2 syllables: Swo, llen. Stress on Swo.
SWOH-luhn
/ˈswoʊlən/
Swollen is pronounced SWOH-luhn (/ˈswoʊlən/). It has two syllables (Swo-llen), with the stress on "Swo". Swollen describes something enlarged or puffed up, often due to injury, inflammation, or pressure. It conveys a state of increased size relative to normal. The term is commonly used in medical or descriptive contexts to indicate noticeable swelling in a body part or object.
adjectiveSwollen describes something enlarged or puffed up, often due to injury, inflammation, or pressure. It conveys a state of increased size relative to normal. The term is commonly used in medical or descriptive contexts to indicate noticeable swelling in a body part or object.
- You often mispronounce the first syllable by using a short, clipped vowel; fix by shaping your mouth for /ɒ/ with a slightly open jaw and a rounded lip. Practice with the word 'lot' to stabilize /ɒ/ before you add the -lən segment. - The second syllable tends to be reduced too much or not at all; practice saying /lər/ vs /ən/ to settle the schwa. Use a quick, light /ən/ rather than a full syllable. - Some speakers insert an extra /l/ or /w/; stick to /ˈswɒlən/ and avoid extra consonants; if you pause between syllables, keep it brief.
"Her ankle was swollen after the sprain, making it hard to walk."
"The river’s swollen banks caused steering challenges for boaters."
"Her eyes were swollen from allergies, but she kept a positive outlook."
Swollen is pronounced /ˈswɒlən/ in both US and UK English, with the first syllable stressed. The initial consonant cluster is /sw/ followed by the open back vowel /ɒ/ (like 'lot' in non-rhotic British English) and a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable. You can think of it as SWOL-ən, with a light, unstressed final syllable. In careful speech, the /ɒ/ is more open; in some American speech, it may approach /ɑ/ in un-stressed environments. Audio resources: listen to native speakers on Forvo, YouGlish, or Pronounce to hear the /ˈswɒlən/ pattern.
Common errors: 1) Reducing the first syllable too much, saying /swələn/; fix by clearly articulating /ɒ/ as in 'lot' and keeping /sw/ onset crisp. 2) Merging the syllables too quickly, producing /ˈswɒlən/ with weak second syllable; practice a short, audible schwa /ə/. 3) Misplacing stress on the second syllable; ensure primary stress on the first syllable /ˈswɒlən/. Use minimal pairs like swollen vs swollen? (not applicable). Practicing slowed, held vowel on /ɒ/ and a distinct /ən/ can help you stabilize the rhythm.
In US and UK, primary stress remains on the first syllable /ˈswɒlən/. The key variation is the vowel in the /ɒ/ area: UK RP tends to a closer back /ɒ/ vowel with slight rounding, while US often has a broader /ɑ/ quality in some dialects. Australian English typically preserves a short /ɒ/ or a near /ɐ/ depending on the speaker, with vowel length similar to US. The final /ən/ stays as a reduced schwa; rhoticity mainly affects other words, not this specific vowel cluster. Listen to region-specific pronunciation guides for audible differences.
Swollen challenges include maintaining a clean /sw/ onset without coalescing into /s/ or /sw/ blends; sustaining a crisp /ɒ/ vowel before a reduced schwa /ən/; avoiding over-articulation that makes the word sound like 'swollen' with an exaggerated vowel. The second syllable is unstressed and rapidly reduced, so many non-native speakers over-pronounce it. Also, the proximity of /ɒ/ to /ɔ/ in some dialects invites confusion with related ligatures; focus on a short, open back vowel and a light, quick /ən/.
There is no 'gg' digraph in swollen. The word is spelled with 'll' and pronounced with a single /l/ sound in standard American and British English. The 'l' in the first syllable is a clear, dark L /l/ (not a 'l' as in 'little' in some British varieties), and the second syllable contains a schwa. The confusion often comes from the spelling cues that do not map to extra sounds; rely on IPA /ˈswɒlən/ and avoid adding extra consonants.
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- US: /ˈswɑːlən/ in some dialects, but standard is /ˈswɒlən/. Be mindful of rhoticity only in surrounding words; the word itself ends with a non-rhotic schwa. - UK: /ˈswɒlən/ with a slightly more open /ɒ/ and crisp /l/; keep the second syllable short. - AU: /ˈswɒlən/ similar to UK; some speakers may have a slightly broader /ɔ/ quality. Pay attention to the onset /sw/ cluster and avoid an elongated vowel. Use IPA references and mimic natives on Pronounce and Forvo.
The adjective swollen derives from the past participle of the verb swell, itself tracing to Old English свellan? (no, actual Old English swellen) meaning to rise, grow, or increase in size. The root is Germanic, related to Old Norse svella and Dutch zwellen, all denoting swelling or expanding. The word has Germanic cognates across northern European languages, reflecting a broad semantic field of distension and inflation. In Middle English usage, swollen appeared as the past participle form used adjectivally and predicatively, often in medical or natural descriptions. By Early Modern English, swollen solidified as the standard participial adjective to describe parts of the body or objects in a state of enlargement. The semantic shift centers on the notion of abnormal or notable increase in size, frequently associated with fluid accumulation, tissue expansion, or compression. Over time, it gained frequent collocation with body parts (ankle, gland, eye), with medical discourse, and later in general descriptive prose and everyday speech, maintaining a formal-to-neutral register. First known printed usage appears in medieval or early modern medical texts, aligning with the period when precise descriptions of inflammation and swelling became common in English medical vocabulary.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Swollen" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Swollen" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Swollen"
-oon sounds
-len sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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