LAY-buhld
/ˈleɪbəld/
labeled is pronounced LAY-buhld (/ˈleɪbəld/). Labeled is the adjective or past tense verb form meaning provided with a label or tag. In usage you might say a product was labeled with a price, or a map was labeled to indicate regions. The pronunciation is typically stressed on the first syllable, with a clear 'LAY-bld' or 'LAY-buhld' sound depending on the speaker, and the ending often reduced to a syllabic or nearly silent 'd' in casual speech.
Labeled is the adjective or past tense verb form meaning provided with a label or tag. In usage you might say a product was labeled with a price, or a map was labeled to indicate regions. The pronunciation is typically stressed on the first syllable, with a clear 'LAY-bld' or 'LAY-buhld' sound depending on the speaker, and the ending often reduced to a syllabic or nearly silent 'd' in casual speech.
"The box is labeled with the product name and price."
"She labeled the jars so it would be easy to identify the contents."
"The map is labeled to show where each city is located."
Pronounce as /ˈleɪ.bəld/. Emphasize the first syllable: /leɪ/. The second syllable uses a schwa-like vowel /ə/ followed by a light /l/ or a syllabic /d/ depending on pace, resulting in /bəl(d)/. In careful speech, keep the /b/ clearly before the /l/; in fast speech, the /ə/ can reduce and the ending may sound like /ld/ or even /l̩d/ in some dialects. If you can, think ‘LAY-buhld’ with crisp bilabial + alveolar transition.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing the primary stress, saying ‘la-BELD’ instead of ‘LAY-bəld’; (2) Merging the /l/ and /b/ into a /lb/ cluster without clear separation, producing ‘le-ld’ or ‘lay-bed’; (3) Not voicing the final /d/ or making it vanish, yielding ‘LAY-bəl’ without final stop. Correction: keep /ˈleɪ/ first syllable stressed, insert a short /ə/ before the /l/ in the second syllable, and clearly articulate the final /d/ or the syllabic /l/ if pacing allows. Practice slowly and then add speed while maintaining the /d/ closure.
In US, you’ll hear /ˈleɪ.bəld/ with a rhotic, smoother /ɚ/ in the second syllable, and a crisp /d/. In UK English, the /ˈleɪ.bəld/ keeps more rounded vowel quality, and the final /d/ is clearly pronounced in careful speech; in fast speech you may get a reduced /ˈleɪ.bəl/ or /ˈleɪ.bl̩/. Australian English tends toward a slightly wider vowel in /eɪ/ and may reduce the final /d/ somewhat, though usually still audible. All share the same primary stress on the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in executing the /ˈleɪ/ onset with a clean transition to /bəld/, ensuring the /eɪ/ vowel is not reduced to /ə/. The /l/ before /ə/ can blur into a light vowel, and the ending /ld/ can blur in rapid speech. Also, the close proximity of /b/ and /l/ requires precise articulation to avoid an unintended /bl/ blend or a dropped /d/. Focus on clear, deliberate /b/ onset in the second syllable and finalize with a distinct /d/ in careful speech.
Yes. A common search question is whether to pronounce the second syllable as /bəld/ or /bəl/. The most accurate common form is /ˈleɪ.bəld/ with a pronounced /b/ and a final /ld/ cluster. In rapid conversational speech, listeners may perceive /ˈleɪbld/ where the /ə/ is reduced and the /l/ may be treated as syllabic, but in careful speech you should maintain /ˈleɪ.bəld/ for clarity.
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labeled comes from label, which traces to the Old French label, ‘labele’ or ‘libel,’ meaning a slip of paper or a name tag, from Late Latin libella meaning book fragment, a diminutive of liber meaning book. The form label stems from Latin libellum, a small book or sheet, and the action-centered suffix -ed was added in English to form the past tense/adjective form. The sense extended from attaching a label to an object, to identifying or naming, and later to indicating classification or brand labeling. In Middle English, related terms appeared in manuscripts describing inscriptions or name tags on goods. By the 18th–19th centuries, labeling as a noun and verb had become common in commerce and literature, with the meaning firmly anchored in marking or classifying items or information. The word has maintained a straightforward semantic core—attach or assign a label to something—while spreading into metaphorical uses (e.g., labeling theories, labeling people). First known use as a noun in English appears in the late 16th century, with verb forms following as printing and labeling practices expanded in trade and science. The current pronunciation and spelling reflect the integration of the -ed suffix for past-tense verbs and the common phonetic cluster around the L and –ed sequence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "labeled" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "labeled"
-led sounds
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