2 syllables: mur, dered. Stress on mur.
MUR-durd
/ˈmɝdɚd/
murdered is pronounced MUR-durd (/ˈmɝdɚd/). It has two syllables (mur-dered), with the stress on "mur". Murdered is the past tense or past participle of the verb murder, meaning to have unlawfully killed someone. In everyday use, it denotes the act of killing and is frequently encountered in reporting, storytelling, or casual description. The word carries strong, grave connotations and is typically pronounced with tight lips and a concise, clipped cadence in fluent speech.
Murdered is the past tense or past participle of the verb murder, meaning to have unlawfully killed someone. In everyday use, it denotes the act of killing and is frequently encountered in reporting, storytelling, or casual description. The word carries strong, grave connotations and is typically pronounced with tight lips and a concise, clipped cadence in fluent speech.
- You often mis-treat the first syllable as /mɜː/ with too long or too short a vowel; aim for a balanced, strong nucleus /ɜː/ in /ˈmɜːr/. - The middle /ər/ can be pronounces as /ɜːr/ or /ə/; decide on a consistent mid-central vowel and hold it briefly before releasing the final /d/. - The final /d/ can be devoiced or flapped; practice a clean alveolar stop release with a crisp closure.
"The detective announced that the suspect had murdered the victim last night."
"Many residents were shaken by the news of a murdered child in the city."
"He stated that the accused had murdered multiple times, according to the case files."
Pronounce as /ˈmɜːrdərd/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. The sequence is /m/ + /ɜː/ (like 'fur' without the r coloring in non-rhotic UK) + /d/ + /ər/ + /d/. In US, the final syllable often reduces to a schwa + d, yielding /ˈmɜːrdərd/. In careful speech, keep the /ɜː/ vowel clear and avoid turning it into /ɪ/ or /ə/. Tip: start with “mur” as in “murmur” then add “dered.” Audio references: consult Cambridge Dictionary or Forvo for native speaker realizations.
Common mistakes include reducing /ˈmɜːr/ to /ˈmɜr/ or misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, and mispronouncing the middle /ər/ as /ɜːɹ/ or /ə/ in ways that flatten the syllables. Another frequent error is pronouncing the final /d/ as a soft /t/ in rapid speech. Correct by: (1) holding the /ɜː/ nucleus in the first syllable, (2) ending the /ər/ with a clear schwa before the final /d/, and (3) ensuring the /d/ is not released as a stop too early or too late.
US: rhotic pronunciation with clear /ɜːr/ sequence as in 'fur', final /d/ released. UK: often non-rhotic; /ˈmɜː.dəd/ or /ˈmɜː.də(d)/ with reduced final vowel. AU: similarly non-rhotic to some degree but vowel quality tends toward /ɜː/ with more centralized /ə/ in final syllable. Key differences are rhoticity (presence/absence of /r/), vowel length and quality in /ɜː/ versus /ə/, and the degree of linking between syllables.
The difficulty lies in the swift transition between the stressed first syllable /ˈmɜːr/ and the unstressed, reduced second syllable /dərd/ or /dəd/. Non-native speakers often mispronounce by shortening /ɜː/ or by inserting intrusive vowels. Mastery requires precise tongue height for /ɜː/, managing the mid-central /ər/ vowel, and clean release of final /d/. Practicing with minimal pairs and listening to native samples helps cement the rhythm and the final consonant.
A unique query could be: 'Is the second syllable pronounced with a full /ə/ or reduced /ɚ/ in American speech, and does this affect the following /d/?' The answer: In many US speakers, the second syllable is a reduced /ər/ or /ɚ/ depending on regional rhoticity; the unstressed /ər/ tends to be a schwa-like vowel that merges toward /ɚ/ in rhotic variants. The final /d/ remains a clear alveolar stop; avoid voicing or aspirating the /t/ sound in rapid speech.
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- US: rhotic, stronger /r/ coloring in the /ɜːr/ cluster; keep lips rounded and tip of tongue curled slightly. - UK: less rhotic influence; the /r/ is not pronounced; /ˈmɜː.dəd/ with clearer /ə/ in the second syllable. - AU: variable rhoticity, often non-rhotic; maintain a shorter second syllable, and its reduced vowel /ə/. Use IPA to guide the vowel reductions; practice speaking with careful mouth positions to ensure the final /d/ is crisp.
The verb murder traces to Middle English marveren or murden, rooted in Old French murderer and Latin perturbare? (Note: the modern form surfaced in Early Modern English with the general meaning of killing, but the word’s precise historical development is complex due to confusions with marauder and murder as a noun. The primary lineage is from Latin MORS (death) through Old French merdure or murdur, with “murder” evolving into the sense of unlawful killing by the 14th century. The suffix -ed marks the past tense in English, adapting the participial form of the verb to describe completed actions. First known uses appear in legal and crime-related texts of the 13th–14th centuries, gradually cementing its crash-quick sense of violent homicide in modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "murdered" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "murdered" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "murdered"
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