4 syllables: ac, knowl, edge, ment. Stress on knowl.
ak-NAH-lij-muhnt
/æˈknɑlɪdʒmənt/
acknowledgement is pronounced ak-NAH-lij-muhnt (/æˈknɑlɪdʒmənt/). It has four syllables (ac-knowl-edge-ment), with the stress on "knowl". Acknowledgement is the act of recognizing or admitting something, or the formal expression of gratitude. In discourse, it signals receipt, validation, or awareness, and in literature and law can denote formal concedement or confirmation. The term often carries nuance of confirmation, respect, or accountability, and appears in both everyday and ceremonial language across formal and professional registers.
Acknowledgement is the act of recognizing or admitting something, or the formal expression of gratitude. In discourse, it signals receipt, validation, or awareness, and in literature and law can denote formal concedement or confirmation. The term often carries nuance of confirmation, respect, or accountability, and appears in both everyday and ceremonial language across formal and professional registers.
"- The scientist offered an acknowledgement of the funding source in the paper."
"- We sent our acknowledgement of receipt to the applicant within 24 hours."
"- The doctor's acknowledgement of the patient’s concerns improved the consultation."
Pronounced /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ (US/UK/AU: /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: ac-KNOW-ledgement. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a short “nol” with a clear /ɒ/ like ‘cot’, followed by /ɪ/ in the third, and end with /dʒmənt/. Pay attention to the /l/ in the second half and avoid merging with 'knowledge'—the 'kn' cluster is pronounced with a hard k sound, not silent. Listen to natural pronunciation at Forvo or YouGlish to match your accent. IPA guide: US/UK/AU: əˈnɒlɪdʒmənt, with the first vowels rounded toward schwa and the /ɒ/ as an open back rounded vowel."
Common errors: (1) Pronouncing it as ‘ack-know-LEDGE-ment’ with emphasis on the third syllable; correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable ac-KNOW-ledge-ment. (2) Merging /kn/ into a single sound or dropping the /dʒ/ sound; correction: maintain /dʒ/ after /lə/ as in know-ledge-ment, avoid turning it into plain 'ledge'. (3) Reducing the /ɒ/ to a schwa or wrong vowel; correction: use a clear /ɒ/ as in 'cot' in the second syllable and keep /ɪ/ in the third. Practice with minimal pairs and slow articulation to lock the rhythm. You’ll hear the /ˈnɒl/ sequence clearly in careful speech.”,
In US English, secondary stress alignment and a slightly reduced first syllable are common, with a pronounced /ɒ/ in the second syllable. UK/ Commonwealth often maintain crisp /ɒ/ and emphasize /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ more due to non-rhotic tendencies spreading the /r/ absence; UK tends to be less rhotic and might slightly relax the /t/ at the end. Australian English is similar to UK but may feature a broader /ɒ/ and more centralized vowels in rapid speech. Overall, the main variance is rhoticity and vowel quality of /ɒ/ vs /ɒː/, while the /dʒ/ and /m/ endings remain consistent across accents.”,
The difficulty centers on the multi-syllabic rhythm and the consonant cluster around /lɪdʒ/ in the middle and the /dʒ/ sound after the /l/. Achieving the correct placement of primary stress on the second syllable while maintaining a clear /ɒ/ and avoiding a 'knowledge' conflation is key. The sequence -nɒlɪdʒ- requires a brief hiatus between /n/ and /lɪ/; learners often blend /n/ with /l/ or mispronounce the /dʒ/ as /j/. Practice by isolating /nɒl/ then adding /ɪdʒ/ and finishing with /mənt/.
A distinctive feature is the /dʒ/ sound following /lɪ/ in the third syllable cluster, which can be easy to skip or soften in fast speech. Keeping the /dʒ/ crisp while maintaining the /l/ in 'nol' is crucial. Also, the word’s alveolar nasal /n/ preceding the /ɒ/ must be clean and not fused with the following vowel. Using a deliberate, slow pronunciation during practice helps solidify the correct articulatory timing and prevents misplacement of stress or vowel quality.
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Acknowledgement derives from Middle English acknowledge, from Old English oncnāwan (to recognize, admit) combined with -ness to form a noun denoting the state or fact of acknowledging. The core Germanic root is cnāwan/knāwan (know, perceive), linked to Gothic knaþo- and Old High German knāwan, reflecting “to know” or “to admit.” By Middle English, acknowledge had developed senses of admitting something as true and of recognizing receipt or obligation. The suffix -ment was later attached to form an abstract noun indicating the result or state. Over time, spelled variants like acknowledge, acknowledgment, and acknowledgement proliferated, influenced by orthographic standardization and the interplay of French and Latin-based legal terminology in formal writing. The US and UK spellings diverged historically in the 19th and 20th centuries, with -ment becoming more common in American usage and -ment/-edge harmonizing in Commonwealth traditions, though “acknowledgement” remains standard in British English, particularly in formal documents and publications. First known uses trace to 15th century English legal and clerical contexts, evolving into a broader term for formal recognition of receipt, consent, or appreciation in modern usage."
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