The word "golden" has a spelling that may not match its pronunciation. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is transcribed as /ˈɡoʊldən/. The "o" sound is pronounced as a long "o" like in the word "go" and the "e" in the middle is silent. The "en" at the end is pronounced as an unstressed "uhn" sound. This can be confusing for non-native English speakers or those learning to read and write English. However, with practice, the spelling of "golden" can be mastered.
Golden:
Adjective
1. Possessing the color or shine of gold; resembling gold in color or brilliance.
Example: The sunsets over the ocean painted the sky with golden hues.
2. Morally or spiritually excellent; possessing exceptional qualities or exhibiting great worth.
Example: His golden heart led him to donate a significant portion of his wealth to charity.
3. Exceptionally prosperous, successful, or favorable.
Example: The company experienced a golden period of growth and profitability.
4. Relating to or associated with gold.
Example: The golden jewelry she wore sparkled in the sunlight.
5. Highly esteemed or revered; regarded as the pinnacle or best representation of something.
Example: The artist's most famous painting remains the golden standard of Impressionism.
6. Relating to a person's golden years; referring to the time of life after retirement.
Example: My grandparents are enjoying their golden years by traveling the world.
7. Relating to the golden ratio; harmonious and pleasing in shape or proportion.
Example: The architect designed the building with golden proportions, giving it an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
8. Exceptionally optimistic, positive, and filled with hope.
Example: Despite the setbacks, she maintained a golden outlook and remained motivated to achieve her goals.
9. Symbolic of great value, worth, or significance.
Example: The golden anniversary celebrated their fifty years of marriage, a truly remarkable milestone.
In summary, "golden" typically refers to something that is shining like gold, exhibiting exceptional qualities or worth, prosperous or successful, associated with gold, esteemed or celebrated, harmonious in proportion, related to the time after retirement, optimistic and positive, or symbolically significant.
Consisting of gold; bright; shining; of a gold colour; excellent; happy or innocent, as the golden age; pre-eminently favourable.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "golden" has its roots in the Old English word "golde", which ultimately originated from the Proto-Germanic word "gulthō" or "gulthaz". This Proto-Germanic word gave rise to similar terms in other Germanic languages, such as "guld" in Old Norse, "guld" in Old High German, and "gold" in Dutch and German. All these words referred to the precious metal gold. The Old English word "golde" had various forms, including "golde", "goldeon", and "gegolde", before its modern spelling of "golden" emerged.