owt-NUHM-burd
/ˌaʊˈtnʌmbɚd/
outnumbered is pronounced owt-NUHM-burd (/ˌaʊˈtnʌmbɚd/). Outnumbered is the state of being surpassed in number by others. It typically describes a situation where the majority or a larger group can overwhelm a smaller one. In use, it signals a quantitative disadvantage and is often used in strategic, historical, or everyday contexts to explain why a party might struggle or have secured fewer resources.
Outnumbered is the state of being surpassed in number by others. It typically describes a situation where the majority or a larger group can overwhelm a smaller one. In use, it signals a quantitative disadvantage and is often used in strategic, historical, or everyday contexts to explain why a party might struggle or have secured fewer resources.
"The defenders were outnumbered, so they chose to retreat."
"During the protest, the crowd outside was vastly outnumbered by supporters inside the hall."
"The government faced a bill that left it outnumbered in the Senate."
Say out- as /aʊt/ with a long diphthong beginning in /a/ and gliding to /ʊ/. The stressed syllable is /nʌm/, so it sounds as out-NUM-bered. The final /ərd/ is a schwa+r+d cluster: /ərd/ in US/UK; in non-rhotic UK, you may hear a lighter /əd/ ending. IPA guidance: US /ˌaʊtˈnʌmbərd/, UK /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/, AU /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/.”,
Common errors: (1) Stressing the first syllable as OUT-numered; the correct primary stress is on the second syllable: out-NUM-bered. (2) Reducing the middle /nʌm/ to a quick /nəm/; keep the /ʌ/ as a clear short vowel. (3) Final /ərd/ turning into /ər/ or /dr/; ensure the final /d/ is audible and the /ər/ becomes a quick rhotic or schwa depending on accent. Practice the sequence: /aʊt/ - /ˈnʌm/ - /bər/ (US) or /bəd/ (UK).
In US English, you typically hear /ˌaʊtˈnʌmbərd/ with rhotic /r/ in the final syllable and a clearly enunciated /ə/ in /ər/. UK English tends to be /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/ with a lighter /ə/ and non-rhoticity often reducing the /r/; the final syllable may be more syllabic as /əd/. Australian can be /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/ similar to UK but with some vowel lowering and less pronounced /r/; the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality in the second syllable.
The difficulty stems from the consonant cluster after /aʊt/: /t/ followed immediately by /n/ and /ʌm/. Keeping the /t/ release clean while transitioning to the nasal /n/ can be tricky, and the /ˈnʌm/ sequence requires a short, precise vowel /ʌ/ before the /m/; the final /ərd/ or /əd/ requires timely rhotic or reduced vowel articulation. Practice with slow, segmented drills: /aʊt/ /ˈnʌm/ /bərd/.
Note the primary stress on the second syllable (/ˈnʌm/). The vowel in /nʌm/ is a short, centralized /ʌ/ (as in 'strut'), not /ɔ/ or /ɒ/. The final /ərd/ should be quick: in US, the /ər/ is an r-colored schwa; in UK, the /ə/ is less rhotic, often realized as /əd/. Maintaining the diphthong on /aʊ/ at the start is essential: /aʊt/.
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US: rhotic /r/ in final syllable, clear /ər/; UK: non-rhotic, final /əd/ or /əd/ with lighter rhoticity; AU: similar to UK but with sharper vowel qualities and less pronounced /r/. Vowel notes: /aʊ/ remains a strong diphthong; /ʌ/ in /ˈnʌm/ is central; /ər/ vs /əd/ depends on rhoticity; you should aim for consistent tongue body height and lip rounding across accents. Practice with minimal pairs to hear subtle rhotic differences: /ər/ vs /əd/. IPA references help: /ˌaʊtˈnʌmbərd/ (US), /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/ (UK), /aʊtˈnʌmbəd/ (AU).
Outnumbered derives from the phrase out + number. The verb outnumber means to be greater in number than. The prefix out- signals excess or surpassing, and number here refers to quantity. The term likely emerged in English in the early modern period as commerce, warfare, and bureaucracy forced people to compare counts of forces, resources, or supporters. Over time, outnumbered became a fixed descriptor for any situation where a group is quantitatively inferior. The word’s core sense—being less numerous than another group—retained its meaning while expanding into informal and literary registers. The past participle outnumbered then functions adjectivally to describe a person or group in that disadvantaged condition, as in “they were outnumbered by the invaders.” First known usage traces to 16th–17th century English texts that discuss military or social imbalances, with later usage in journalism and narrative prose to convey strategic or emotional disadvantage.
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Words that rhyme with "outnumbered"
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