3 syllables: of, fend, er. Stress on fend.
uh-FEN-dur
/əˈfɛndɚ/
offender is pronounced uh-FEN-dur (/əˈfɛndɚ/). It has three syllables (of-fend-er), with the stress on "fend". An offender is a person who has committed a crime or wrongdoing and is subject to legal punishment or scrutiny. In common usage, it refers to someone labeled by authorities as having violated the law, whether formally charged or simply suspected. The term can appear in legal, journalistic, and everyday contexts, often highlighting accountability and consequences.
An offender is a person who has committed a crime or wrongdoing and is subject to legal punishment or scrutiny. In common usage, it refers to someone labeled by authorities as having violated the law, whether formally charged or simply suspected. The term can appear in legal, journalistic, and everyday contexts, often highlighting accountability and consequences.
"The court declared him a first-time offender after he admitted the theft."
"Local media reported that several repeat offenders were involved in the incident."
"The program aims to rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism."
Pronounce as /əˈfɛn.dɚ/ (US) or /əˈfen.dər/ (UK). The stress falls on the second syllable: of-FEN-der. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a clear E in the stressed syllable, followed by an unstressed final syllable with a rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. Mouth position: relaxed initial, then a mid-front vowel /ɛ/ for the stressed syllable, and a light, schwa-like ending. A quick audio reference: search pronouncing offenders in standard dictionaries or YouGlish for native examples.
Common errors include over-stressing the first syllable (OF-fen-der instead of of-FEN-der), and mispronouncing the final -er as a hard /ɜr/ or /ər/ in non-rhotic accents. Some speakers reduce the second syllable too much, yielding /əˈfɛn.də/. Correction: keep the second syllable as a clear /ɛn/ with a distinct /d/ onset, and end with a light /ə/ or /ər/ depending on accent. Practice with minimal pairs like offender vs offender? (practical differentiation discussed). Ensure the final is relaxed and not overemphasized.
In US English, /əˈfɛn.dɚ/ with a rhotic /ɚ/ ending. UK English often has /əˈfen.də/ with a non-rhotic ending, and the second syllable clearer /e/ without strong rhotics. Australian tends to a centralized vowel in the first syllable and a more reduced final /ə/ or /ɜː/ depending on speaker, but generally /əˈfen.də/. IPA captures the main differences: US /əˈfɛn.dɚ/, UK /əˈfen.də/, AU /əˈfen.də/.
The challenge lies in the middle /fɛn/ cluster and the alternation between a clear stressed syllable and a reduced final syllable. The second syllable has a vowel that can drift between /ɛ/ and /e/ depending on dialect, while the final /er/ in rhotic accents becomes /ɚ/ versus /ə/ in non-rhotic accents. In connected speech, the consonant link from /f/ to /ɛn/ and the quick release into /d/ can blur if you don’t articulate the /d/ clearly. Practicing the precise sequence helps with accuracy.
A notable nuance is the second syllable’s stress and the subtle vowel quality in that syllable. In careful speech, you’ll produce a crisp /ɛn/ with an audible /d/ onset, and then a lighter /ɚ/ or /ə/ depending on the accent. The word behaves like many two-stress patterns where the penultimate syllable is not stressed, but in this case the stress falls on the middle syllable, making precision in that vowel and consonant sequence crucial for intelligibility.
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Offender comes from the verb offend, which stems from Old French offender (to strike against, to sin, to offend). The root Latin offensare means to strike against or to oppose, from ob- (against) + offendere (to strike). The English noun offender emerged in the 14th–15th centuries, originally in religious or moral contexts as someone who offends God or social norms. By the 16th–17th centuries, it broadened to secular criminal wrongdoing, aligning with legal language that identifies individuals who have violated laws. The modern sense—an individual who commits a crime or offense—gained traction in legal reporting and policing discourse in the 19th and 20th centuries. The word’s form is stable in most English varieties, with stress on the first syllable: OF-fender.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "offender" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "offender" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "offender"
-der sounds
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