Sound Gym
hunted · haunted
Short /ʌ/ vs long /ɔː/ — same consonant frame /-ntɪd/, one vowel length separates the chase from the ghost.
verb — past tense of hunt — to have chased and killed wild animals; OR to have searched persistently — 'a hunted animal' · 'job-hunted' · 'a hunted look' (looking fearful, like prey)
mouth shape
short /ʌ/ — central vowel, mouth mid-open — like 'cup', 'run', 'fun' — HUN-tid — the 'au' in haunted is very different
hunted
/ˈhʌn.tɪd/
vowel length
verb / adjective — past tense of haunt; OR describing a place frequented by ghosts — 'a haunted house' · 'haunted by memories' · 'a haunted expression' (troubled look)
mouth shape
long /ɔː/ — lips round broadly, jaw drops noticeably — HAWN-tid — like 'ball', 'call', 'law' — longer and more rounded than /ʌ/ in hunted
haunted
/ˈhɔːn.tɪd/
vowel length
Vowel spotlight — /ʌ/ vs /ɔː/ — same /h…ntɪd/ frame
hunted
/hʌn.tɪd/
short /ʌ/ — central, no lip rounding
like: cup · run · fun · sun
haunted
/hɔːn.tɪd/
long /ɔː/ — rounded, jaw drops
like: ball · call · law · dawn
Why learners mix these up
Both words are spelled with -unted / -aunted and end identically in /-ntɪd/. The only difference is the vowel spelling: u in hunted gives /ʌ/, while au in haunted gives /ɔː/. In English, -au- consistently spells /ɔː/ — think pause, cause, sauce, fault.
Key difference
hunted: /ʌ/— the central vowel of “cup” — mouth mid-open, no rounding, short.haunted: /ɔː/ — a long rounded vowel — lips push forward, jaw drops more, the sound lasts longer. Think: hUNted (like run) vs hAWNted (like dawn).
Example sentences
hunted:“The fox was huntedacross the countryside.”
hunted:“She had a huntedlook in her eyes — always glancing over her shoulder.”
haunted:“The children dared each other to enter the hauntedhouse.”
haunted:“He was hauntedby the memory of what happened.”
Hear it in a sentence
“The police hunted for the escaped prisoner for three days before giving up.”
“The locals claimed the old manor was haunted by the spirit of its first owner.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
hunted
Hear native speakers say “hunted” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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haunted
Hear native speakers say “haunted” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
hunt / hunted family ▸
haunt / haunted family ▸
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