Accommodations refers to adjustments or modifications that enable someone to participate more fully in activities or environments, such as at work, school, or travel. It also denotes lodging or shelter, especially in the form of rooms or facilities provided for guests. In both senses, the term emphasizes accessibility and support tailored to individual needs.
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"The university offers accommodations for students with disabilities."
"The hotel provided accessible accommodations near the conference venue."
"Corporate policy requires reasonable accommodations for employees requesting flexibility."
"Travelers can request accommodations for special dietary or medical needs at the resort."
Accommodations comes from the verb accommodate, which traces to the Old French accommoder, from Late Latin accommodare, meaning to fit or adapt. The French root ac- (toward) plus commendare (to commit, entrust) evolved in meaning to adapt or fit to needs. In English, accommodation originally referred to the act of conforming to someone’s wishes or the state of being accommodated. By the 17th century, it also carried the sense of housing or lodging provided for travelers or guests. The plural form accommodations emerged to discuss multiple acts of providing adjustments or multiple lodging arrangements. The word’s flexibility—covering both adjustments (as in accessibility) and lodging (as in a hotel)—reflects its Latin-based sense of fitting and making things suitable for particular purposes or people.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "accommodations" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "accommodations"
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Pronounce as ə-KOM-ə-ˈdā-shənz. Primary stress on the fourth syllable in many American speakers: ac-com-mo-DA-tions. Detailed: /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃənz/ in UK, /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃənz/ in US; note the /ˈdeɪ/ sound in the third-to-last syllable is a long A as in day. Start with a relaxed schwa, then a clipped second syllable, then a clear /ˈdeɪ/ before /ʃənz/. You’ll want the final syllables to stay smooth: -mə-DAY-shənz with the -s pronounced. Audio reference: [Listen via Cambridge/Oxford dicts or Forvo entry for accommodations].
Common errors: misplacing stress (putting emphasis on the wrong syllable), pronouncing /ˈkɒm/ as in ‘com’ with an overly rounded mouth, and collapsing the /t/ into /ʃ/ resulting in /ˌækˌɒməˈdeɪʃənz/ or /əkɒmˈədeɪʃənz/. Correction: keep a light, unstressed initial /ə/ before /ˈkɒ/; clearly articulate /d/, not /t/ or /ʃ/; stress the -DA- in ac-commodations: ac-com-mo-DA-tions. Practice with minimal pairs: /ˌkɒm/ vs /ˈdə/ to avoid flapping. Listening practice via pronunciation tools helps cement the rhythm.
In US English, you’ll hear /əˌkɑː.məˈdeɪ.ʃənz/ with rhotic /r/ generally absent in this word; UK often /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃənz/ with non-rhoticity and a slightly shorter /ɒ/; Australian tends toward /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃənz/ with broader vowel quality and a less pronounced /ˈdeɪ/; overall, the key stress pattern remains on the DA syllable, but vowel colours shift. In all, /ˈdeɪ/ part remains visible, but the preceding vowels vary between /ɒ/ and /ɑː/ depending on accent.
Two main challenges: the sequence ac-com-mo-DA-tions requires smooth articulation across four syllables without undue pause, and the /ˌkɒm/ cluster can lead to misplacement of the primary stress. The long -deɪ- vowel in the DA-syllable can tempt listeners to misplace the stress to the earlier syllables. Focus on keeping a light initial schwa, a crisp /k/ followed by /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on accent, then the stressed /ˈdeɪ/. Practicing with slow speed and graduated tempo helps align rhythm and reduce intrusive sounds.
Yes—keep the /k/ and /m/ consonants distinct rather than merging them. The initial segment /əˌkɒm-/ uses a short, clipped /k/ followed by a light /ɒ/ (US /ɑ/). The double consonants aren’t pronounced as doubled sounds; you compress them into syllables with proper timing. Avoid retroflexing or exaggerating the /m/—let it flow into the /ə/ and then the /ˈdeɪ/ syllable. The rhythm comes from syllable-timed delivery with natural breaks between syllables.
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