2 syllables: ma, tured. Stress on tured.
/məˈtjʊɹd/
Say it backMatured is the past participle and simple past of mature, meaning having reached full development or adulthood, or having ripened or grown to an advanced stage. In everyday use, it often describes someone or something that has become more developed, refined, or seasoned with time. The word carries a nuance of gradual change rather than abrupt transformation.
"The fruit has matured over the summer and is now sweet and ripe."
"She matured into a confident leader after several challenging projects."
"The policy matured into a robust framework after years of testing."
Pronunciation: US /məˈtʊrd/ or /ˈmæ.tʊrd/ in careful speech; UK /məˈtjʊəd/; AU /məˈtʃuːd/. Primary stress on the second syllable: ma-TURED. The root /tʊr/ combines with a light /d/ at the end in American English, while non-rhotic accents may display a vowel lengthening before the final /d/. For clarity, enunciate the /tj/ sequence in UK/AU variants, which can sound like /tj/ or /tʃ/ depending on speaker.
Common mistakes: 1) Dropping the second syllable stress, producing ma-TURED as one even syllable; 2) Merging /tj/ with a simple /t/ or /d/, yielding /məˈturd/ instead of /məˈtjʊəd/ (UK/AU). Corrections: clearly articulate the /tj/ cluster as a rapid blend, and maintain the second-syllable vowel as a near-close vowel before /d/. Practice the sequence /əˈtjʊə(r)d/ (in careful speech) or /əˈtjuːd/ in some varieties, to preserve the correct tongue position.
US typically reduces to /məˈtɜrd/ or /məˈtɔrd/ with a rhotacized /r/ and a schwa-like initial vowel; UK/AU often show /məˈtjʊəd/ or /məˈtʊəd/, with a non-rhotic or lightly rhotic ending and a clearer /tj/ sequence. Australians may display a slightly flatter vowel in the first syllable and a more colloquial /d/ at the end. Listen for the /tj/ blend and the quality of the second syllable vowel, which shifts subtly between accents.
The difficulty lies in the rare /tj/ cluster after the stressed syllable and the emergence of a vowel in the second syllable that can glide into /ʊ/ or /juː/ depending on accent. The ending /-əd/ in UK/AU and /-ərd/ in US demand precise vowel placement and a crisp /d/. Beginners often truncate or merge the second syllable, so focus on the transition from /tj/ to the post-stress vowel and the final stop.
There is no silent letter in matured. All letters contribute to phonemic segments: /m/ /ə/ /ˈtjʊɚ/ or /ˈtjʊəd/ depending on accent, followed by /d/. The challenge is the /tj/ cluster and the vowel of the second syllable, not silent letters. Practice the sequence slowly to ensure each phoneme is audible before adding speed.
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US, UK, AU accents share the core /məˈtjʊəd/ or /məˈtʊrd/ variants, but differ in vowel quality and rhoticity. US typically shows rhotic /ɜr/ or /ɔr/ on the stressed syllable, with a quick, non-rhotic feel on the second vowel; UK and AU maintain a more conspicuous /tj/ sequence and may approach /tjʊəd/ or /tjuːd/ with a precise glide. Vowel shifts: US may reduce the first 'a' to schwa; UK/AU preserve a closer front vowel in the second syllable. Lip rounding is minimal in US; UK/AU may use a rounded /u/ in /tjʊə/. IPA touchpoints: US /məˈtɜrd/; UK /məˈtjʊəd/; AU /məˈtʊəd/ or /məˈtjʊə(d)/.
Matured comes from the late Middle English matureen, from Old French maturer, from Latin maturare, from maturus meaning 'ripe, ripe for harvest, fully developed.' The root matur- signals growth to fullness, while the suffix -ed marks the past tense or participial form in English. The semantic shift from literal ripening (fruit) to figurative development (person, idea, policy) occurred gradually in English usage from the 14th to 16th centuries, expanding to describe not only physical ripening but also psychological, intellectual, and social advancement. The participial form matured into common usage in past contexts to indicate completed development or refinement. First known uses appear in legal and descriptive texts where states of growth or readiness are noted, evolving over time to encompass broad implications of experience, wisdom, and readiness for new responsibilities.
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Words that rhyme with "matured"
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