2 syllables: Per, turbed. Stress on turbed.
pur-TURBD
/pɚˈtɝbd/
Perturbed is pronounced pur-TURBD (/pɚˈtɝbd/). It has two syllables (Per-turbed), with the stress on "turbed". Perturbed is an adjective describing someone or something unsettled, disturbed, or agitated. It conveys a degree of upset or anxiety, often due to external factors, and is commonly used in formal or written contexts. The sense emphasizes emotional or mental disturbance rather than physical upheaval.
adjectivePerturbed is an adjective describing someone or something unsettled, disturbed, or agitated. It conveys a degree of upset or anxiety, often due to external factors, and is commonly used in formal or written contexts. The sense emphasizes emotional or mental disturbance rather than physical upheaval.
"The witness appeared perturbed after witnessing the dramatic accident."
"She wore a perturbed expression as the meeting spiraled out of control."
"His perturbed reaction suggested that the news was worse than anyone anticipated."
You pronounce it as per-TURPT, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US pɚ-ˈtɜːrpt, UK pə-ˈtɜːpt, AU pə-ˈtɜːpt. The first syllable is a schwa with a quick, softer vowel before the r-controlled or mid-central vowel in the second, then a crisp -pt ending. Think of the “tur” as rhyming with “turn” in most accents, followed by a clear final -pt.
Two frequent mistakes are: 1) Flattening the second syllable into a dull ‘pert’ with no clear schwa-tur transition, producing pert-turd. 2) Dropping the final P-T consonant cluster, ending as ‘pertur’ or ‘perturd’. Correction: maintain a distinct -t- before -ed/t, keep the second syllable stressed, and release the final -pt with a crisp stop. Practicing with slowed syllables helps you lock the -pt cluster.
US typically rhymes ‘turd’ with a mid /ɜ˞/ rhotic vowel and a quick, clean -pt. UK usually uses a shorter, clipped /-ɜːpt/ with non-rhoticity sounding like /pə-ˈtɜːpt/. Australian shares rhotic tendencies similar to US but with vowel quality closer to /ˈtɜːpt/ and sometimes a lighter, more centralized vowel in the first syllable. The main shifts are vowel quality and rhoticity rather than stress changes.
The difficulty lies in the stress timing and the final consonant cluster -pt after an unstressed first syllable. Many learners also struggle with the rhotic vs non-rhotic vowel in the second syllable and blending from a mid-central vowel to a clear -pt. Focusing on the transition from the stressed /-tɜːr-/ to the final /pt/ helps you land the word crisply without letting it drift into ‘perturd’.
A distinctive feature is the precise release of the final -pt cluster after a stressed syllable, which can feel abrupt. You’ll want a clean stop before the final consonant, often realized as a slightly aspirated t, rather than dropping the p entirely. Paying attention to the vowel preceding -pt (the /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ depending on accent) helps you maintain the correct r-coloring and avoids a lax ending like -pert.
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Perturbed comes from the Latin perturbare, meaning to disturb or throw into disorder. Perturbare itself is formed from per- (through, to disturbance) and turbare (to throw into confusion, to disturb), with the root turb- indicating a turning or confusion. The term entered English via Old or Middle Latin academic and philosophical uses, maintaining the sense of disturbance or upheaval in emotional or mental states. By the 15th century, perturbed appeared in English in moral, social, or intellectual contexts to describe disturbance in a person’s mind or in the order of things. Over time, the nuance broadened from external disruption to internal emotional agitation, while still retaining its core sense of disruption or disturbance. In modern usage, perturbed frequently collocates with expressions indicating concern, worry, or unease, and it’s common in both formal writing and literary prose. First known uses are tied to Latin scholarly vocabulary carried into English through medieval scholarship and Renaissance humanism, with the exact first attestations surfacing in early modern English texts as a direct translation of perturbare or its participial forms. Adjacently related terms include perturbation (n.), perturbative (adj.), and perturbingly (adv.), all deriving from the same root meaning to disturb, unsettle, or throw into confusion. This lineage underscores the word’s emphasis on the cognitive or emotional disruption rather than a physical alteration of state.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Perturbed" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Perturbed"
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