SAWR-tid
/ˈsɔɹtɪd/
sorted is pronounced SAWR-tid (/ˈsɔɹtɪd/). Sorted is the past tense/participial form of sort, meaning arranged or categorized. It functions as a completed action descriptor, often used colloquially as an adjective or in phrases like “all sorted.” In everyday speech it’s typically pronounced with a single-syllable onset and a crisp final /t/ or /d/ depending on following context, and carries a light, clipped intonation in casual use.
Sorted is the past tense/participial form of sort, meaning arranged or categorized. It functions as a completed action descriptor, often used colloquially as an adjective or in phrases like “all sorted.” In everyday speech it’s typically pronounced with a single-syllable onset and a crisp final /t/ or /d/ depending on following context, and carries a light, clipped intonation in casual use.
"I’ve sorted the files by date and category."
"Everything’s sorted now—thanks for your help."
"We’re all sorted for the party, just bring snacks."
Pronounce it as two segments: /ˈsɔːt/ + /d/ or /t/ depending on the following sound. In most US and UK informal speech, you’ll hear /ˈsɔːtɪd/ or typically /ˈsɔːɾtɪd/; in careful pronunciation the final is a clear /d/. Mouth position: start with an open-mid back vowel /ɔː/, then a strong /t/ closure with the tongue at the alveolar ridge, and finish with an articulated /d/. IPA: US /ˈsɔɹtɪd/ or /ˈsɔːɹtɪd/; UK/AU /ˈsɔːtɪd/.”,
Two common errors: (1) pronouncing the final /d/ as a voiceless /t/ in all contexts, which makes it sound unnatural in rapid speech; (2) misplacing the stress or elongating the vowel, turning /ˈsɔːtɪd/ into /ˈsɔːˌtɪd/ or miscueing /ɔ/ as a lax /ɒ/. Correction: keep a clear alveolar stop /t/ then voice the final /d/, and maintain the stressed syllable on the first part: /ˈsɔːtɪd/ with a compact, tight jaw for the /t/ and smooth transition to /ɪd/.”},{
In US English, you'll often hear a rhotic /ɹ/ influence in some speakers before the /t/ leading to /ˈsɔɹtɪd/; in many UK speakers, the /ɹ/ is less pronounced and the vowel may be slightly tenser, yielding /ˈsɔːtɪd/; Australian speakers typically align with UK patterns but may have a shorter vowel duration and a more pronounced alveolar plosive in casual speech. Note: all three share a final /d/ in careful speech, but the flap or tap variations can appear in rapid speech.
The difficulty lies in the rapid sequence of a tense, extended vowel, followed by a crisp alveolar stop /t/ and a voiced ending /d/. The transition can cause vowel reduction or deformation of the /t/ into a glottal-like stop in rapid speech. Additionally, many non-native speakers struggle with the alveolar /t/ blending into /d,/as in /tɪd/; practicing the precise place of articulation for /t/ and voicing for /d/ helps, along with stable vowel height.
The final 'ed' in sorted is pronounced as a separate syllabic /ɪd/ in typical American and British English: /ˈsɔːtɪd/. Some fast or casual speech may reduce /ɪd/ to a short /d/ or even elide it in very rapid contexts, but the standard pronunciation retains /t/ then /ɪd/.
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Sorted originates from the verb sort, tracing to Middle English sorten, from Old French sirte (a feed, sorting, class) and Latin sors, sortis meaning lot, lot or fate. The sense expansion from “to arrange by class or kind” developed in the late medieval period as English speakers adopted organizational terminology for inventories, trades, and courts. By the 14th–15th centuries, sorten appears in legal and administrative texts, meaning to arrange or classify. The occupational term “sorter” later emerged for someone who sorts items, and by the 18th–19th centuries, sorted as a past-participle adjective entered general use in catalogs and records. In modern English, sorted is used both as a verb (I sorted the mail) and as an adjective (the problem is now sorted), with informal, clipped usage common in British and American speech alike.
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Words that rhyme with "sorted"
-ted sounds
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