VEE-tohd
/ˈviˌtoʊd/
vetoed is pronounced VEE-tohd (/ˈviˌtoʊd/). Vetoed is the past tense of veto, meaning a formal rejection or prohibition of a proposed plan or law. It indicates that someone in authority exercised the power to block or discontinue a decision. In speech, it commonly appears in political or organizational contexts and implies a completed action in the past.
Vetoed is the past tense of veto, meaning a formal rejection or prohibition of a proposed plan or law. It indicates that someone in authority exercised the power to block or discontinue a decision. In speech, it commonly appears in political or organizational contexts and implies a completed action in the past.
"The council vetoed the proposal after considering public feedback."
"She vetoed the committee's recommendation, citing budget constraints."
"The senator vetoed the bill, delaying its passage for months."
Pronounce it as vuh-TOHD, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /vəˈtoʊd/, UK /vəˈtəʊd/, AU /vəˈtəʊd/. Start with a light 'v' and schwa for the first syllable, then a stressed long 'o' sound leading into a 'd' at the end. Ensure the final 'ed' is vocalized as a voiced 'd' sound rather than a separate syllable in rapid speech. You’ll find the /tə/ middle phase more pronounced in careful speech (UK). Audio references you can check: Pronounce, Cambridge audio dictionaries, and Forvo for native speaker samples.
Common errors: misplacing the stress to first syllable (ve-TOED becomes VE-toed); mispronouncing the second syllable as a short /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ instead of /oʊ/ or /əʊ/; dropping the final d or adding an extra syllable ('vuh-tee-owed'). Correction: keep secondary syllable as a strong /ˈtoʊ/ (US) or /ˈtəʊ/ (UK) and finish with a clear /d/. Practice with minimal pairs like vetoed vs. vetoing to feel the difference in final vowel quality and final consonant voicing.
In US English, /vəˈtoʊd/ features a clear falling diphthong in the stressed second syllable. UK English tends to use /vəˈtəʊd/ with a longer, more rounded /əʊ/ in the second syllable and a slightly stronger schwa in the first. Australian English also uses /vəˈtəʊd/ with a less pronounced rhoticity and a similar /əʊ/ quality. Across all, the final /d/ is voiced; some rapid speech may fuse the end to a closer /t/ or a soft /d/ depending on surrounding sounds. Listen for the nucleus of the second syllable and the transition into /d/ in native samples.
The difficulty lies in the three-part sequence: initial /v/ labiodental fricative, a light initial syllable with a reduced vowel, then a strong, long vowel in the stressed second syllable leading into a final voiced /d/. The prominent diphthong in /toʊ/ or /təʊ/ demands precise mouth shaping: the tongue rises to mid-high for the /oʊ/ quality, lips round for /oʊ/, and a clean, hard release into /d/. Rapid speech can blur the boundary between the second syllable and final consonant, so aiming for a crisp /d/ helps clarity.
Yes — the vowel in the stressed second syllable is a long, tense diphthong in most dialects: US /oʊ/, UK/AU /əʊ/. The transition from the unstressed first syllable to the stressed vowel should be sharp enough to mark the syllable boundary in careful speech. Also watch the voicing of the final /d/ in fluent speech; sometimes it can sound like a partial /t/ in rapid compounds. Emphasize the two-syllable rhythm and the clear onset of the stressed syllable.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "vetoed"!
Vetoed comes from the Latin veto, meaning 'I forbid,' from venire 'to come' and prohibere 'to prohibit.' The Latin noun veto referred to a prohibition or the act of forbidding, famously used in Roman magistracies. The term entered English through legal and political discourse, with ‘veto’ first attested in the 17th century as a noun meaning an act of prohibition by an official. The verb form veto, and its past participle vetoed, developed in English by adding the standard -ed suffix to the noun/verb stem, aligning with other English verbs that change form for past tense. Over time, veto gained extensive usage in parliamentary and governmental contexts, and by the 18th–19th centuries, contemporary usage solidified across English-speaking jurisdictions to denote an official rejection by authorities such as presidents, governors, or legislatures. Modern usage retains the formal, procedural nuance that attaches to the act of veto in policy-making, as well as metaphorical uses outside government to describe any strong blocking decision.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "vetoed" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "vetoed" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "vetoed" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "vetoed"
-ted sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
