RAY-tid
/ˈɹeɪtɪd/
rated is pronounced RAY-tid (/ˈɹeɪtɪd/). Rated is the past tense and past participle of rate, meaning judged or evaluated. It also serves as an adjective meaning assigned a particular score or rank. In everyday use, it denotes assessment, ranking, or classification, often in connection with quality or popularity. The word carries a neutral to slightly formal tone depending on context.
Rated is the past tense and past participle of rate, meaning judged or evaluated. It also serves as an adjective meaning assigned a particular score or rank. In everyday use, it denotes assessment, ranking, or classification, often in connection with quality or popularity. The word carries a neutral to slightly formal tone depending on context.
"The movie was rated PG-13 for violence and language."
"Consumers rated the app highly for ease of use."
"The hotel is rated five stars by travelers."
Pronounce as /ˈreɪ.tɪd/. The first syllable carries primary stress: RE-th
Common errors include misplacing the stress (say ‘reh-ted’ with weak first syllable) and vowel reduction in the second syllable (pronouncing ‘rated’ as ‘red’ or ‘rat-id’). Focus on the long A in the first syllable /reɪ/ and a clear /tɪd/ ending, with /ˈreɪ.tɪd/.”
In US/UK/AU, the first syllable uses the same /ˈreɪ/ as in rate. The difference lies in the final /ɪd/ realization; US often has a lighter /ɪd/ or a flap-like sound in rapid speech, UK tends toward a sharper /tɪd/; AU often merges toward /ɪd/ with a slightly more relaxed final consonant. Overall, the nucleus is /eɪ/ vowel, stress on first syllable.
The challenge is producing a clean, tense onset in /ˈreɪ/ followed by a crisp /t/ before the /ɪd/ cluster. Teens and non-native speakers often shorten it to 'red' or blur the /t/ into a d-like sound. Practice the precise tongue tip to alveolar ridge contact for /t/ and avoid vowel merging in /ɪ/; keep the /d/ clearly released.
The /t/ cusp before a syllabic /ɪ/ is a notable feature; in careful speech you’ll hear a brief, released /t/ before a clear /ɪ/. Also, the second syllable carries less stress and is shortened in fast speech, but not reduced to a schwa; maintaining /ɪ/ clarity keeps the word distinct in connected speech.
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- US: rhotic, non-rhotic elements not in rated; vowel nasalization is minimal; /ˈreɪ.tɪd/ with clear /t/. - UK: more precise /t/ articulation, less vowel length variation; slight glottalization is possible in rapid speech but generally maintain /t/; non-rhotics unaffected here because /r/ is not in this word. - AU: tends toward a slightly more centralized vowel in /ɪ/, but most speakers preserve /ɪ/; keep the final /d/ crisp; avoid yod-like insertion. IPA: /ˈreɪ.tɪd/ for all major varieties. - Tip: exaggerate /ˈreɪ/ in practice to anchor the stress then relax jaw for /tɪd/.
Rated comes from the verb rate, which dates back to Middle English rate (from Old French rate, from Latin rata ‘fixed, settled, fixed portion’). The sense evolved from a fixed assessment or reckoning of a value or amount to modern meanings of evaluating quality, speed, or suitability. The noun sense “rate” (price, standard) influenced later forms like “rated” when used as past tense or adjective (as in “rated capacity” or “rated at”). The original Germanic root connotes calculating, measuring, or judging. First known use of the adjective or past participle usage in English texts appears in the late 14th to 15th centuries, with the sense expanding in the 17th–19th centuries alongside growing bureaucratic and evaluative vocabularies.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "rated" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "rated" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "rated"
-ted sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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