welt
/wɛlt/
welt is pronounced welt (/wɛlt/). Welt is a noun referring to a raised, hardened ridge on the surface of the skin caused by a bruise, burn, or blow. It can also denote a raised mark or ridge on another surface. The term is technical and often used in medical or textile contexts. In everyday speech, it appears mainly in medical descriptions or descriptive writing about injuries.
Welt is a noun referring to a raised, hardened ridge on the surface of the skin caused by a bruise, burn, or blow. It can also denote a raised mark or ridge on another surface. The term is technical and often used in medical or textile contexts. In everyday speech, it appears mainly in medical descriptions or descriptive writing about injuries.
"He developed a welt on his arm after brushing against the thorny bush."
"The leather had a welt where the stitches formed a raised line."
"A welt can form after a heavy impact, swelling and reddening the skin."
Pronounce it as /wɛlt/ with a short, lax vowel in the first syllable and a clear final /t/. The mouth starts with a rounded /w/, then an open-mid front unrounded vowel /ɛ/, ending in a voiceless alveolar stop /t/. Keep the tongue high for the /l/ portion but don’t overly lift—it's a quick, light consonant cluster. You’ll pronounce it in one beat: wɛlt.
Two common errors are misplacing the /l/—pronouncing a dark or syllabic /l/ instead of a light alveolar /l/—and turning the final /t/ into a flap or stop with extra release. To fix: keep a crisp alveolar /t/ release, and ensure the /l/ is light and alveolar, not vocalized. Another mistake is elongating the vowel, making it sound like /wɔlt/ or /weɪlt/. Aim for a short /ɛ/ and a quick transition into /lt/.
In American English, /wɛlt/ features a short /ɛ/ with a non-rhotic air not typically affecting /t/. In UK English, /wɛlt/ remains similar, but some speakers may show a lighter /t/ with less release in rapid speech. Australian speakers tend to maintain /ɛ/ but may soften the /t/ to a glottal stop less often in casual speech. Across all, rhoticity isn’t a factor here since /r/ isn’t involved.
The challenge is coordinating a short, tense /ɛ/ vowel with a tight alveolar stop /t/ while transitioning from a preceding /l/ without letting the /l/ become a vowel itself. The /w/ onset also requires lip rounding without adding extra vocalic color. In rapid speech, final /t/ can devoice or be dropped; practice with a crisp /t/ to maintain clarity.
A distinctive feature is the compact consonant cluster ending in /lt/. The tongue must switch quickly from the tongue blade for the /l/ to the alveolar ridge for the /t/, without prolonging either sound. Ensure the /t/ is released promptly, not merged with /l/. This quick release helps prevent a misheard /wɛld/ or /wɛl/.
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Welt traces to Middle English welten, from Old Norse veldr or Proto-Germanic *waldan- meaning to welt or to strike. The word originally described a swelling or lump caused by a blow. By the late medieval period, welt had specialized medical and anatomical senses, referring to raised skins along injuries. In textile usage, a related sense emerged for a raised, decorative edge formed by stitching; this sense influenced later metaphorical uses (e.g., the “welt” of a seam). The core idea remained a raised, hardened line formed by pressure or impact. First known written uses appear in English medical texts of the 15th–16th centuries, with broader adoption into general lexicon in the 17th–18th centuries as anatomy and fashion terms spread. Today, welt commonly appears in dermatology, injury description, and upholstery/fashion, retaining its visual sense of a raised ridge or boundary.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "welt" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "welt"
-elt sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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