suhk-SEE-did
/səˈksidɪd/
succeeded is pronounced suhk-SEE-did (/səˈksidɪd/). Succeeded is the past tense of succeed: to achieve a desired aim or result. In pronunciation terms, it ends with a /d/ sound and the preceding /d/ cluster carries the secondary stress from the root verb. The word often carries a light, rapid release pattern in fluent speech, with the final consonant clearly articulated but sometimes shortened in casual contexts.
Succeeded is the past tense of succeed: to achieve a desired aim or result. In pronunciation terms, it ends with a /d/ sound and the preceding /d/ cluster carries the secondary stress from the root verb. The word often carries a light, rapid release pattern in fluent speech, with the final consonant clearly articulated but sometimes shortened in casual contexts.
"She finally succeeded in passing the difficult exam."
"After years of effort, the project succeeded beyond expectations."
"The company succeeded where others had failed."
Pronounce it as sə-ˈksiː-dəd, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /səkˈsiːdɪd/, UK /səkˈsiːdɪd/, AU /səkˈsiːdɪd/. Begin with a soft schwa, then a clear /ks/ blend into the long /iː/ of 'ceed', and finish with a light /ɪd/ or /d/ ending. Keep the tongue close for the /k/ + /s/ sequence and avoid delaying the release of /d/. Audio references: you can listen on Forvo or YouGlish using phrases like “she succeeded” to hear natural pronun.”
Two common errors are: 1) Misplacing stress, saying s(u)c-ced-e d with the stress on the first syllable. 2) Slurring the /ks/ or misproducing the long /iː/ by reducing it to /ɪ/. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: sək-ˈsiː-dɪd, keep the /ks/ tight but not too tense, and ensure the /iː/ remains long. Practice isolating /siː/ with a held vowel before the final /dɪd/.
In US and UK, the main stress remains on the second syllable, but rhoticity affects linking: US speakers may vocalize a stronger rhotic ending in connected speech, while UK speakers may have a slightly shorter final /ɪd/ and less vowel rounding. Australian English mirrors UK in non-rhotic contexts but may show a more centralized /ə/ on the first syllable and a slight truncation of the final /ɪd/. IPA: US /səˈsiːdɪd/, UK /səˈsiːdɪd/, AU /səˈsiːdɪd/.
The difficulty lies in the multi-segment sequence: a rapid /s/ into /k/ + /s/ blend, a long /iː/ vowel in the stressed syllable, and the final /ɪd/ cluster which can be realized as a light /d/ or a tapped /ɾ/ in fast speech. Coordinating vowel length with a crisp consonant cluster requires precise tongue height and lip rounding, especially when speaking quickly. Focus on the /siː/ portion and the final alveolar stop.
The word’s composition of a closed syllable after an unstressed prefix makes the vowel in the stressed syllable lengthy, creating a tension between a reduced first syllable and prominent /siː/. The sequence /k/ + /s/ can be tricky—keep the /k/ stop clean and avoid inserting an extra vowel between /k/ and /s/. Also, ensure the /d/ in -ed is not devoiced (unless in rapid speech).
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Succeeded derives from the verb succeed, which comes from Old French succeedre, from Latin succedere, meaning 'to go under, advance, come after'. The Latin root sub- ‘under’ combined with cadere ‘to fall’ under a broader sense of ‘to come after, to follow in order, to rise to a higher position by achievement’. The English form emerged by Middle English as soden? and later standardized in Early Modern English as succeeded. The etymology tracks through the semantic shift from physical proximity or succession to the abstract sense of achieving a goal. First known use appears in late medieval English correspondence and legal texts where “succeeded” described inheriting a title or property after the predecessor’s death, gradually expanding to general success in endeavors. By the 16th–18th centuries, it was common in both prose and legal language to denote attainment of a goal or passing of a rank, paving the path for modern usage meaning to have achieved success in an action or enterprise.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "succeeded" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "succeeded"
-ded sounds
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