3 syllables: in, den, ted. Stress on den.
/ɪnˈdɛn.tɪd/
Say it backIndented refers to something that has been set in from the margin or edge, typically by a notch or recess. It can describe text formatted with a leading space or a physical indentation in a surface. The term conveys a deliberate inward offset and is often used in writing and design contexts to indicate structure or emphasis.
"The paragraph was indented to signal a new section."
"Please indent the first line of each paragraph in the manuscript."
"The box’s edge is indented to create a visual breakpoint."
Pronounce it as /ɪnˈdɛn.tɪd/ in US and UK; the primary stress is on the second syllable: in-DENT-ed. Begin with a short /ɪ/ vowel, move to a clear /dɛn/ with the vowel as a plain short e, and finish with a light /tɪd/—the final /ɪd/ often reduces to a quick /ɪd/. For clarity, say two beats: in-DENT-ed, with the stress landing on DENT. Audio references: consult dictionaries or pronunciation tools such as Pronounce or Forvo for native speaker examples.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable instead of the second (in-LEFT- ed), mispronouncing the second syllable as /dɛn/ with a long vowel, and softening the final /d/ to /t/ or eliding the final syllable. To correct: keep the primary stress on the second syllable /ˈdɛn/; ensure the /n/ is clearly enunciated before the /t/; and end with a light, quick /ɪd/ rather than a prolonged sound. Practicing with minimal pairs like “in-dented” vs “indented” can help, but focus on the two-phoneme sequence /dɛn/ + /tɪd/ without overemphasizing voicing on the final consonants.
In US and UK accents, it’s /ɪnˈdɛn.tɪd/ with a rhotic-less or rhotic variation not affecting this word much; the /d/ is a clear stop and the /t/ remains unaspirated to a light /t/ in rapid speech. Australian English mirrors US/UK patterns but may have a slightly more centralized vowel in the first syllable and a less clipped final /d/. Overall, the rhytmic beat remains strong on the second syllable: in-DENT-ed, with minimal vowel variation but slight vowel quality shifts due to accent. IPA guidance remains stable: /ɪnˈdɛn.tɪd/ across varieties.
The difficulty lies in the triplet consonant sequence around the syllable boundary: /n/ + /d/ + /t/ in rapid speech, which can blur into an /n/ + /t/ cluster with a shortened vowel. The second syllable’s /ɛn/ can drift toward a schwa in fast speech, and the final /ɪd/ can be devoiced or elided. To master it, practice slow, accurate articulation of the /dɛn/ nucleus and a crisp, brief /tɪd/ coda, then rehearse at increasing tempo while maintaining stress on the second syllable.
The word uniquely presents a clean, stress-timed two-beat rhythm centered on /ˈdɛn/. Unlike many adjectives, its primary difficulty isn’t unfamiliar vowels but maintaining the exact second-syllable stress with a crisp /d/ and a light end /ɪd/. This makes it a good test of syllable-timed pacing and the ability to hold a stable nucleus in the middle while ending with a shorter, lighter suffix. Focus on the elevating /ˈdɛn/ and the quiet final /ɪd/ to anchor natural speech.
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Indented comes from the verb indent, which derives from the Latin indentus, meaning 'folded in' or 'notched,' from in- ‘in’ + dent- ‘tooth’ (root dent- indicating a notch or groove). The noun indent dates from late Middle English, originally referring to a notch or a cut on the edge of a page or margin. By the 16th–17th centuries, indent had become common in typography and manuscript preparation to describe lines pushed inward for formatting. The English sense extended to actions: to indent text, to create a space at the start of a line, mirroring the physical indent on a surface. Over time, in computing and word processing, the term broadens to encompass any internal offset or hierarchy marker, such as code blocks or paragraph indents, preserving the original concept of an internal inward space. The first known uses appear in printing and legal documents where margins were marked by deliberate inward cuts or notches, evolving into modern typographic convention.
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Words that rhyme with "indented"
-ded sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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