2 syllables: moo, dy. Stress on moo.
MOO-dee
/ˈmudi/
moody is pronounced MOO-dee (/ˈmudi/). It has two syllables (moo-dy), with the stress on "moo". Moody describes a person whose mood swings or emotional state can change quickly and unpredictably. It can also refer to something characterized by a gloomy, sulky, or temperamental atmosphere or tone. In everyday use, it often conveys slight negativity or irritability, rather than extreme affect. The word is common in informal speech and writing.
Moody describes a person whose mood swings or emotional state can change quickly and unpredictably. It can also refer to something characterized by a gloomy, sulky, or temperamental atmosphere or tone. In everyday use, it often conveys slight negativity or irritability, rather than extreme affect. The word is common in informal speech and writing.
- You might flatten the first vowel to a short /u/ as in 'put', making it sound like /ˈmʊ.di/ instead of /ˈmuː.di/. Fix by elongating /uː/ and avoiding lip rounding changes mid-syllable. - Another mistake is linking or slurring the two syllables into a single syllable, producing /ˈmuːdi/ or /ˈmuːdi/ with an elided /d/, so practice with a clean boundary. - Lastly, some learners distort the /d/ into a soft flap or a light /t/ sound; aim for a classic alveolar /d/ with a brief closure. Practice with isolation and then in sentences to keep two distinct syllables.
"She was having a moody afternoon after the argument."
"His moody silence followed the tough news."
"That band has a moody, atmospheric sound."
Pronounce it as /ˈmuː.di/. It has two syllables with primary stress on MOOD. The first syllable contains a long /uː/ vowel as in ‘moon,’ and the second syllable is a clear /i/ as in ‘see.’ Keep a light, quick /d/ onset between syllables and avoid adding a backward glide. Listen for the two distinct syllables and avoid blending into a single ‘mood-ee’ with a heavy final consonant.
Two common errors are pronouncing the first syllable with a short /u/ as in ‘mood’ vs ‘moot’ and running the two syllables together with a muted /i/ so it sounds like ‘mudi’ or ‘moodie’ with an extra vowel. Correct by elongating /uː/ in the first syllable and ensuring the /d/ is a distinct consonant rather than a soft, blended sound. The second syllable should be a crisp /di/ with a clear /d/ and /i/.
In US, UK, and AU, the first syllable bears the long /uː/; rhoticity is not a major factor here. The main differences are vowel quality preceding /di/: US often maintains a tenser /uː/ with slightly rounded lips; UK can show a slightly more centralized /uː/ and crisper /d/; AU mirrors US but may be slightly more clipped in rapid speech. Overall the /ˈmuː.di/ pattern remains stable, with minor quality shifts in the /uː/ and /i/ vowels among accents.
The difficulty lies in sustaining the length of the /uː/ vowel while transferring quickly to a crisp /d/ and a final /i/. Some speakers may subtly insert a schwa or reduce the /i/ vowel, producing /ˈmuːdɪ/ or /ˈmud.i/. Focus on a clean, two-syllable rhythm with a strong, audible /d/ in the middle and avoid blending into a single long vowel or shortening the second syllable. IPA cues help anchor accurate mouth positions.
Remember: primary stress falls on MOOD. The second syllable carries a light, unstressed /i/ but remains audible. In careful speech, keep the first syllable longer than the second (like /ˈmuː.di/ rather than /ˈmuːd.i/). Visualize the breath support at the start of the word and avoid speeding into the second syllable; this preserves the natural two-beat rhythm that native speakers expect.
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- US: Maintain a rounded, tense /uː/ with strong alveolar /d/. May show rhotic openness depending on speaker. - UK: Slightly more centralized /uː/ and crisper /d/, vowel length a touch more controlled; keep /i/ clear but shorter than the first syllable. - AU: Similar to US but may be more relaxed; ensure the /d/ is not flapped and the /i/ remains crisp. Use IPA references: /ˈmuː.di/ across all. - Common trap: reducing /di/ to /dɪ/ or dropping the vowel; keep /i/ as a full vowel.
Moody comes from the early 16th century English word moody, meaning ‘in a mood’ or ‘moody, sulky’. It likely derives from the noun mood, referring to a state of mind or temper. The sense evolved from describing people who are in a particular mood to a general adjective for temperament. The root mood itself traces to Old English mōd, meaning mind, spirit, or courage, related to the Proto-Germanic *mōþaz and Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure, consider, think.’ By the 19th century, moody had taken on the common adjectival sense of capricious or irritable in everyday speech. The word has retained its informal, colloquial tone, often used descriptively about people or atmospheres rather than clinical temperament. First known written uses appear in early modern English, with the sense gradually widening to describe moods in weather, scenes, and personalities as in literature and journalism of the period.
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Words that rhyme with "moody"
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