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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “started”

“started” is pronounced /ˈstɑɹtɪd/ (STAHR-tid) in American English and /stɑːtɪd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “star”.
The sound

Say “started” in 2 beats

Say it like this

started

/ˈstɑɹtɪd/

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

2 beats
  1. starstɑɹstress
  2. tedtɪd
IPA (American)
/ˈstɑɹtɪd/
IPA (British)
/stɑːtɪd/
Respelling
STAHR-tid
Syllables
2 — STAR-ted
Stress
Stress the first syllable: STAR-ted. “star” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈstɑɹtɪd/

British

/stɑːtɪd/

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

Meaning

What “started” means

  1. verb

    take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

    “We began working at dawn”

  2. verb

    set in motion, cause to start

    “The U.S. started a war in the Middle East”

  3. verb

    leave

    “The family took off for Florida”

Say it in a sentence

“The meeting started ten minutes later than planned.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
sstt×2ɑahɹrɪshort idd

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

Questions

“started”, answered

How do you pronounce “started”?

“started” is pronounced /ˈstɑɹtɪd/ (STAHR-tid) in American English and /stɑːtɪd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “star”. Build it as STAR-ted, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “started” have?

2: star · ted. The beat lands on the first, “star”.

Is “started” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈstɑɹtɪd/ (STAHR-tid); British English says /stɑːtɪd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “started” mean?

As a verb: take the first step or steps in carrying out an action For example: “We began working at dawn” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “started”?

Stress the first syllable: STAR-ted. “star” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “started” and see every sound

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