WEYEL-dist
/ˈwaɪldɪst/
wildest is pronounced WEYEL-dist (/ˈwaɪldɪst/). Wildest is the superlative form of “wild,” used to describe the greatest degree of wildness or the most extreme, untamed quality. It often functions attributively or predicatively (the wildest party, the wildest idea) and implies energy, freedom, or unruliness beyond ordinary bounds. Pronunciation details center on a stressed /aɪ/ vowel in the first syllable and a clear /d/ before the /ɪ/ or /ɪst/ ending.
Wildest is the superlative form of “wild,” used to describe the greatest degree of wildness or the most extreme, untamed quality. It often functions attributively or predicatively (the wildest party, the wildest idea) and implies energy, freedom, or unruliness beyond ordinary bounds. Pronunciation details center on a stressed /aɪ/ vowel in the first syllable and a clear /d/ before the /ɪ/ or /ɪst/ ending.
"That was the wildest concert I’ve ever attended."
"She wore the wildest outfit at the festival, and everyone noticed."
"The bear’s escape was the wildest chase we’d seen this year."
Pronounce as /ˈwaɪldəst/ in General American and most British variants. Primary stress on WYLD. The /aɪ/ diphthong in the first syllable is followed by a light /l/ and a clear /d/ before the /ə/ (schwa) or /ɪst/ depending on the speaker. In careful speech you’ll hear /ˈwaɪl-dəst/ with a distinct /d/ before the final /əst/ or /ɪst/. Note the sequence is /ˈwaɪld/ + /-əst/ or /-ɪst/ in many accents.
Common errors: misplacing the /d/ or turning /ld/ into a longer /l/ without the /d/ release, and merging the /ə/ in the final syllable too early. Another frequent mistake is pronouncing /waɪl/ as /waɪl/ with no audible /d/, giving /ˈwaɪl/ instead of /ˈwaɪld/. Correction: ensure a brief, crisp /d/ release before the final /əst/ or /ɪst/. Practice with a steady beat: /ˈwaɪl-dəst/ vs /ˈwaɪldəst/ to establish the /d/ liaison.
US and most UK accents share /ˈwaɪldəst/ with a clear /d/; some non-rhotic UK variants may reduce the /r/ not relevant here. Australian English typically maintains /ˈwaɪldəst/ with a slightly lighter /d/ release and a centralized or reduced vowel in the second syllable. Rhoticity is not a factor for this word, but the vowel quality of /ə/ or /ɪ/ in the second syllable varies slightly by speaker and environment.
Two main challenges: the consonant cluster /ld/ immediately before the final /əst/ can cause a blending or elision of the /d/ in rapid speech; and the two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable requires crisp handling of the /aɪ/ diphthong followed by a strong /ld/ onset. Mastery comes from practicing the /d/ release and keeping the /ɪ/ or schwa /ə/ precise in the final syllable.
The most searched angle is the pronunciation of the /ld/ cluster before the final /əst/—specifically how to articulate the /d/ release and how the final /-est/ is pronounced in rapid speech. Emphasize that /ˈwaɪldəst/ should be heard as a single, crisp /ld/ onset followed by /əst/; ensure the /d/ is released but not overly emphatic, so it doesn’t sound like two separate syllables in casual diction.
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Wildest derives from wild, which traces to Old English wiled, wilder, wold, related to Dutch wild and German wild. The root Proto-Germanic *wildi- conveyed a sense of wildness, forest, or untamed land. The superlative -est suffix, common in English adjectives, is used to form the highest degree. Over time, wild evolved from “pertaining to wild land or animals” to broader figurative usage describing extraordinary behavior, energy, or quality. The word appears in Middle English, and the superlative form wildest is well-attested in Early Modern English texts as a descriptor for extreme or maximal wildness, intensity, or freedom. The semantic shift from physical untamedness to metaphorical extremity (wildest idea, wildest party) reflects broader idiomatic usage in contemporary English.
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Words that rhyme with "wildest"
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