6 syllables: in, di, vid, u, al, ized. Stress on vid.
in-div-IJ-oo-uh-leyezd
/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəlaɪzd/
individualized is pronounced in-div-IJ-oo-uh-leyezd (/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəlaɪzd/). It has six syllables (in-di-vid-u-al-ized), with the stress on "vid". Individualized describes something tailored to a person’s specific attributes, needs, or circumstances. It emphasizes customization based on individual characteristics rather than generic approaches, often applied to education, treatment, or products. The term signals a process or result designed for one person rather than a group.
Individualized describes something tailored to a person’s specific attributes, needs, or circumstances. It emphasizes customization based on individual characteristics rather than generic approaches, often applied to education, treatment, or products. The term signals a process or result designed for one person rather than a group.
"The school offers individualized learning plans to fit each student’s pace."
"The therapist recommended an individualized treatment plan for the patient."
"You’ll receive individualized feedback on your writing to target your weaknesses."
Say /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪdʒ.uˌaɪzd/ (US). Place primary stress on the 4th syllable 'vid', with secondary on the first syllable when noting the sequence. Break it as in-di-vid-u-al-ized, keeping the /dʒ/ in 'vid' as a single affricate /dʒ/. A common version is /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪdʒ.uˌaɪzd/; in careful speech the final /zd/ lands as a light /zd/ or /z/ depending on speed. For natural speech you’ll often hear: in-di-vid-ya-lized, with fluency smoothing the /j/ into a palatal glide.
Two frequent errors: (1) Stress misplaced on the wrong syllable, e.g., saying in-dɪ-VID-u-al-ized. (2) Slurring the /dʒ/ into a simple /d/ or /j/, producing ində-vid-yu-əlzd. Correction: emphasize /ˈvɪdʒ/ as a single unit, use a clear /dʒ/ before the /u/ or /uə/ depending on dialect, and keep the /ɪ/ in the second syllable crisp. Practice the sequence in slow tempo, then speed up while maintaining the /ˌɪn.dɪ/ leading into /ˈvɪdʒ(u)ˌaɪzd/.
US: pronounced with primary stress on the /ˈvɪdʒ/ syllable; a rhotic accent keeps the /r/ absent in this word, but the /ɪ/ before /dʒ/ is clear. UK: often /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪdʒ.u.ə.laɪzd/ with more syllable-timed rhythm; Australian: similar to US but with slightly flatter vowels; you may hear a longer /ə/ before /l/ in some speakers. Across all, the /dʒ/ remains a single affricate; the final -ized may reduce to -zd or -zdɪd depending on speed.
The difficulty centers on sequencing a three-consonant cluster in -vid- followed by -u-al- and the -ized ending. The /dʒ/ sound in the middle must be clean and not swallowed, and you must maintain stress timing across five syllables. Lip and tongue must coordinate: the /v/ leading into /dʒ/ requires tying upper teeth to lower lip, then transitioning to the high front vowel /u/ or /juə/ before /l/ and the final /aɪzd/. Mastery comes from slow practice of the morpheme boundaries.
No, there are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation. Each morpheme contributes audible phonemes: /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪdʒ.u.ə.laɪzd/. The sequence includes a clear /dʒ/ after /v/, a mid vowel before the /u/ or /ə/ depending on accent, and the final /zd/ or /zd/ sound as part of the -ized suffix. Focus on pronouncing each syllable rather than skipping any segment to ensure intelligibility.
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Individualized comes from the word individual, which traces to Latin indicare (to point out) and eventually to the Latin word individuum (undivided, not divided). The noun individual emerged in English in the 14th century, meaning a person considered separately from a group. The suffix -ize, from French -iser, was added to form verbs meaning “to make into” or “to subject to a process,” yielding individualized as “made to be an individual.” The modern sense—customized for a single person—developed in the 19th and 20th centuries with the rise of psychology, education, and consumer customization, where tailoring services and products to individual needs became a focal point. The word’s frequency rose with personalized medicine, adaptive learning, and bespoke services, and today it remains a common term in education policy, healthcare, and customer experience contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "individualized"
-zed sounds
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