2 syllables: mold, ed. Stress on mold.
MOHL-duhd
/ˈmoʊldəd/
molded is pronounced MOHL-duhd (/ˈmoʊldəd/). It has two syllables (mold-ed), with the stress on "mold". Molded is the past participle and adjective form of mold, meaning shaped or formed into a specific contour or structure, often through a molding process. In everyday use, it describes something given shape or formed by heat or pressure, and metaphorically can refer to beliefs or opinions shaped by experience. The word carries a tactile, manufacturing connotation as well as figurative implications of influence or formation.
Molded is the past participle and adjective form of mold, meaning shaped or formed into a specific contour or structure, often through a molding process. In everyday use, it describes something given shape or formed by heat or pressure, and metaphorically can refer to beliefs or opinions shaped by experience. The word carries a tactile, manufacturing connotation as well as figurative implications of influence or formation.
- You can over-pronounce the /oʊ/; keep it as a clean diphthong with the lips rounding into /ˈmoʊldɪd/. - You might merge /ld/ into /l/ or /d/; practice a light release: /ld/ as a single, quick blend, not a hard split. - Some speakers insert an extra vowel after the /l/ ( /ˈmoʊl-ə-dɪd/ ); keep it compact with /ldɪd/. - In rapid speech, you may drop the /ɪ/; practice with minimal pairs like molded vs mold: hear and produce the distinct /ɪd/ ending. - Final tip: practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the /ɪ/ before /d/.
"The plastic was molded into a sleek, ergonomic headset."
"The artist molded the clay into a delicate vase."
"The country’s education system was molded by decades of policy changes."
US: /ˈmoʊldɪd/. UK: /ˈməʊldɪd/. AU: /ˈmoʊldɪd/ or /ˈmɔːldɪd/ depending on speaker. Tip: stress on the first syllable; the vowel is a long diphthong in US and AU, a closer /əʊ/ in UK. End with a clear /d/; avoid skipping the /ɪd/ so it sounds like 'mold-id' rather than a clipped 'molded'. Mouth positions: start with rounded lips for /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, then deposit the tongue at the alveolar ridge for /l/, and finish with /d/ with tip contacting the alveolar ridge. Quick cue: say ‘moh ld-id’ smoothly, ensuring the /l/ is clearly audible before the /d/.” ,
Common errors: (1) Slurring the /ld/ into a single sound, producing something like /ˈmoʊld/ with no /ɪd/. Correct by practicing a distinct light /ɪd/ after /ld/; (2) Pronouncing the first syllable as a short /mɒl/ or flat /moʊl/ without the correct /d/ closure; ensure the /d/ is released. (3) Hyper-elongating the second vowel or turning /oʊ/ into /aʊ/ or /ɔː/—keep the diphthong tight. Practice: say 'mold' + light 'ed' as two quick beats: /ˈmoʊldɪd/.”},{
In US English, /ˈmoʊldɪd/ with a rhotic /r/ absence in the vowel; the /oʊ/ diphthong is pronounced with the lips rounded and the tongue rising toward the /ʊ/ transition before /ld/. In UK English, /ˈməʊldɪd/ often shows a shorter /əʊ/ in non-rhotic speech; the /l/ is clear; in fast speech the /d/ may weaken. Australian speakers commonly retain the /oʊ/ with a brighter /o/ sound and may reduce the final /ɪd/ to /ɪd/ or /əd/. Overall, rhoticity is a key US vs UK difference, with US often retaining more vowel length and clarity before the /d/.”},{
The difficulty centers on the /ld/ cluster after a tense vowel: achieving a clean release between /l/ and /d/ without adding extra vowels. The /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong also requires precise tongue shaping, especially in fast speech; some speakers merge /ld/ to /ld/ quickly resulting in /loʊd/ or /moʊld/ with a weaker /l/. Another challenge is maintaining syllable timing: heavy first syllable with rapid /ɪd/ ending can shift stress. Focus on steady /ld/ release and keeping the /ɪd/ segment crisp.”},{
Yes: Some learners wonder whether to pronounce the ending as /-ldɪd/ or /-ldəd/. The canonical pronunciation maintains /-ldɪd/, a brief /ɪ/ before the /d/, with a pronounced /l/ prior to the /d/. Ensure you don’t insert an additional schwa after /d/ in careful speech, and keep stress on the first syllable. Quick exercise: repeat 'molded' as two beats: 'moh-ld' + 'id', then blend.
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- US: pronunciation /ˈmoʊldɪd/. Emphasize the long /oʊ/ before the alveolar /l/ and /d/; rhotics are not relevant to this word, but in connected speech you may link slightly to following words. - UK: /ˈməʊldɪd/. The first vowel is a pure /əʊ/, with a shorter, more centralized initial schwa-like sound in some dialects; keep the /l/ clear and the /d/ released. - AU: /ˈmoʊldɪd/ or /ˈmɔːldɪd/; you may hear a broader /ɔː/ or /oʊ/, depending on region; keep a crisp /ld/ sequence. Reference IPA: /ˈmoʊldɪd/ US, /ˈməʊldɪd/ UK, /ˈmoʊldɪd/ AU. Focus on mouth shape: lips rounded for /oʊ/, tongue raised toward the hard palate for /l/, tip to alveolar ridge for /d/. - Note about rhotics: this word does not include r sounds; US rhoticity affects surrounding words, not the core syllables.
Molded comes from mold in the sense of a form or matrix used to give shape to material. The verb mold originates from the Old English word mold or molde, related to the Proto-Germanic *molþaz (mold, form) and the Proto-Indo-European root *mel- meaning to grind or shape. Historically, mold referred both to the form itself and to the process of shaping material like clay or metal. By Middle English, the verb molded or moulded was established as the past tense and past participle, with spelling variants moulded (British) and molded (American). The term broadened to describe shaping experiences, opinions, and even abstract concepts, reflecting the same sense of giving form. In manufacturing, the concept matured with industrial production—thermoforming, injection molding, and other processes—where precise shapes are produced by pressing material into a reusable mold. First known uses appear in early English texts discussing crafts and metalwork, with semantic shifts toward figurative language by the 18th and 19th centuries as industrialization expanded the sense of forming and shaping beyond physical objects to ideas and identities.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "molded" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "molded" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "molded"
-ded sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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