uhn-MER-eed
/əˈnmɛɹid/
unmarried is pronounced uhn-MER-eed (/əˈnmɛɹid/). Unmarried is an adjective describing someone who is not legally bound by marriage. It is commonly used to indicate relationship status or social status without implying divorce, annulment, or intent to marry. The term emphasizes a current state rather than a past or future action, and can function in formal or informal contexts with neutral connotation.
Unmarried is an adjective describing someone who is not legally bound by marriage. It is commonly used to indicate relationship status or social status without implying divorce, annulment, or intent to marry. The term emphasizes a current state rather than a past or future action, and can function in formal or informal contexts with neutral connotation.
- Misplacing stress: You’ll hear many say un-MAR-ried; focus on MAKing the mar syllable prominent. - Vowel quality: Don’t turn /æ/ into a near-schwa; keep it clear as /æ/ before /ɹ/; slight tension may make it sound like /e/. - Final consonant: Don’t under-articulate the /d/ or drop it; keep a crisp release so it’s not mistaken for /t/ or omitted.
"She remained unmarried after moving to the city."
"The list of unmarried attendees included several young professionals."
"He spoke about his unmarried aunt with a tender, protective tone."
Pronounce as /ʌnˈmærɪd/ in US and UK; in US you’ll hear /ʌnˈmærd/ in fast speech as the second syllable is stressed and the /i/ reduces to a schwa-like /ɪ/ before the final /d/. The stress is on the second syllable: un-MA-ried. Touch lightly the tip of your tongue to the alveolar ridge to start /t/, then relax to /ɪd/ at the end. For most speakers, the ending sounds like “ihd” rather than a long “ee.” Practice with slow enunciation then speed up while keeping the vowel clear. IPA: US/UK /ʌnˈmærɪd/; AU /ʌnˈmæɹaɪd/ with Australian non-rhoticity altering the r-colouring slightly.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (un-MAR-ried), substituting /æ/ with /e/ in the first vowel, and failing to clearly pronounce the /d/ at the end resulting in a soft or silent final consonant. Another frequent error is blending /ˈmærɪd/ to /ˈmərɪd/ by reducing the /æ/ to a schwa. Correct by keeping a strong, clear /æ/ in the second syllable and producing a crisp /d/. Jam together the sequence un- + mar- with the appropriate vowel length and a final plosive to avoid ambiguity.
In US English, expect a rhotic /r/ with a clearer /æ/ in second syllable and a firmly released /d/. UK speakers may have a slightly more clipped vowel in /æ/ and a less pronounced /r/ depending on region, with softer rhoticity in non-rhotic areas. Australian speech tends to have a broader /aɪ/ like in /ɪaɪ/? actually 'æɹeɪd/? Wait—AU often maintains non-rhoticity with a darker /ɹ/ or a flap. The main differences revolve around rhoticity and vowel quality: US tends to stronger R-coloring and clearer /æ/; UK varies regionally but can be shorter or tenser; AU may reduce /ɪ/ to a shorter schwa-like sound and exhibits variable rhotic pronunciation. IPA references: US /ʌnˈmærɪd/, UK /ʌnˈmærɪd/, AU /ʌnˈmæɹaɪd/ (approx).
Because it combines a stressed syllable with a short, lax vowel in the second syllable and ends in a voiced dental/alveolar plosive /d/. The adjacency of /n/ to /m/ can trip your timing, and in fast speech the final /ɪ/ can reduce to a quick /ɪ/ or /ɪd/ blending. Mastery requires precise tongue placement for /æ/ before /ɹ/ and crisp release of /d/. Practice slow, then gradually increase speed while maintaining the clear break between syllables.
A unique nuance is the potential subtle two-syllable rhythm: un-MAR-ried, with the primary beat on MAR. Some speakers may voice the second syllable with a lighter /ɪ/ or even a gliding /ɪə/ in rapid speech. Remember the R-coloring: in rhotic accents, the /ɹ/ can influence preceding vowel length, creating a softer transition into /d/. Keep the final /d/ crisp to avoid being mistaken for /t/ in quick speech.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /ɹ/ and keep /æ/ bright; tactile tongue position between /æ/ and /ɹ/ achieves clean transition; ensure slow to normal pace with stress on MAR. - UK: may have reduced /ɹ/ or variable rhoticity; keep vowel clarity and avoid over-rolling /r/; use a crisp final /d/. - AU: non-rhotic tendencies may soften /r/ slightly; emphasize final /d/ with a light release; keep /æ/ stable before /ɹ/ in connected speech.
Unmarried comes from the prefix un- meaning not, attached to married, which itself derives from Old English as mǣre (husband) and sieraþ (to marry). The negative prefix un- signals negation, yielding un- + married = not married. The word married traces to Old English mǣred, from Proto-Germanic *māriþą, related to the Proto-Indo-European root *māri- meaning male, husband, or spouse. Early Medieval usage in English often appeared as unwed or unjoined before consolidating into the modern form unmarried by the 17th century. Over time, unmarried broadened in everyday speech to denote a civil or social status, distinct from legal actions such as divorce, annulment, or separation, but still related to marital state. In contemporary usage, unmarried carries neutral or mildly formal connotation and is frequently found in census, legal language, and social commentary, as well as in conversational usage when delineating personal relationship status without implying any particular outcome or intention regarding marriage.
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Words that rhyme with "unmarried"
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