4 syllables: ac, cept, a, ble. Stress on cept.
ak-SEP-tuh-buhl
/æˈksɛptəbəl/
acceptable is pronounced ak-SEP-tuh-buhl (/æˈksɛptəbəl/). It has four syllables (ac-cept-a-ble), with the stress on "cept". Acceptable means able to be agreed to or allowed; satisfactory enough to be accepted. It describes something that meets a minimal standard or is suitable under certain conditions. In practice, it signals conditional approval rather than enthusiastic endorsement, and it often carries a sense of practicality over excellence. The term is commonly used in formal and informal contexts to indicate permissibility or adequacy.
Acceptable means able to be agreed to or allowed; satisfactory enough to be accepted. It describes something that meets a minimal standard or is suitable under certain conditions. In practice, it signals conditional approval rather than enthusiastic endorsement, and it often carries a sense of practicality over excellence. The term is commonly used in formal and informal contexts to indicate permissibility or adequacy.
- You might slip into saying /ˈɑːkˌsɛp.təˌbəl/ with an American 'ah' root; instead keep the initial schwa /ə/ and the second syllable /ˈsep/. - Another common error is elongating the /t/ or turning it into a full syllable; keep /t/ brief and transition quickly to /tə/. - Finally, over-articulating the final -ble; aim for a light /-bəl/ rather than a full syllable; let the final sound trail.
"The committee concluded that the proposal was acceptable for further consideration."
"Her explanation was clear enough to be acceptable to the audience."
"Only acceptable forms of payment will be accepted at the checkout."
Pronounce as /əkˈsep.tə.bəl/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: a-CEP-table. Start with a schwa /ə/, move to a clear /ˈsɛp/ in the second syllable, then a reduced /tə/ and end with /bəl/. Keep the final syllable light, almost as a /bəl/ with a soft 'l'. Audio reference: think of 'accept' plus -able with a reduced first syllable. ,
Two frequent errors: (1) Over-articulating the -t- and making it sound like /tɪ/ or /təl/ instead of /tə/. Keep /t/ crisp but brief. (2) Mishandling the final -ble by producing /bəl/ as a full syllable with added emphasis; in natural speech it’s a lighter /bəl/. Aim for /əkˈsep.tə.bəl/ with a weak final syllable. Quick correction: practice the middle /sep/ with a strong, compact consonant cluster and let the ending trail off.
US and UK both place stress on the second syllable: /əkˈsep.tə.bəl/. US tends to flatter the vowels shorter and the /ə/ in the first syllable is a strong schwa; UK may have slightly crisper /ˈsep/ and a more rounded /ɒ/ variant in some speakers. Australian tends toward a lighter, quicker second syllable with subtle vowel reduction. In all accents, the final /əl/ can be a near-syllabic /l̩/ or a light /əl/ depending on speaker.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllable sequence with a stressed, mid-position /ˈsep/ and a final weakly articulated /-tə.bəl/. The transition from /sep/ to a reduced /tə/ and then to /bəl/ requires careful timing and place-of-articulation control. Additionally, the initial unstressed /ə/ before /ˈsep/ can be reduced variably—some speakers begin with a stronger /ək/ before the stressed syllable. Mastery comes from precise rhythm and reduced vowels without slurring the consonants.
In acceptable, the central cluster is /ˈsep.tə/; the 'cept' part comes from the root accept with the 'c' soft as /s/, not a hard /k/. It’s not /sɛpt/ because the vowel in that syllable is schwa in rapid speech: /ˈsep·tə/; slow careful speech might render as /ˈsɛp.tɛ/ briefly, but standard pronunciation remains /əkˈsep.tə.bəl/. Remember the second syllable carries the main stress.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ influences; non-rhotic perception is less of a concern here, but you’ll hear a bit more rhoticity in careful speech. /əˈsep.tə.bəl/ with clear /ˈsep/; keep final /əl/ soft. - UK: crisper /sep/ with precise /t/; final /əl/ can be more syllabic. - AU: more vowel reduction, faster rhythm, softer final /əl/; keep /ə/ in the first syllable strong but not overpowering. Use IPA as guide.
Acceptable originates from the Latin acceptus, the past participle of accipere, meaning to take, receive, or admit. The prefix ad- means toward, and -cept- derives from capere, to take. The Old French form acceptable entered English in the late Middle English period, reinforcing the sense of something that can be received or admitted as true or proper. Over time, the word broadened from the literal sense of ‘capable of being accepted’ to a more evaluative sense of ‘worthy of acceptance’ in social, legal, and standard-setting contexts. By the 17th century, acceptable had specialized usage in governance and moral discourse, evolving to its current meaning:
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Words that rhyme with "acceptable"
-ble sounds
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