How to pronounce requested in American English
Americans pronounce requested as ruh-KWEH-stuhd (/rəˈkwɛstəd/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.
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Why "requested" sounds like ruh·KWEH·stuhd.
The "t" at the end of "" links to the vowel starting "" — it flaps to sound like a quick "d", with the tongue briefly tapping the ridge behind the upper teeth. This is called the Flap T Across Words, the way sentences stop sounding like a list and start sounding like speech. So instead of ruh·KWEH·stuht, you get ruh·KWEH·stuhd.
Hear "requested" in the wild.
Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch KWEH — keep everything else short and quick.
Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.
Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.
Questions people ask about this.
How is "requested" stressed in American English?
Why does the first syllable in "requested" reduce to "uh"?
Is the American pronunciation of "requested" different from British English?
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