How to pronounce "specially selected" in English
ˌspɛʃ.ə.li.səˈlɛk.tɪd
spesh·ə·lee·sə·LEK·tid
Primary stress: LEK
Hear native speakers say specially selected in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “specially selected”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
spesh
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
lee
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
sə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
LEK
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
tid
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the fifth syllable ("LEK"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Because the base verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound, an extra vowel syllable must be added.
How Native Speakers Say It: Pronounce as a full separate syllable ⁄ɪd⁄ (e.g. "start-id", "need-id").
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "specially selected" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "specially selected is" sounds like "specially selected-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "specially selected" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“full of sludge and some specially selected microorganisms but very little oxygen bacteria would normally digest that sludge using a”— SciShowWatch clip
“We have three wonderful specially selected TAs in here.”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“tasting uh which was uh specially selected for these exactly um actually it's brand new so feel free to check it out not right now”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“this race is also in part a historical reenactment the contestants come from all over Volterra having been specially selected”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“ruined buildings at the sniper School specially selected soldiers were given brief Target Training in the bombed out Lazar”— Simple HistoryWatch clip
“features a more exclusive group of classic vehicles specially selected by the organizers for scoring many are prototypes”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “specially selected”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
full of sludge and some specially selected microorganisms but very little oxygen bacteria would normally digest that sludge using a
Hear it in context: “specially selected”
17 clipsThe English word “specially selected” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌspɛʃ.ə.li.səˈlɛk.tɪd (phonetic respelling: spesh-ə-lee-sə-LEK-tid). Phonologically, it consists of 6 syllables (spesh · ə · lee · sə · LEK · tid), with primary lexical stress placed on the 5th syllable (LEK). Grammatically, “specially selected” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 17 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “specially selected” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from SciShow, YaleCourses, TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USSciShowClip #1 · @2:35
“part of it ends up in an anaerobic digester basically just a giant tank full of sludge and some specially selected microorganisms but very little oxygen bacteria would normally digest that sludge using a very little oxygen bacteria would normally digest that sludge using a”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #2 · @15:14
“Sections are also mandatory. We have three wonderful specially selected TAs in here. I'll introduce you to them next time.”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #3 · @10:17
“name of the show is wine readings where we reading plays and um making wine tasting uh which was uh specially selected for these exactly um actually it's brand new so feel free to check it out not right now exactly um actually it's brand new so feel free to check it out not right now”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @2:49
“well the time has come the Medieval costumes all add to the experience as this race is also in part a historical reenactment the contestants come from all over Volterra having been specially selected the contestants come from all over Volterra having been specially selected”
- 🇺🇸 USSimple HistoryClip #5 · @12:04
“and Stalingrad as a result they got him to set up a sniper School within the ruined buildings at the sniper School specially selected soldiers were given brief Target Training in the bombed out Lazar soldiers were given brief Target Training in the bombed out Lazar”
Definition & Meaning: “specially selected”
- Chosen or picked out with particular care for a specific purpose or high quality.
Example Sentences (3)
- “The menu featured specially selected ingredients from local organic farms.”
- “full of sludge and some specially selected microorganisms but very little oxygen bacteria would normally digest that sludge using a”
- “We have three wonderful specially selected TAs in here.”
Pronounce: “specially selected”
- Pronunciation:
- spesh-ə-lee-sə-LEK-tid
- Syllables:
- spesh · ə · lee · sə · LEK · tid
- Written Hyphenation:
- spec · ial · ly · se · lec · ted
- Primary stress:
- LEK
- IPA:
- ˌspɛʃ.ə.li.səˈlɛk.tɪd
- Hear it in context
- specially selected
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"specially selected" (⁄ˌspɛʃ.ə.li.səˈlɛk.tɪd⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "specially selected" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about specially selected
How do you pronounce “specially selected”?
“specially selected” is pronounced ⁄ˌspɛʃ.ə.li.səˈlɛk.tɪd⁄ (spesh-ə-lee-sə-LEK-tid). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “specially selected”?
“specially selected” has 6 syllables: spesh · ə · lee · sə · LEK · tid.
Where is the stress in “specially selected”?
The primary stress in “specially selected” is on “LEK”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “specially selected” mean?
Chosen or picked out with particular care for a specific purpose or high quality.
How can I hear “specially selected” used in real sentences?
This page has 17 real-world video examples of “specially selected” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “specially selected”?
Because the base verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound, an extra vowel syllable must be added. Pronounce as a full separate syllable ⁄ɪd⁄ (e.g. "start-id", "need-id").