Proper Pronunciation Guide
ragged
[
ræ gəd]
Tips:
- Pronounce this word as two syllables, stressing the first one.
- Pronounce the letter “a” as /æ/—like the vowel in the word “cat.”
- Pronounce the letter “e” in the second syllable as the weak schwa vowel /ə/.
Practice Sentences:
| The beggar was wearing ragged clothes. | |
| The long-playing theatre production had become somewhat ragged. |
Definition:
(adjective) In rags; tattered; falling apart. A figurative use of the word means in poor condition or not polished, as used in the second pratice sentence.
Notes:
It would be wrong to mistake this word for the past tense of a regular verb and pronounce it as one syllable [ræd]. There are a handful of words like this word, such as jagged, crooked, naked, wicked, and sacred, which are pronounced as two syllables and can be used only as an adjective. Certain other words may be used as either a past tense/past participle of a regular verb or as an adjective. For example, “The actor had already learned [lɝnd] his lines before the first rehearsal” or “The retired philosophy professor was a very learned [lɝ nəd] man.” Other words that can be used either way are blessed, cursed, dogged, and (with two or three syllables) beloved and supposed.