uhn-suh-LIS-it-id
/ˌʌnsəˈlɪsɪtɪd/
unsolicited is pronounced uhn-suh-LIS-it-id (/ˌʌnsəˈlɪsɪtɪd/). Unsolicited describes something offered or given without being asked or invited; it also refers to unsolicited advice or messages that are not sought by the recipient. The term implies intrusion or unsolicitedness, carrying a negative or cautionary connotation depending on context. It is used across professional and casual settings to indicate input or contact that was not requested.
Unsolicited describes something offered or given without being asked or invited; it also refers to unsolicited advice or messages that are not sought by the recipient. The term implies intrusion or unsolicitedness, carrying a negative or cautionary connotation depending on context. It is used across professional and casual settings to indicate input or contact that was not requested.
"The manager rejected unsolicited resumes and asked applicants to apply through the official portal."
"He drew attention with unsolicited opinions during the meeting, which many found intrusive."
"The publisher warned that unsolicited manuscripts would not be reviewed."
Unsolicited is pronounced /ˌənˌsɒlɪˈsɪtɪd/ in US and UK English, with three syllables after the initial prefix: un-SOL-i-cited; primary stress on the third syllable 'si' in -siti-. The mouth starts neutral, with a light schwa in the first syllable, a short o in the second, then a clear /ɪ/ before /tɪd/. For audio practice, say: un-SOL-i-sit-ed, pausing slightly after the first two syllables; the final -ed is a light, quick /ɪd/ or /d/ depending on pace. Practice by chunking: /ˌənˌsɒlɪˈsɪtɪd/.
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable (putting emphasis on ‘un’ or ‘sol’), pronouncing the middle vowel as a full /ɒ/ instead of a reduced /ɒ/ or /ɒl/ as in British English, and slurring the -ed into a full syllable. Correction: keep primary stress on the -siti- syllable and use a quick final /d/ or /ɪd/. Maintain the schwa in the first syllable and ensure the /l/ is light and not darkened by the following vowel. Regularly practice with minimal pairs: unsolicited vs solicited to hear the difference in stress.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˌənˌsɒlɪˈsɪtɪd/ with reduced first syllable and a crisp /t/ before -ed. UK English tends to have a tighter /ɒ/ in the second syllable and a slightly shorter final -ed; the overall rhythm may be more clipped. Australian English often shares the US pattern but can feature a slightly broader vowel in /ɒ/ and a non-rhotic quality, though modern AU tends toward rhoticish pronunciation in careful speech. Across all, maintain the three-syllable structure, but the vowel qualities and rhotics vary subtly (US rhotic /r/ may be less prominent in final position in careful UK).
The difficulty comes from the three-syllable rhythm, the stress shift to the third syllable, and the dash of schwa plus a crisp /tɪd/ ending. The sequence -soli- can blur if you’re not separating the syllables clearly, and the final -ed can reduce. Also, the initial prefix /ən/ can be devoiced in rapid speech, producing a softer onset. Focus on segmenting: un-SOL-i -cited, and practice the transition from /i/ to /t/ without adding extra vowel length.
A unique aspect is maintaining the secondary stress on the prefix region while clearly articulating the mid vowels in -soli-. The word behaves as a three-beat unit with a distinct -siti- stress; the first syllable is lightly reduced, while the -soli- segment carries the emphasis. Additionally, the ending -ed often reduces to a light /d/ in fluent speech. Keeping the sequence un-SOL-i-CITED as a block helps intelligibility in fast speech.
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Unsolicited is built from the prefix un- meaning 'not' or 'opposite of', the root solic- from Latin sollicitare, meaning 'to stir up, solicit, seek', and the suffix -ed indicating past participle/adjective form. The root sollicit- originates from Latin sollicitare, literally ‘to disturb, rouse, stir up’, combining sol- (seh- from sollic- 'to seek, ask for') and -ic- (adj. forming). The modern English sense of unsolicited emerged by the 19th century as a compound of un- (not) + solicited (asked for solicitation). The word keeps a semantically pejorative nuance: input that is not sought, unsolicited advice, unsolicited offers. The term often pairs with professional contexts (solicited vs. unsolicited proposals) and informational contexts (unsolicited emails), emphasizing the absence of consent or request. The first known usages appear in 1800s legal or rhetorical prose, with the sense evolving toward commonplace usage in business and everyday speech by the 20th century. Over time, the warning implicit in “unsolicited” has broadened to include digital communications (spam), marketing, and personal boundaries, preserving the core idea: the input was not asked for and may carry implied intrusiveness.
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Words that rhyme with "unsolicited"
-ted sounds
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