According is an adverb and preposition meaning 'consequently' or 'as stated or indicated by' something. In usage, it often introduces a speaker’s cited source or conclusion, appearing after verbs like 'is' or 'as' or within phrases such as 'according to.' The core idea is alignment with external information or authority, or indicating a conclusion drawn from that information.
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"According to the forecast, it will rain this afternoon."
"She arrived late, according to the timetable she was given."
"According to recent studies, exercise improves cognitive function."
"The report, according to the data, shows a steady upward trend."
The word according comes from the combination of the adjective according to, from the Old English geðeard and ere, but the modern form arises through the phrase according to, where according is from the French accorder meaning to accord, to agree, or to correspond. In Middle English, the sense of providing alignment with another source—‘as stated by’ or ‘in agreement with’—was common in legal and scholarly writing. The current lexical entry coalesces as a fixed prepositional-adverb phrase used to attribute statements, norms, or authorities to external sources. The shift from a general adjective meaning fitting, proper, or agreeing to the transitional adverbial expression reflects the broader movement of English to standardize phrases that cite authority. First known uses appear in Early Modern English texts where scholars and clerks frequently prefixed judgments with phrases like according to the author or according to law, before becoming broadly used across nonfiction prose. The word’s longevity stems from its clear semantic role: it links an assertion to a source, guideline, or standard, preserving a logical conduit from information to interpretation without altering the stated content.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "according" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "according" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "according"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say it as ə-KAWR-ding in US and UK, with primary stress on the second syllable. Break it into three phonemes: /ə/ (unstressed initial schwa), /ˈkɔː/ (stress-bearing vowel, open back rounded), and /dɪŋ/ (/d/ + /ɪ/ + /ŋ). In US, the second syllable often bears /ɔr/ but remains /ɔː/ for many speakers; in careful speech you can resolve /ɔːr/ to /ɔː/. Audio references: you can listen on Forvo or YouGlish to hear regional variation.
Common errors: (1) Stress on the first syllable: ə-KAWR-ding; corrected by stressing the second syllable. (2) Ending sound mispronounced as -ing with a complete /ɪŋ/; correct is /ɪŋ/ after /d/. (3) Vowel quality in the second syllable: producing /æ/ or /ɪ/ instead of the /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ quality; practice with mouth open mid-back vowel. Focus on keeping the final consonant clear and the /d/ released before the nasal.
US tends to show a more rhotic influence and a slightly longer /ɔː/ in the second syllable, with clear /ɪŋ/ ending. UK often features a flatter /ɔː/ without rhoticity, keeping the final -ing distinct. Australian tends toward a centralized vowel in the first or second syllable and may reduce /ɔː/ toward /ɒ/; the ending remains /dɪŋ/ but with softer /d/. Always listen for linking in phrases like 'according to' where /əˈkɔː.dɪŋ tə/ can occur.
The difficulty lies in balancing three elements: the unstressed initial schwa, the mid-to-low back vowel in the stressed second syllable, and the precise /d/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Non-native speakers may misplace stress, merge /ɔː/ with /ɒ/ or reduce the ending to /n/, and struggle with the /ŋ/ vs /ŋk/ combination in rapid speech. Practicing slow enunciation helps establish the correct tongue position and reduces assimilation errors.
There are no silent letters in according; every letter participates in pronunciation. The 'cc' pattern is simplified to a /k/ sound for the second consonant cluster? Actually, according to the spelling, the sequence 'cc' represents a single /k/ sound here, followed by the /ɔː/ and /d/ before the -ing ending. There is no silent letter; the efficiency comes from a connected pronunciation that minimizes audible pauses between syllables.
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