2 syllables: Rot, ten. Stress on Rot.
RAH-tuhn
/ˈɹɑtən/
Rotten is pronounced RAH-tuhn (/ˈɹɑtən/). It has two syllables (Rot-ten), with the stress on "Rot". Rotten is an adjective meaning spoiled or decayed, often used to describe food, fruit, or something morally corrupt. It conveys a strong sense of deterioration and unpleasantness, and is commonly used in everyday speech as a vivid descriptor. The term carries a casual, colloquial tone depending on context.
adjectiveRotten is an adjective meaning spoiled or decayed, often used to describe food, fruit, or something morally corrupt. It conveys a strong sense of deterioration and unpleasantness, and is commonly used in everyday speech as a vivid descriptor. The term carries a casual, colloquial tone depending on context.
"The apples in the bowl had gone rotten and had to be thrown away."
"Her rotten attitude ruined the mood of the party."
"That cheese smells rotten; don’t taste it."
Say ROH-tən with stress on the first syllable. Start with the open back unrounded /ɒ/ (British/Australian) or /ɑː/ (American) sound, then follow with /tən/ where /t/ is a clear, unvoiced stop and /ən/ is a reduced schwa + n. IPA: US /ˈrɑːtən/ or /ˈrɔːtən/? depending on speaker; UK/AU /ˈrɒtən/. Aim for a short, light secondary syllable; practice by isolating tense vowel first and then the clipped consonant cluster.
Two common errors: (1) Overpronouncing the second syllable, turning /ən/ into a full /ən/ with a strong vowel. Keep second syllable as a light schwa /ə/ or syllabic n. (2) Mixing vowel quality in the first syllable (American /ɑː/ vs British /ɒ/). Choose your target accent and align the tongue height and lip shape accordingly: American tends to a broader /ɒ/–/ɑː/ split, UK/AU lean toward /ɒ/. Correct by holding a relaxed jaw and finishing with a quick, soft /t/.
US speakers typically have /ˈrɑːtən/ with a broad open back /ɑː/ vowel and a non-rhotic tendency on most dialects (r often not strongly pronounced before vowels). UK/AU accents use /ˈɒtən/ with a shorter, lower back /ɒ/ vowel; rhoticity varies—US is often rhotic, UK less so in many dialects, and AU often rhotic in broader varieties but non-rhotic in some urban varieties. The second syllable remains /ən/ with a reduced vowel. Practice listening to regional samples to hear the subtle vowel shifts and the t-aspiration differences.
Because of the short, reduced second syllable /ən/ following a clear stressed /rɒ/ or /rɑː/ vowel, and the t sound linking directly into schwa. Many speakers worry about the transition from a tense open-vowel in the first syllable to a light, unstressed second syllable. Also, the precise mouth shape for /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ can blur for some tongues, especially in rapid speech. Focus on a crisp /t/ and a relaxed /ə/ before the final /n/.
Is the final 'n' in 'rotten' syllabic or not? In most dialects, /n/ is a regular consonant ending after a schwa /ə/; the /n/ is not syllabic. The small vowel in /ən/ ensures the /n/ lands evenly rather than turning into a nasalized vowel. Keep the /ə/ light and the /n/ clear and release it quickly. Visualize a two-beat syllable: RO-tən, not ROt-n.
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Rotten comes from the Old English word rotian, meaning to decay or wither, rooted in Proto-Germanic rotjanan and related to Dutch rotten and German verderben. The form rotten emerged in Middle English as an adjective describing things that were decaying or spoiled. By the 15th–16th centuries, rotten expanded metaphorically to describe morally corrupt people or ideas, not just physical decay. The core sense retained the idea of decomposition driven by rot, mildew, or decay processes, and over time entered idiomatic usage (e.g., rotten luck, rotten deal). In modern usage, rotten is versatile, functioning as a literal descriptor for spoiled food and as a colloquial intensifier for negative quality, especially in informal speech. First known uses are documented in Middle English texts, but its precise earliest occurrence is not always clear due to evolving spelling conventions. Its cousin forms exist across Germanic languages, underscoring a shared Indo-European root connected to rot and decay phenomena.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Rotten" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Rotten"
-ton sounds
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