The difference a syllable can make

2 comments June 18th, 2008

The past tense and past participle of “learn” is “learned,” pronounced as one syllable, “lurnd.”

This is also true when it’s used as an adjective to mean “acquired by study, experiences, etc.,” as in “a learned response.”

However, it acquires another syllable — “LUR-nid” — when it means “well-informed” or refers to scholarship — “my learned colleague.”

Another word with a similar dual character is “blessed”:

One syllable: “We feel we are truly blessed.”

Two syllables: “Help us celebrate this blessed event.”

Writing can be less complicated than speaking.