3 syllables: in, clud, ed. Stress on clud.
in-KLOO-duhd
/ˌɪnˈkludəd/
included is pronounced in-KLOO-duhd (/ˌɪnˈkludəd/). It has three syllables (in-clud-ed), with the stress on "clud". Included is the past participle and adjective form of include, meaning to contain or comprise as part of a whole. In use, it denotes something that is part of a larger group or set, or that has been added as part of a package or list. The term often appears in formal writing, contracts, and descriptions to indicate inclusion rather than exclusion.
Included is the past participle and adjective form of include, meaning to contain or comprise as part of a whole. In use, it denotes something that is part of a larger group or set, or that has been added as part of a package or list. The term often appears in formal writing, contracts, and descriptions to indicate inclusion rather than exclusion.
"The fee is included in the total price."
"All meals are included with your stay at the resort."
"The report included several key findings and recommendations."
Pronounce it as in-KLOO-did with the primary stress on the second syllable: /ɪnˈkluː.dɪd/. The first syllable uses a short /ɪ/ as in “kit,” the second syllable features a long /uː/ as in “food,” and the final /d/ is a typical voiced stop. In rapid speech, you may hear the second syllable compressed slightly; ensure the /ˈkluː/ portion remains prominent. Mouth position: lips neutral to rounded for /uː/, tongue high for /ɪ/ and /dɪd/ at the end. Audio reference: listen to natural speech on Pronounce or Forvo for a native-like cadence.
Common errors: (1) Placing the primary stress on the first syllable (in-KLOOD- a variant) or flattening the /ˈkluː/ into a quick /kluːd/ without the clear long vowel. (2) Dropping the final /d/ or turning it into a voiced or devoiced sound depending on adjacent consonants. (3) Substituting a short /u/ as in ‘put’ instead of /ˈkluː/. Correction: keep the long /uː/ in the stressed nucleus, fully articulate the /kl/ cluster, and finish with a clean /d/.
US: Primary stress on the second syllable with a clear /ˈkluː/ and a rhotic American /ɹ/ influence elsewhere; UK: similar stress but vowels may be slightly shorter and clearer; AU: often a slightly broader vowel quality, but still /ɪnˈkluːdɪd/ with a tight /ˈkluː/ and less r-coloring. Across accents, the /ˈkluː/ nucleus remains the key feature; final /d/ is generally pronounced; reductions are less common in careful speech.
Key challenges: the long /uː/ in the stressed /ˈkluː/ nucleus can be mis-timed, especially before a short final /ɪd/ sequence. The /kl/ cluster at the start requires precise articulation and voicing contrast, which can blur in rapid speech. Final /d/ may assimilate to a following consonant or be devoiced in fluent speech. Paying attention to the long vowel, keeping the syllable boundary clear, and finishing with a crisp /d/ helps clarity.
A distinctive feature is the long /uː/ vowel in the stressed /ˈkluː/ syllable, which stands out in otherwise short vowels in surrounding words. The sequence /kluːd/ can be misheard as /kluːd/ without ticking the 'n' sound linkage; ensure you glottalization avoidance and keep the /n/ nasalization brief before the /k/ cluster to avoid blending into the /kl/ sound.
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Included comes from the verb include, which derives from the Latin includere, from in- ‘in, into’ + cludere ‘to close, shut.’ The form passed into Old French as includer, then Middle English via late-medieval to Early Modern English, where it stabilized as included (past participle) and includes (present). The core sense centers on enclosing or surrounding within boundaries, which evolved through usage to mean “to contain as part of a whole” and, by extension, “to admit or comprise as part of a set.” The word’s participial form retained the act of enclosing while functioning as an adjective or verb participle in English syntax. The first known English uses appear in legal and scholastic contexts as “included in the list,” with a clear emphasis on inclusion within a defined group. Over time, “included” broadened into everyday language and technical writing, including contracts and instructions, where explicit inclusion is important. The morphology aligns with a common pattern in English where the verb include forms a past participle as included, and the adjective use parallels other -ed past participles to describe state or condition relative to inclusion.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "included" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "included"
-ded sounds
-ude sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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