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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “improved”

“improved” is pronounced /ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/ (im-PROOVD) in American English and /ɪmpɹuːvd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “pɹuvd”.
The sound

Say “improved” in 2 beats

Say it like this

improved

/ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪmpɹuːvd/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. ɪmɪm
  2. pɹuvdpɹuvdstress
IPA (American)
/ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/
IPA (British)
/ɪmpɹuːvd/
Respelling
im-PROOVD
Syllables
2 — ɪm-PɹUVD
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ɪm-PɹUVD. “pɹuvd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/

British

/ɪmpɹuːvd/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “improved” means

  1. verb

    to make better

    “The editor improved the manuscript with his changes”

  2. verb

    get better

    “The weather improved toward evening”

  3. adjective

    made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing

    “new houses are springing up on an improved tract of land near the river”

Say it in a sentence

“Attendance improved as soon as the classes moved to the evening.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them
ɪshort immppɹrulong oovvdd

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“improved”, answered

How do you pronounce “improved”?

“improved” is pronounced /ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/ (im-PROOVD) in American English and /ɪmpɹuːvd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “pɹuvd”. Build it as ɪm-PɹUVD, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “improved” have?

2: ɪm · pɹuvd. The beat lands on the second, “pɹuvd”.

Is “improved” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪmˈpɹuvd/ (im-PROOVD); British English says /ɪmpɹuːvd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “improved” mean?

As a verb: to make better For example: “The editor improved the manuscript with his changes” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “improved”?

Stress the second syllable: ɪm-PɹUVD. “pɹuvd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “improved” and see every sound

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