How is the "d" pronounced differently in words like "educate" and "graduate"?

In the context of how the "d" is pronounced in the words "educate" and "graduate," the correct pronunciation involves the "d" producing a sound that transitions into a 'j' sound. Specifically, in "educate," the combination of sounds produces a soft 'j' quality pronounced as /ʤ/, particularly found in the second syllable. Similarly, in "graduate," the "d" also combines with surrounding vowels to create the softer sound typical of a 'j' rather than a stark, hard 'd' sound.

This phonetic change occurs due to the influence of the adjacent sounds in these multisyllabic words, where the stress and vowel combinations often lead the "d" to glide into a more soft consonant pronunciation. Furthermore, the formation of syllables in English often leads to this type of sound evolution, particularly in terms of connected vowel sounds and other consonant interactions.