4 syllables: Ac, com, pli, ces. Stress on com.
uh-KAHM-pluh-suhz
/əˈkɑmpləsəz/
Accomplices is pronounced uh-KAHM-pluh-suhz (/əˈkɑmpləsəz/). It has four syllables (Ac-com-pli-ces), with the stress on "com". Accomplices is a plural noun referring to people who assist in wrongdoing or illegal activity, typically in a covert or subordinate role alongside a principal offender. The term emphasizes shared responsibility rather than mere association. In legal or journalistic contexts, it highlights active participation rather than speculative involvement.
nounAccomplices is a plural noun referring to people who assist in wrongdoing or illegal activity, typically in a covert or subordinate role alongside a principal offender. The term emphasizes shared responsibility rather than mere association. In legal or journalistic contexts, it highlights active participation rather than speculative involvement.
"The three suspects were arrested as accomplices in the fraud scheme."
"Police identified two students as accomplices who helped disable the security system."
"The mastermind escaped, while his accomplices faced charges."
You pronounce it as /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/ (UK) or /əˈkɑːm.plɪ.sɪz/ (US). The primary stress is on the second syllable: ac-COM-plis-es. The final -es adds a /ɪz/ or /ɪz/ sound in fluent speech; keep the z clear rather than letting it fade. Mouth shape: start with a neutral schwa, then open mid back vowel for /ɒ/ or /ɑː/, then a clear /m/ with closed lips, a light /p/ release, and final /ɪz/ with a small, sharp z.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying ac-COM-pli-ses with the wrong emphasis) and pronouncing the final -ses as /siːz/ or /səz/. Another frequent issue is devoicing the final /z/ turning it into /s/. To correct: emphasize the second syllable /ˈkɒm/ or /ˈkɑːm/, keep /plɪ/ light but clear, and articulate the final /z/ as a voiced /z/ with a short vowel before it.
In US, /əˈkɑːm.plɪ.sez/ with rhotic r coloring only in the preceding syllable as in /əˈkɑːm/. In UK, /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/ or /əˈkɒm.plɪsɪz/, with a shorter /ɒ/ and less rhoticity; AU tends to /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/ but may show slightly broader vowels in some regions. Across all, the key is stress on the second syllable and a clear /z/ at the end. IPA notes: US /əˈkɑːm.plɪˌsiːz/ sometimes simplified to /əˈkɒm.plɪ.səz/ in rapid speech.
Two main challenges: the multi-syllabic structure with a cluster mid-syllable (/kɒm.plɪ/), and the final plural /-z/ which can blend with a following sound in connected speech. Additionally, the /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ split in US/UK requires precise tongue placement, and the second-syllable stress pattern can cause speaker hesitation. Practice by isolating /kɒm/ and /plɪ/ before delivering the trailing /siːz/ or /sɪz/.
Accomplices often appears in legal contexts with the sense of active involvement. The unique nuance is the final rhyming and the plural marker; you must ensure the /z/ is voiced and not reduced in fast speech, and that the second syllable carries a strong but not harsh stress. Also, keep the /pl/ cluster tight to avoid an extra vowel between /m/ and /pl/.
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- US: rhotic accent with clear /ɹ/ and a broad /ɑː/ or /ɑ/ in the second syllable; aim for /əˈkɑːm.plɪ.sez/. - UK: shorter /ɒ/ and less rhoticity; pronounce as /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/. - AU: tends toward /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/ with slightly broader vowels; keep non-rhoticity in most contexts. IPA references: US /əˈkɑːm.plɪ.sez/, UK /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/, AU /əˈkɒm.plɪ.sɪz/.
Accomplices derives from French accomplice, from accomplice ‘partner in crime’ (12th–13th centuries), from the late Latin accomplicare, meaning ‘to fold together, join in partnership.’ The root acc- indicates ‘toward’ or ‘with,’ while -plice traces to ple ‘fold, embrace’ through Latin plexus, implying a joining or interweaving. The English adoption kept the sense of someone who joins with another to commit wrongdoing. Early usage appears in legal and narrative texts around the 15th–16th centuries, expanding in the 19th and 20th centuries with criminal journalism and court reporting. Over time, the term shifted from a literal collaborator to a more general label for anyone who assists or abets illegal activity, often used with “co-” compounds to emphasize shared culpability. In modern usage, “accomplice” implies active participation and knowledge of the illicit aim, rather than mere presence, and is commonly used in plural form “accomplices.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Accomplices"
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