uhn-KWES-chuhnd
/ənˈkwɛstʃənd/
unquestioned is pronounced uhn-KWES-chuhnd (/ənˈkwɛstʃənd/). Unquestioned describes something that is not questioned or doubted; it is accepted as true or certain without challenge. The term often appears in formal arguments or statements where the validity of a claim is assumed, leaving little or no room for doubt. It conveys certainty, authority, and confidence in the stated position.
Unquestioned describes something that is not questioned or doubted; it is accepted as true or certain without challenge. The term often appears in formal arguments or statements where the validity of a claim is assumed, leaving little or no room for doubt. It conveys certainty, authority, and confidence in the stated position.
"Her unquestioned expertise in the field guided the project to a successful conclusion."
"The team has unquestioned loyalty to the mission, which shaped every strategic decision."
"Despite opposing views, his unquestioned commitment to safety kept the team out of danger."
Break it into un- + ques- + tioned. IPA US: ʌnˈkwɛs.tʃənd; UK: ənˈkwes.tʃənd; AU: ənˈkwes.tʃənd. Primary stress falls on the second syllable in most varieties: un-QUES-tioned. Start with a relaxed schwa or lax vowel in the first syllable, then move to a clear /kw/ blend, and finish with /tʃənd/, where the /tʃ/ is a light palatal sound followed by a schwa and a final nasal. Mouth positions: initial /ʌ/ or /ə/ open jaw, /kw/ lip rounding and back tongue, /ɛ/ around mid-open, /tʃ/ tongue blade near the palate, /ənd/ light /ən/ followed by /d/. Audio reference: you can check Cambridge or Forvo pronunciations to hear the exact waveform.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable (un-QUES-tioned instead of un-QUES-tioned); mispronouncing the /kw/ cluster as /k/ or dropping the /w/ in /kw/; incorrect ending /tʃənd/ becoming /tʃən/ or /tən/. Corrections: place primary stress on the second syllable /ˈkwɛs/; keep the /kw/ together as a consonant cluster with rounded lips, not a hard /k/; finish with /tʃənd/ or /tʃənd/ ensuring /tʃ/ is a single palatal affricate then a schwa and /nd/.
US: /ʌnˈkwɛs.tʃənd/ with rhotic r-lessness not present here; UK: /ənˈkwes.tʃənd/ often less reduction in the first syllable; AU: /ənˈkwes.tʃənd/ similar to UK but with a flatter vowel in the first syllable and a slightly longer final syllable. Key differences: rhoticity affects whether an 'r' sound appears in other words, not in unquestioned itself; vowel quality shift in /ɛ/ vs /e/ and slight length differences; US tends to a slightly stronger /t/ release before /ʃ/.
Because it contains a tricky consonant cluster /kw/ immediately after the initial vowel (/ʌ/ or /ə/), and a multisyllabic sequence with stress on the second syllable. The /tʃ/ in the middle is followed by a syllabic /ənd/, which can lead to an intrusive or mis-timed /d/ or a reduced vowel. Additionally, subtle vowel transitions between /ɛ/ and /tʃ/ and the final /nd/ can trip non-native speakers. Practice the blend slowly, then speed up while maintaining crisp articulation.
Does the second syllable inherently carry a double-proof feel in pronunciation, and how can you maintain a consistent /ˈkwes/ cluster across dialects? The answer: keep the /kw/ tightly bound, do not separate the /k/ and /w/, ensure the vowel quality in /ɛ/ is held slightly longer before the /s/ illumination, and carry the secondary syllable stress cleanly into /tʃənd/.
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The word unquestioned comes from the combination of the prefix un- (not) and questioned (past participle of question). Questioned itself derives from the Latin quaerere (to seek, to ask) via the Old French question, with the suffix -ed forming the past participle. The prefix un- signals negation, so unquestioned literally means not questioned or not to be doubted. The modern sense—something accepted as true without doubt—emerged in English in the late 16th to 17th century, aligning with legal, philosophical, or rhetorical contexts where a proposition is treated as settled. The form has retained its usage in formal discourse, often to underscore authority or certainty. First known uses appear in early modern English texts where authors described unquestioned conclusions or unquestioned authorities, often in debates about truth, evidence, or governance. As academic and professional writing evolved, unquestioned gained prominence as a descriptor for ideas assumed to be beyond dispute rather than requiring further justification. In contemporary usage, you’ll find unquestioned in critiques of unexamined premises, though it can also function as a neutral descriptor in descriptive analyses where lack of challenge is stated rather than asserted as a virtue.
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Words that rhyme with "unquestioned"
-ted sounds
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