pleezd
/plizd/
pleased is pronounced pleezd (/plizd/). Pleased means feeling happy or satisfied, often in response to something favorable or welcome. It can describe a person’s emotional state or be used to express polite agreement or contentment in a situation. In everyday use, it signals positive reception or approval, and it can function as an adjective or verb form in slightly extended constructions.
Pleased means feeling happy or satisfied, often in response to something favorable or welcome. It can describe a person’s emotional state or be used to express polite agreement or contentment in a situation. In everyday use, it signals positive reception or approval, and it can function as an adjective or verb form in slightly extended constructions.
- You might mispronounce as /plɛzd/ by using a short /e/ or /æ/; ensure the /iː/ vowel is long and tense. - You may skip full voicing on the final /d/ and produce a softened /z/ or an unreleased /d/; keep the final release audible. - You might produce a clipped /pliːz/ without the final /d/; practice adding a light /d/ to finalize the word.
"I was pleased with the outcome of the meeting."
"She looked pleased when she opened the gift."
"We’re pleased to announce the new partnership."
Pronounce it as /pliːzd/. The initial consonant is a clean /p/, followed by a long /iː/ vowel (like ‘please’ without the final /s/), and end with a voiced /z/ plus a light /d/ release. Your jaw lowers slightly, lips spread, and the tongue stays high for the /iː/ before transitioning to a crack of /z/ and /d/. In connected speech, you may hear a subtle lengthening of the /iː/ before the /z/: /pliːzd/.
Two common mistakes: (1) not voicing the final /d/ (ending with a whispered /t/ or silent), which makes it sound like ‘pleas’ or ‘pleaze’ without the d; (2) shortening the long /iː/ to a short /ɪ/ or a schwa, giving ‘plisd’ or ‘pliz’d.’ Corrective tips: keep the tongue high for /iː/, ensure vocal fold vibration for /z/ and finish with a light /d/ release; practice with a mirror focusing on the moment of release after /z/.
US, UK, and AU share /pliːzd/, but you’ll hear subtle differences: US speakers may slightly reduce the /z/ with a crisp, voiced end; UK speakers may have a marginally shorter vowel before the /z/ and a crisper /d/ closure; Australian speakers often exhibit a slightly more centralized /iː/ and a lighter lip rounding on the initial /p/. Overall, the rhoticity is not a major factor here, but vowel length and final consonant release can vary subtly by region.
The challenge lies in crisp timing and voicing: you need a sustained, high-front vowel /iː/ followed immediately by a voiced /z/ and a barely audible /d/ release. Many learners tend to devoice the /z/ or merge /z/ with /d/ into a single stop. Practicing with minimal pairs and slow, precise releases helps map the exact articulatory gesture—lip position for /p/, high front tongue for /iː/, voice onset for /z/ and a light /d/ closure.
The essential unique aspect is the transition from a long, tense vowel /iː/ to the sonorant /z/ and the fortis /d/ release. You’re not just saying a word; you’re executing a precise sequence: lips unround slightly from the /p/ release, high front tongue for /iː/, then a clear voiced /z/ with vocal fold vibration, finishing with a soft /d/. Mastering this sequence yields natural-sounding, confident speech.
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- US: maintain a robust /iː/ with a clear /z/ and audible /d/. - UK: may have a slightly shorter /iː/ before /z/, crisp /d/ closure. - AU: tends to be a bit more centralized in the vowel, keep a bright /iː/ with even voicing. IPA notes: /pliːzd/ across all three varieties; subtle vowel quality shifts: US tends to a stronger rhotic influence only in related words; the /z/ remains voiced consistently.
Pleased comes from the Middle English pleasen, borrowed from Old French plaire, itself from Latin placēre meaning ‘to please, be agreeable, to soothe or satisfy.’ The word appeared in English in the sense of giving pleasure or satisfaction by bringing about a favorable impression or effect. Through the centuries, pleasen/plaïre evolved into ‘please’ in English, expanding to forms such as ‘pleased’ to denote the state of being pleased in response to a cause. The transition from verb to adjective often hinges on the participial -ed ending indicating a completed state. First known use of the sense related to personal satisfaction traces to the late medieval/early modern period as social politeness and courtesy phrases became standardized. The noun form ‘pleasure’ and the adjective/adverb forms developed to describe subjective sentiment, with ‘pleased’ frequently appearing in reciprocal social expressions like ‘I’m pleased to meet you.’ In modern usage, ‘pleased’ carries both genuine emotional connotation and formal civility, appearing in contexts ranging from casual chat to formal announcements.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "pleased" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "pleased" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "pleased"
-sed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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