uhn-ik-SPLAYND
/ˌʌnɪksˈpleɪnd/
unexplained is pronounced uhn-ik-SPLAYND (/ˌʌnɪksˈpleɪnd/). Unexplained describes something not made clear or understood, often referring to a mystery or lack of explanation. It conveys absence of explanation, leaving questions unanswered and requiring clarification or investigation. The term is frequently used in formal and informal contexts to denote ambiguity or unresolved circumstances.
Unexplained describes something not made clear or understood, often referring to a mystery or lack of explanation. It conveys absence of explanation, leaving questions unanswered and requiring clarification or investigation. The term is frequently used in formal and informal contexts to denote ambiguity or unresolved circumstances.
- You may drop the /ɪk/ sequence and say /ˌənˈsplained/; keep the /ɪk/ solid before /ˈspleɪnd/. - Misplacing stress, treating it as /ˌʌnˌɪkˈsplend/ instead of /ˌʌn.ɪkˈspleɪnd/. - Slurring the final /d/ into a soft /t/ or not releasing it; practice a clear /d/ at the end. - Failing to differentiate /ˈspleɪnd/ from /ˈplein/ by ensuring the /pl/ cluster is pronounced with a crisp /p/ and /l/.
"The director cited an unexplained delay in the project timeline."
"Residents reported an unexplained outage that affected several neighborhoods."
"The scientist investigated an unexplained anomaly in the data."
Say /ˌʌn.ɪkˈspleɪnd/ (US/UK alignment) with stress on the 'plain' syllable. Start with /ʌ/ as in 'up', then /n/; the second syllable has /ɪk/ blending into /ˈspleɪnd/ where 'ex' becomes a light /ɪk/ sound and 'plain' is /pleɪn/. The key is stress on the third syllable and clear /s/ before /pleɪnd/. Listen for a crisp /s/ and a strong diphthong /eɪ/ in 'plain'. Audio reference: [pronunciation tools or dictionary audio]
Common errors include misplacing stress, saying /ˌʌnɪkˈsplend/ by dropping the 'eɪ' vowel, or slurring the middle syllable into /ɪk/. To correct: emphasize the /ˈspleɪnd/ portion, ensure the /ɪk/ is briefly pronounced before /ˈspleɪnd/, and avoid turning /ɪk/ into a weak schwa. Also avoid pronouncing the 'ex' as /ɛk/—use /ɪk/ quickly. Practicing the boundary between /ɪk/ and /ˈspleɪnd/ helps maintain clarity.
In US/UK/AU, the central feature is rhoticity consistency and rhotic vowels; the word remains /ˌʌn.ɪkˈspleɪnd/ across regions. US speakers often have a slightly longer /ɪ/ before /k/, and the /r/ sound is not involved here. UK and AU generally align on the same syllable stress, but Australian English might exhibit a shorter final vowel if rapid speech occurs. The /ˈspleɪnd/ segment is typically clear in all three, with minimal variation in /ˌʌn/ and /ɪk/.
Two main challenges: the sequence /ɪkˈs/ is tricky because the 'ex' merges into a quick /ɪk/ before the /s/; and the final /ˈspleɪnd/ requires a precise /pleɪ/ diphthong and final /d/. Mastery hinges on the transition from a light /ɪ/ to the strong /spleɪnd/, keeping syllable boundaries audible in fluent speech. Practice blending the middle and final consonants while maintaining a stable jaw position.
No. In natural speech, the prefix un- is bound to the root and pronounced as a single word without a separate, full pause. The initial /ˌʌn/ flows into /ɪk/ of explain, so you don’t articulate a distinct /ʌ/ then /n/ as a syllable; rather you maintain a quick cluster: /ˌʌn.ɪk/. Focus on maintaining the intonation across the prefix and root, not isolating the prefix.
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- US: rhotic, maintain crisp R after vowels elsewhere; focus on clear /ɹ/ in connected speech though not in this word. UK: non-rhotic; ensure /r/ is silent, but keep the /ˈspleɪnd/ cluster firm. AU: similar to UK but with more vowel narrowing in /æ/ or /eɪ/; keep stable /eɪ/ diphthong. Reference IPA: /ˌʌn.ɪkˈspleɪnd/.
Unexplained is formed from the prefix un- (a negation) + explain (to make something clear or intelligible) + -ed (past participle/adjective suffix). The verb explain derives from Old French expliquer (late Latin explicare), formed from ex- (out) + plicare (to fold, twist, or unfold, related to ‘pleare’ in Latin), effectively meaning to unfold or make clear. The prefix un- has Germanic origins and serves to negate. The sense “not explained” appears by the 17th century as a descriptive adjective in English, with usage in science, law, and journalism to indicate information that has not been provided or justified. Over time, unexplained has become a standard collocate with nouns like delay, outage, phenomenon, and anomaly, often signaling a call for clarification or further investigation. The word’s enduring utility lies in its precise conveyance of ambiguity without implying intent, making it common in both formal reporting and everyday speech.
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Words that rhyme with "unexplained"
-ned sounds
-me) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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