4 syllables: I, tal, ic, ized. Stress on tal.
it-AL-is-eyezd
/ɪˈtæl.ɪˌsaɪzd/
Italicized is pronounced it-AL-is-eyezd (/ɪˈtæl.ɪˌsaɪzd/). It has four syllables (I-tal-ic-ized), with the stress on "tal". Italicized is a verb meaning to set text in italics or to emphasize a word or passage by placing it in italics. It often functions in writing and editing to distinguish or highlight terms, foreign phrases, or emphasis. The term can also appear as an adjective when describing text that is styled in italics, though your focus here is the verb form.
verbItalicized is a verb meaning to set text in italics or to emphasize a word or passage by placing it in italics. It often functions in writing and editing to distinguish or highlight terms, foreign phrases, or emphasis. The term can also appear as an adjective when describing text that is styled in italics, though your focus here is the verb form.
How to Pronounce Italicized
"Please italicize the book title in the bibliography."
"In your critique, italicize key terms to show emphasis."
"The editor asked me to italicize all foreign phrases."
You pronounce it as /ɪˈtælɪˌsaɪzd/. Stress typically falls on the second syllable: i-TAL-i-zed, with a secondary emphasis on the third syllable in fast speech. Start with the short 'i' in kit, then 'tæl' like tally, followed by 'ɪ' as a quick schwa-like vowel, then 'saɪzd' rhymes with 'sized' but with an earlier 'i' sound. Keep the final /d/ crisp. Audio references: look for pronunciation guides on Forvo or Pronounce with the IPA annotation.
Common errors include flattening the stress to i-TAL-ihd or misplacing the secondary syllable stress. Some speakers mispronounce the middle vowels as a long 'i' in 'saɪzd' instead of a short 'i' sound like in 'sigh' + 'd'. To correct: ensure the /ɪ/ in the first syllable is short, place primary stress on /ˈtæl/ and keep /ɪ/ before /saɪzd/ light, then finish with a clear /zd/ cluster rather than a stop after /si/. Practice saying it slowly: /ɪ-ˈtæl-ɪ-ˌsaɪzd/ and speed up while maintaining the /z/ before /d/.
In US, you’ll hear /ɪˈtælɪˌsaɪzd/ with a rhotic r-like /ɹ/ absent here; the /t/ is enunciated, and the /æ/ in /tæl/ is bright. In UK, you may hear a slightly shorter /æ/ and a more clipped /d/; the /t/ can be alveolar-tap in rapid speech. In Australian English, vowel qualities can shift toward a more centralized /ə/ in some syllables and a non-treble 'i' sound, yet the overall rhythm and primary stress remain on /tæl/. Always check with a native speaker for regional nuance.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllable rhythm and the cluster /saɪzd/, where the diphthong and final voiced 'd' must be smoothly linked. Also, the secondary stress on the third syllable may be subtle and easy to ignore in rapid speech. The sequence /ˈtæl/ plus /ɪ/ and /saɪzd/ requires careful control of vowel height and jaw tension to avoid a too-long /æ/ or a swallowed /z/. Practice by isolating segments: /ɪ-ˈtæl-/ then /ɪ-ˌsaɪzd/ and blend.
There are no silent letters in Italicized, but the tricky part is the secondary stress and the vowel transitions: the /ɪ/ in the middle syllable is short and often reduced in fast speech, and the /saɪzd/ part hinges on the clear /s/ + /aɪ/ + /z/ + /d/ sequence. The unique feature is balancing the primary stress on /ˈtæl/ with a light, quick /ɪ/ before /saɪzd/, ensuring the final /zd/ stays voiced and connected. Focus on maintaining a steady lips-seal through /saɪzd/.
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Italicized derives from italics, the style of type used to slant letters. The noun italics comes from Late Latin italice, meaning in Italian, from Italian: italic, an abbreviation of italic script (Italico). The term entered English in the 16th century as printers adopted typefaces imitating handwriting from Italy, especially the Renaissance humanist scripts. Early uses referred to printed words set in the italic face to denote emphasis or to distinguish foreign words. Over time, italicized as a verb emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries in editing and typography contexts, signaling the action of applying italics to text. The evolution reflects broader typographic practices and the linguistic need to mark emphasis without adding punctuation. First known uses in print appear in editorial manuals and style guides of the 1800s, aligning with the standardization of style across newspapers and publishing houses.
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Words that rhyme with "Italicized"
-zed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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