uhn-im-PERD
/ˌʌnɪˈmpɛɹd/
unimpaired is pronounced uhn-im-PERD (/ˌʌnɪˈmpɛɹd/). Unimpaired is an adjective meaning not hindered or damaged; functioning without disability or impairment. It can describe physical, mental, or situational health, or a condition that remains whole or unaffected. In usage, it often contrasts with impaired or compromised states, implying intact capacity or normal operation.
Unimpaired is an adjective meaning not hindered or damaged; functioning without disability or impairment. It can describe physical, mental, or situational health, or a condition that remains whole or unaffected. In usage, it often contrasts with impaired or compromised states, implying intact capacity or normal operation.
"The patient remained unimpaired after the procedure."
"Her unimpaired hearing surprised the doctors given her age."
"The bridge appears unimpaired despite the storm, with no noticeable cracks."
Pronounce as /ˌən.ɪmˈpeərd/ (US) or /ˌʌn.ɪmˈpeəd/ (UK). The stress falls on the third syllable, near 'PEERD' with a light secondary stress on the first syllable. Start with a quick, unstressed 'uh' sound, then a short 'ni' or 'nim', followed by a clear 'peerd' where the vowel is a long /eɪ/ or mid /eə/ before the final 'd'. Lip position is relaxed, with the tongue slightly forward for /ɪ/ and the lips neutral for /ə/; the /p/ is aspirated, and the final /d/ is a voiced stop. You’ll hear the diphthong in /peə/ or /peəɹ/ depending on accent. Audio resources: Cambridge or Oxford dictionary entries include audio.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress (saying un-IM-paird) and mispronouncing the second syllable as a short /ɪ/ instead of the expected /ɪ/ with a clear vowel in 'nim' and the /peər/ diphthong. Another frequent error is slurring the final /d/ into a syllable boundary, producing /ˌənˈɪmpæɹ/ or /ˌənɪmˈper/. Correction: keep the main stress on the third syllable, ensure the /i/ in 'ni' is short but crisp, and articulate /peər/ as a rounded diphthong, finishing with a distinct /d/.
In US English, the /peər/ often sounds like /per/ with a mid-to-high back vowel, and final /d/ is clear. UK speakers may have a slightly longer /eə/ in /peə/. Australian pronunciation tends toward a lighter, somewhat clipped /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a flatter final /d/. The overall rhythm tends to be trochaic with secondary stress on the first syllable in many contexts. IPA references help confirm these natures: US /ˌən.ɪmˈpeərd/, UK /ˌʌn.ɪmˈpeəd/, AU /ˌənˈɪmpɛəd/.
The difficulty lies in coordinating the consonant cluster around the second syllable and the diphthong in /peər/ that may vary across accents. The sequence /nɪm/ requires a quick, controlled release, while the /peər/ diphthong demands a rounded vowel transition. For some speakers, the reduced first syllable /ən/ combined with the stressed third syllable can disrupt natural rhythm. Focusing on the /p/ aspiration and the final /d/ can improve clarity and accuracy.
No, unimpaired is pronounced with all letters active. The letters correspond to sounds: u-n-i-m-p-a-i-r-e-d, with the primary stress on /ˈpeər/ and no silent letters. The 'e' in 'air' contributes to the /peər/ diphthong, but it is not silent; it shapes the vowel quality. Watching for a silent 'e' can mislead learners who over-suppress vowels. IPA guidance and listening practice with pronunciation tools help confirm each phoneme.
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US: rhotic /r/ influences the /ær/ blend; UK: less rhotic influence on final /r/; AU: more relaxed vowels; in unimpaired, the /peər/ diphthong will often be pronounced as /peə/ or /peː/ depending on region. Use IPA: US /ˌən.ɪmˈpeərd/, UK /ˌən.ɪmˈpeəd/, AU /ˌənˈɪmpɛəd/. Focus on the mouth shaping of /nɪm/ followed by a rounded /peə/ before /d/.
Unimpaired is formed from the prefix un- meaning 'not' or 'the opposite of,' added to impair, which comes from the Old French empraier from Latin in- (upon, into) + parare 'to prepare, put in order' with semantic evolution to 'to weaken' through Middle English. The negative prefix un- developed in English to negate adjectives and participles from the 14th century onward. Impair itself traces to the 14th century, originally meaning 'to deprive of strength or quality,' with later medical and legal connotations. The contemporary sense of ‘not damaged or functionally whole’ solidified in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in medical and insurance language, where unimpaired describes states or faculties that remain fully operational. Early attestations appear in legal and clinical writings, then permeated everyday usage as general vocabulary for health, performance, and capability. First known use in English is tied to impairment contrasts in clinical descriptions, gradually expanding to non-medical contexts such as machinery, organs, or abilities. Over time, unimpaired carried a slightly formal register but remains common in professional and educational discourse due to its precise negation of impairment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unimpaired" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "unimpaired"
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