One syllable: Herd.
hurd
/hɝd/
Herd is pronounced hurd (/hɝd/). It has one syllable (Herd), with the stress on "Herd". Herd is a noun referring to a large group of animals, especially grazing livestock, or a collective group of people acting together. It can also denote a crowd or throng. The term emphasizes a gathered, managed, or driven group rather than individuals.
nounHerd is a noun referring to a large group of animals, especially grazing livestock, or a collective group of people acting together. It can also denote a crowd or throng. The term emphasizes a gathered, managed, or driven group rather than individuals.
"The herd of cattle moved slowly toward the gate as the farmer signaled."
"A rumor spread quickly through the herd gathered at the market."
"She watched the herd across the meadow, counting the sheep as they drifted."
Begin with /h/ as a light breathy onset, then the rhotic /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ nucleus depending on accent, followed by a final /d/. In US and UK accents, you’ll hear /hɜrd/ or /hɜːd/; in rhotic varieties, the /r/ is clearly rhoticized when stressed. Mouth: lips relaxed, jaw slightly open, tongue mid-high behind the teeth area for the vowel; for the final /d/, touch the tongue to the alveolar ridge just behind the upper teeth with a brief stop. Avoid adding an extra syllable, and keep the vowel steady rather than de-tensing. Audio reference you’ll hear in standard dictionaries reinforces the short, crisp /d/ release at the end.
Two common errors: 1) Saying /hɜːrd/ with an elongated vowel or an extra syllable as /hɜrdɪ/; keep it to a single syllable. 2) Substituting /ɜː/ with a lax /ə/ or misplacing the tongue, yielding /hərd/. Correction: keep the tongue high-middle, slightly back; use a concise, centered vowel without trailing sounds, and ensure the final /d/ is crisp, not d-syllable.
In US English, /hɜrd/ features a rhotic /r/ after the vowel, with a relatively tight /ɜː/ quality. UK English often renders /hɜːd/ with a longer /ɜː/ in non-rhotic contexts; some speakers may reduce to /həːd/ in casual speech. Australian English resembles UK in vowel quality but remains rhotic to varying degrees, sometimes blending the /r/ with a vowel-like approach. Across all, the key is the vowel nucleus and the presence or absence of linking /r/; practice with native samples for precise rhythm.
The challenge lies in the mid-back lax vowel /ɜː/ and the brief, hard /d/ at the end, which can blur into a 'hed' if the tongue lowers. Learners often lengthen the vowel or add an extra post-vocalic vowel. Focus on keeping a tight, short nucleus, with the tongue centered and back, and ensure the final /d/ is a quick, clean alveolar stop. Listening to native models and practicing minimal pairs helps solidify the exact vowel-slot timing.
No; herd is a monosyllabic word with primary stress on the single syllable. The challenge is not stress balance but segment clarity: the vowel nucleus and the crisp /d/. In connected speech, watch for weak forms of surrounding words that may affect perceived prominence, but herd itself stays a single, stressed syllable.
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US: rhotic /r/ is clearly pronounced; front/tongue slightly higher than mid, lips relaxed. UK: non-rhotic tendencies can shorten the /r/ and soften the vowel into /hɜːd/; the /ɜː/ is a long, rounded quality. AU: often rhotic but with slightly broader vowel; final /d/ remains crisp; watch for vowel tilts toward /ɜː/ or /ə/ depending on region. Reference IPA: US /hɜrd/, UK /hɜːd/, AU /hɜːd/.
Herd derives from Old English heord, meaning a military band or a troop of people, closely related to Old High German hert and Dutch hoorde, which referred to a gathered company or troop. The semantic shift centers on the notion of a collective group, often livestock, that is herded or driven by humans. The Proto-Germanic root *harþaz/ *hordaz is associated with gathering and enclosure, suggesting a community brought together under guidance. In Middle English, heord or herd carried both animal and human crowd senses, with usage increasingly tied to livestock management in rural life. By the 16th century, herd had become a stable noun for a group of domesticated animals under care, with extended metaphorical uses for crowds or bands of people. The phonetic form stabilized into /hɜːrd/ in General American and several close variants in other dialects, while the spelling maintained the long-standing 'er' representation. Over centuries, the word accrued phrases like “herd immunity” and “to herd cattle,” embedding it deeply in agricultural and social discourse. First known written evidence appears in Old English manuscripts, with robust adoption in agricultural taxation and animal husbandry texts in medieval England, reflecting the central role of livestock management in the economy and daily life.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Herd" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Herd" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Herd"
-ird sounds
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