3 syllables: nar, ra, ted. Stress on nar.
NER-ay-tid
/ˈnɛˌɹeɪtɪd/
narrated is pronounced NER-ay-tid (/ˈnɛˌɹeɪtɪd/). It has three syllables (nar-ra-ted), with the stress on "nar". Narrated denotes having spoken or told a story, often with emphasis added through a connected, sequential recount. It implies a structural delivery—events recounted in order, sometimes with descriptive detail or commentary. In usage, it can describe a voice or text that provides a narrated account rather than an unspoken tale.
Narrated denotes having spoken or told a story, often with emphasis added through a connected, sequential recount. It implies a structural delivery—events recounted in order, sometimes with descriptive detail or commentary. In usage, it can describe a voice or text that provides a narrated account rather than an unspoken tale.
"The documentary was narrated by a famous actor, guiding viewers through the scenes."
"She narrated her childhood memories with warmth and humor."
"The audiobook chapter was expertly narrated to match the author’s tone."
US/UK/AU IPA: US ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd, UK ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd, AU ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd. Start with the stressed first syllable /ˈnær/. The second syllable carries a relaxed /eɪ/ as in “date,” and the final /tɪd/ has a light /t/ release followed by a clear schwa or /ɪ/ before /d/. Keep the /æ/ in the first syllable clear and short, then glide into /eɪ/ smoothly.
Two frequent errors: treating the second syllable as /ˈneɪr/ with a wrong r-colored vowel in non-rhotic accents, and overemphasizing the final -ed as /ɪd/ with a tense vowel. Correction: segment as /ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd/ with clear /æ/ in first syllable, a crisp /eɪ/ on the second, and a light /tɪd/ ending; avoid aggressive /ɹ/ before /eɪ/ in non-rhotic speakers by keeping /r/ neutral or silent depending on dialect.
US tends to pronounced /ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd/ with a clear rhotic r in some fast speech; UK often keeps non-rhotic r, still /ˈnær.eɪ.tɪd/ with a softer r; AU is similar to UK but with slightly broader vowels; in all, the key is first syllable /nær/ stress, with /eɪ/ as the second vowel and a light final /ɪd/ cluster. Rhoticity affects the r-color on the ending, especially in US where /ɹ/ may be produced.
It sits at the intersection of a stressed first syllable and a fast sequence into a mid-central ending. The /æ/ in /nær/ must be crisp, the /eɪ/ should be a smooth diphthong without delaying the following /t/, and the /ɪd/ ending must avoid a heavy vowel or flush. Coarticulation from /r/ and /eɪ/ creates a tricky transition; practice separating the vowels slightly before blending.
A notable feature is the regular two-syllable rhythm with a subtle secondary stress or length in the middle syllable depending on speech pace. The /ˈnær.eɪ/ unit often carries the main energy, while the final /tɪd/ should stay light to preserve natural flow. In some fast, careful speech, the /ɪ/ can reduce toward a schwa before /d/.
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Narrated comes from the Latin narratus, past participle of narrare, meaning to tell, recount, relate. Narrare derives from the prefix ad- (toward) and the root rad- (to tell or speak), with the sense of placing events into a chain of speech. The term entered English via Old French, where raconter or narrer carried similar meanings. In Middle English, narrative sense broadened from the act of telling a story to the whole composition that tells it. The English word moved from verb to adjective and noun usage across centuries, with early literary uses in chronicle and romance contexts. By the 17th and 18th centuries, narrated became common in grammatical constructions describing completed action—speech acts that possess a past-tense, oral or scripted, recounting. Today, narrated is widely used in literature, film, journalism, and education, indicating the act of presenting a story or information through a controlled, flowing vocal delivery.
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Words that rhyme with "narrated"
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