ree-LEEST
/ɹiˈlist/
released is pronounced ree-LEEST (/ɹiˈlist/). Released is the past tense and past participle of release, meaning to let something go, make it public, or set it free. The word conveys a completed action or permissive dissemination, and is commonly used in contexts ranging from physical freeing to the publication of information or products. It is pronounced with a final /t/ or /d/ depending on surrounding voicing, and carries a light, clipped stress pattern on the first syllable.
Released is the past tense and past participle of release, meaning to let something go, make it public, or set it free. The word conveys a completed action or permissive dissemination, and is commonly used in contexts ranging from physical freeing to the publication of information or products. It is pronounced with a final /t/ or /d/ depending on surrounding voicing, and carries a light, clipped stress pattern on the first syllable.
- You may over-lengthen the first syllable, producing ri-LEEST; stay with the stressed /ˈliː/ in the second syllable. - The /st/ cluster can be softened in rapid speech; aim for a clear, unvoiced /st/ finish, not a /zd/ or /d/ blend. - Some learners voice the final consonant incorrectly, sounding like /d/; ensure voiceless /t/ and /s/ combination. Correction: rehearse with slow speeds, then gradually speed up while keeping the second syllable long and the final cluster precise.
"The prisoner was released after the review."
"The company released a new software update last night."
"She released the parachute and watched it drift away."
Pronounce it as rɪˈliːst in most dialects. Stress is on the second syllable; the first is a reduced schwa-like rɪ. The final cluster is /liːst/ with the /st/ explicit; in rapid speech the /d/ is not present because there isn’t a /d/ in this word—it's a voiceless final /st/. For reference, think 're-LEASED' with a long E in the second syllable.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying ri-LEASED instead of rɪ-ˈliːst), elongating the first syllable or adding a voiced ending such as /d/, and mispronouncing the /st/ as /zd/ in careful speech. Correct by keeping the second syllable with a long /iː/ and ensuring the final /st/ is unvoiced. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘released’ vs ‘relieved’ to feel the difference.
In US and UK, the second syllable typically carries the long /iː/ with rhotic differences minimal in non-rhotic UK speech, though most varieties today are rhotic in casual speech. Australian tends toward a clear /iː/ but with slightly looser tongue tension and a more centralized vowel in some speakers; the final /st/ remains unvoiced. Overall, core is /rɪˈliːst/ with subtle vowel timing shifts.
The challenge lies in the /st/ cluster after a stressed long vowel and the potential for a voiced vs voiceless ending depending on context. Keeping the /ˈliː/ vowel long, avoiding a reduced vowel in the second syllable, and finishing with a crisp unvoiced /st/ requires precise tongue-tip contact and breath control. Additionally, pace and connected speech can obscure the /st/ ending in rapid delivery.
There isn’t a silent letter in released; all letters contribute to the pronunciation. The final /d/ is not present; instead, you close with the /st/ cluster. Monitor that the vowel in the second syllable stays long and that you release the /t/ crisply without voicing the /s/. This helps avoid a run-t, which can blur the final boundary.
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- US: rhoticity is common; the /r/ is pronounced with tongue tip up and blade raised; the /ɪ/ is lax before a stressed syllable onset, and the /iː/ is tense in the second syllable. - UK: often non-rhotic; the /r/ is silent unless followed by a vowel in connected speech; maintain a clear /iː/ and an unvoiced /st/. - AU: generally rhotic but with broader, more relaxed vowels; emphasize the second syllable vowel length and a crisp /st/. IPA references: US /rɪˈliːst/, UK /rɪˈliːst/, AU /rɪˈliːst/.
Released derives from the verb release, which comes from Old French releaser or relasser, from Latin Latin: relevus? (to unbind) with the prefix re- (back, again) and lēasus (laid, entrusted). The semantic sweep shifted from “to loosen or unbind” to broader senses like “to set free,” “to discharge from obligation,” or “to make available.” In Middle English and Early Modern English, forms akin to releasen and releasudem appeared, gradually stabilizing into release in the sense of letting go or making known. The term gained extended use in legal, military, and publishing contexts as technology and information exchange grew more complex, culminating in modern uses such as “released the report,” “released software,” or “released a statement.” First recorded senses center on physical freeing; later senses emphasize dissemination and publication. Through the 16th–19th centuries, the word broadened from physical unbinding to abstract release (emotional release, release of information). The current pronunciation with initial /r/ and the final voiced or voiceless stop reflects its Germanic roots and subsequent Francophone influence in orthography, while the stress remains on the first syllable: /rɪˈliːst/ (US/UK) and variations in connected speech across dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "released" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "released"
-sed sounds
-ic) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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