NUR-isht
/ˈnɝɪʃt/
nourished is pronounced NUR-isht (/ˈnɝɪʃt/). Nourished is the past participle and adjective form of nourish, meaning provided with food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. It denotes having received sustenance or care; someone or something that is well-fed or supported. The term often appears in health, nutrition, and caregiving contexts, and can describe both people and animals.
Nourished is the past participle and adjective form of nourish, meaning provided with food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. It denotes having received sustenance or care; someone or something that is well-fed or supported. The term often appears in health, nutrition, and caregiving contexts, and can describe both people and animals.
- Misplacing stress on the second syllable (no-RISHED) or softening the /ɔː/ to /ɒ/; fix by practicing the first syllable with a clear long /ɔː/ and keeping /r/ (if rhotic) before the /ɪst/. - Over-emphasizing the final /st/ to the point of t-diphthong simplification; practice the /st/ as a crisp cluster without adding a vowel after /t/. - Ignoring linking in connected speech; when followed by a vowel, link the /ɹ/ or /ɪ/ smoothly to the next word; practice: nourished by, nourished in. - Neglecting rhoticity in American English; ensure the /ɚ/ or /ɹ/ sound is present in rhotic variants.
"The community garden provided freshly harvested vegetables to keep families nourished during the winter."
"The patient was nourished with a balanced liquid diet after surgery."
"A healthy, nourished puppy was more energetic and playful."
Say /ˈnɔː.rɪst/ for US/UK; use primary stress on the first syllable. The vowel is a long open-mid back unrounded /ɔː/ similar to 'nor' in 'northern', followed by a weak /ə/ or /ɪ/ depending on speed, and end with the /st/ cluster. In careful speech you’ll hear the /t/; in rapid connected speech it can become a light /d/ or even a flap if followed by a vowel in some contexts, but here /st/ is standard. Practice with the sequence: NOOR-rist, then link to the next word if in a phrase.
Common errors include misplacing stress (placing it on the second syllable: no-RISHED) and shortening the first vowel to /ɒ/ or a lax /ɑ/; another error is pronouncing /r/ too weak or treating /ʃ/ as /tʃ/. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable with /ˈnɔː/ or /ˈnɔr/ depending on dialect, ensure the /ɔː/ is a long vowel, and articulate the final /st/ clearly. If following a vowel, avoid an unnecessary extra vowel in between; keep the sequence tight: NOOR-ɪst.
In General American, the first vowel tends to be /ɔː/ with rhotic r, so /ˈnɔɚ.ɪst/ or /ˈnɔːr.ɪst/. In non-rhotic varieties of British English, you may hear a non-rhotic /ˈnɔː.rɪst/ with a shorter /ɔː/ and less rhoticity in connected speech. Australian English often merges /ɔː/ with a broader fronted vowel, resulting in /ˈnɔː.ɹɪst/ with slight flapping /ɹ/ in casual speech and strong linking. The final /st/ remains consistent; speed and vowel length vary by rhythm. IPA references: US /ˈnɔɚ.ɪst/, UK /ˈnɔː.rɪst/, AU /ˈnɔː.ɹɪst/.
It combines a long open-mid back vowel /ɔː/ with a short /ɪ/ or /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a crisp /st/ ending. The challenge is keeping the first vowel long while not reducing the second syllable, plus ensuring the /r/ is pronounced correctly in rhotic dialects without creating an intrusive vowel. In fast speech, the /ˈnɔː.ɹɪst/ sequence can blur, so focus on the clear /ɔː/ and a rapid but precise /ɹ/ before the /ɪst/.
Is the /ɜː/ sound ever involved in pronouncing nourished? Not in standard pronunciations. Nourished uses /ɔː/ in the first syllable, followed by a short /ɪ/ or /ɪ/ sound in the second syllable, ending with /st/. Some learners wonder about the first syllable length in fast speech; the key is maintaining the long vowel /ɔː/ before the /r/ or /ɹ/ depending on accent. Practice with slow enunciation then speed up.
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- US: Rhotic /ɹ/ pronounced; keep /ɔː/ long, /ɹ/ fully articulated, final /ɪst/ as a quick cluster. - UK: Non-rhotic tendencies; the /r/ may be silent; emphasize the /ɔː/ length and the /st/ cluster. - AU: Similar to UK with a more centralized /ə/ in unstressed positions; linking and flapping are less common; keep /ɔː/ length and clear /st/.
Nourished comes from the verb nourish, which traces to the Old French nourrir (to feed, to nourish), from Latin nutrire (to feed, to nurse, to rear). The Latin root nutr- relates to nourishing and nurture, appearing in words like nutrition and nutritious, and it is linked to the Proto-Indo-European root ner- meaning to bend or turn, extended metaphorically to feed or support growth. The English form nourished appears by the 14th century, originally in religious and pastoral contexts meaning to provide with sustenance or nurture spiritually or physically. Over time, nourished broadened to everyday usage, describing both physical feeding and general provision of care. The word retains strong associations with health, growth, and well-being, and is frequently paired with meals, nutrition plans, and caregiving scenarios. First known uses can be found in Middle English texts where caregivers or elites describe providing food and care to dependents, reflecting long-standing cultural emphasis on nourishment as a foundation of welfare.
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Words that rhyme with "nourished"
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