction: maintain a light but audible final /d/ and ensure the first syllable has clear /e/ as in 'bed' and stress on the first syllable: /ˈhedɪd/.
In US/UK/AU, the initial vowel is consistently /e/ as in 'bet,' but rhoticity affects surrounding sounds. US rhotics influence the preceding vowel subtly before /r/—not relevant here, but in connected speech you may hear a slightly broader vowel quality. Australian tends to maintain a clipped, faster second syllable with less diphthongization. Overall, the primary stress remains on the first syllable, but vowel duration and the final /d/ can vary with tempo and emphasis.
The challenge lies in the short, tense /e/ in the first syllable and the quick, lightly released final /d/. Many English learners struggle to keep the -ed from becoming an extra vowel or a heavier /t/ or /d/. Also, when spoken rapidly, the second syllable can reduce, which can blur the /ɪ/ into a schwa. Focusing on a crisp /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a final, voiced /d/ with a light release helps keep the word clear.
A distinctive feature is how the final /d/ can be syllabic or barely released in fast speech, especially when followed by another consonant (e.g., headed east). You may hear a quick closure with little voicing, making the ending nearly syllabic /d̩/. Practicing a clean transition from /ɪ/ to the final /d/ without adding a schwa helps nail the word in fluent contexts.
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US: maintain a crisp, higher-tongue /e/ vowel, slightly retentive vowel duration in /ˈhedɪd/; UK: similar, but with marginally shorter vowel duration and crisper final /d/. AU: faster rhythm, subtle vowel shortening, less drawl, but keep /ɪ/ clear. IPA references: /ˈhedɪd/ across accents; ensure final /d/ is voiced with a light release. Focus on non-rhotic tendencies not affecting this word; stress remains on first syllable.
Headed derives from head + -ed, aligning with the common English past-tense and adjective formation. The root head comes from Old English heafod, akin to Old High German haheb (head). The suffix -ed signals past tense or adjective formation through historical processes of English verb conjugation and participial adjective usage. The sense related to movement toward a place emerged as the verbal phrase headed for, later reanalyzed into a single adjective or participial form in modern English. First attestations appear in Middle English and Early Modern English texts, with the spatial sense (“toward the head” or “toward a destination”) becoming more generalized in the 18th and 19th centuries as compound adjectives and participial phrases proliferated. In contemporary use, headed often functions as an adjective (e.g., headed home) or a verb participle in progressive constructions (e.g., is headed for trouble).
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Words that rhyme with "headed"
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