2 syllables: ob, tained. Stress on tained.
uhb-TAYND
/əˈbteɪnd/
obtained is pronounced uhb-TAYND (/əˈbteɪnd/). It has two syllables (ob-tained), with the stress on "tained". Obtained means gained possession or possession through effort. It refers to something that has been acquired or achieved, typically after some process or effort. The word emphasizes the result of an action, not the action itself, and is often used in formal or written contexts to indicate successful attainment.
Obtained means gained possession or possession through effort. It refers to something that has been acquired or achieved, typically after some process or effort. The word emphasizes the result of an action, not the action itself, and is often used in formal or written contexts to indicate successful attainment.
- • Misplacing primary stress on the first syllable: ob-TAINed instead of ob-TAINed with stress on the second syllable. Remedy: practice saying more slowly: /əbˈteɪnd/ and then speed up with emphasis on -TAIN-. - • Reducing /eɪ/ to a shorter /e/ or /æ/: maintain the /eɪ/ diphthong by pairing with words that have long A vowels (day, say) to train mouth movement. - • Dropping the final /d/ or turning it into a stop without voicing: ensure the /nd/ sequence is audible; practice with minimal pairs like
"She obtained a scholarship after a competitive application process."
"The data was obtained from multiple sources and cross-verified for accuracy."
"Only after hours of negotiation did they obtain a favorable agreement."
Pronounce as /əbˈteɪnd/ in US/UK/AU variants. The syllable break is o-bTAINed, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa /ə/ for the first syllable: /ə/. Then the stressed /ˈteɪ/ uses the long A vowel as in 'day'. End with /nd/ where the final d is light and the n is soft; in rapid speech the -ed often sounds like /d/ or a quick /əd/. Overall: uh-BTAIND. Mouth position: relaxed lips for /ə/, then raise the tongue for /eɪ/ mid-high position, and finish with a light /n/ and voiced /d/.
Common mistakes: (1) Misplacing stress, saying ob-TAINED with even emphasis on first syllable. Correct by using a clear secondary stress-free first syllable and strong emphasis on -TAIN-. (2) Slurring to /əˈtankd/ or /əbˈtæŋd/ by mispronouncing /teɪ/ as /tæ/. Use the long A /eɪ/ as in 'day'. (3) Dropping the final /d/ or turning it into /t/ in rapid speech. Practice ending with a light /d/ after the /n/. Focus on a clean /nd/ sequence rather than a nasal before a voiceless stop.
US: /əbˈteɪnd/ with rhotic r? No rhotic here; /ə/ then /ˈteɪnd/. UK: /əbˈteɪnd/, similar vowel; some speakers may have a slightly tighter /eɪ/. AU: /əbˈteɪnd/ or /ɒbˈteɪnd/? Australians often reduce vowels and may have less rounded /eɪ/; still, the stress pattern remains the same. Across all, the key differences are subtle vowel quality and vowel length rather than rhythm; the final /nd/ is generally the same. Concentrate on preserving the /eɪ/ diphthong and the /nd/ suffix in all three without adding extra vowel sounds.
The difficulty lies in the stressed diphthong /eɪ/ in the second syllable and the final /nd/ cluster after a voiced consonant onset. Learners often over-simplify /eɪ/ to /e/ or mispronounce /nd/ as /n/ or /d/ alone, causing a stilted ending. The weak first syllable /ə/ can also be reduced too aggressively, masking the word’s primary stress. Focusing on a crisp /teɪnd/ with a clear /n/ before the /d/ helps establish natural flow.
The word’s notable feature is the strong second-syllable stress on -tain- and the /nd/ ending after a consonant cluster that follows a schwa. Although not silent letters, the -t- can invite glottalization or a faster release in casual speech, affecting clarity of /teɪn/. Paying attention to the transition from /ə/ to /ˈteɪ/ and the subsequent /nd/ makes pronunciation natural, especially in careful speech.
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- US: rhoticity not relevant for this word but American speakers often have a slightly stronger /ɪ/ in the first unstressed syllable; keep /ə/ neutral. - UK: maintain a crisp /ˈteɪ/; some speakers lean toward a tighter vowel; keep the diphthong slowly opening toward /ɪ/ depending on dialect. - AU: vowel quality may be a touch more centralized; emphasize the same /ˈteɪnd/ rhythm; ensure the final /nd/ is not devoiced in rapid speech. IPA references: US /əˈteɪnd/, UK /əˈteɪnd/, AU /əˈteɪnd/.
Obtained comes from the Latin obtinēre, formed from ob- meaning 'toward' or 'against' and tenēre meaning 'to hold.' The Latin verb obtīnēre implied 'to grasp toward' or 'to hold against.' Through Old French obtenir, the term entered Middle English in the late medieval period, retaining the core sense of gaining possession or achievement. The spelling shift from ot- to ob- in English reflects assimilation to familiar prefixes and the influence of Norman French on English vocabulary during the Norman conquest. By the 16th–17th centuries, obtained appeared in legal, diplomatic, and scholarly prose, reinforcing its connotation of official or verified attainment rather than casual acquisition. In modern usage, obtained often collocates with nouns like evidence, permission, consent, or data, signifying a formal result rather than a spontaneous act. The word’s formality level and precise sense of successful attainment make it common in academic writing, reports, and contracts where the outcome has been secured through effort or procedure. The evolution from a generic “to hold” sense to a specific “to have gained possession or right” parallels similar verbs like acquire and procure, but obtained emphasizes the successful completion or securing of something previously difficult to obtain.
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Words that rhyme with "obtained"
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