A formal recognition or admission of the validity, existence, or truth of something. It also refers to the act of appreciating or signaling receipt of information, often in written or spoken form. In professional or academic contexts, it denotes a clear, explicit acknowledgment of a statement, fact, or event.
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Tip: practice with minimal pairs: know/ no, led/ red, ment/ men; then chain them to feel the rhythm in the word. Listen to native pronunciation models and imitate the pitch contour.
US: slight rhoticity, wooing the final /t/ sound; UK: non-rhotic, clearer vowel in /ɒ/; AU: more vowel variation, sometimes a lighter /ɡ/ before -ment. Practice with IPA guidance: /əˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ US, /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ UK, /ˌækˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ AU. Focus on: - First syllable reduction (ə) - Stress on KNOW - Palatal /dʒ/ - Final -ment /mənt/ with nasal release. Use minimal pairs to hear rhotic vs non-rhotic differences and vowel coloring.
"Her acknowledgment of the error came after reviewing the full report."
"We sent a formal acknowledgment of his donation to the foundation."
"The author included an acknowledgment section thanking colleagues and mentors."
"Public acknowledgment of their contributions boosted team morale."
Acknowledgment derives from the Old French acou, and later from the Latin acknowledgmentem, stemming from agere ‘to do, drive’ and ad- ‘toward’ with the root -gnosc- meaning ‘know’. The term evolved in English through Middle English forms such as acounsellen and acknowledge, consolidating in the modern noun acknowledgment by the 17th century. Originally tethered to ‘confession’ or ‘recognition of debt,’ its semantic radius expanded to include formal appreciation, receipt, and confirmation of information. The shift from legalistic or transactional senses to broader intellectual or social recognition occurred gradually as official records, correspondence, and scholarly works demanded a precise way to denote both the act of recognizing a fact and the act of signaling receipt or thanks. By the 1800s, acknowledgment became common in academic, corporate, and bureaucratic language, reflecting its versatility across written and spoken registers. First known use in its modern sense of formal recognition dates to early modern English legal and administrative documents, with broader adoption in modern usage seen in correspondence, publications, and policy language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "acknowledgment" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "acknowledgment" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "acknowledgment"
-ent sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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US: /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/; UK: /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/; AU: /ˌækˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/. Start with a weak schwa in the first syllable, then strong on the second: ac-KNOW-ledge-ment. The /kn/ cluster in the second syllable is a voiced nasal-consonant blend, and the -gment ending rhymes with 'cement' minus the 'ce-'. Keep the /ɡ/ slightly softened and ensure the /dʒ/ is a clear 'j' sound.
Two frequent errors: (1) Over-stressing the first syllable making ac- too strong, which flattens the stress by the real second-syllable emphasis on KNOW. (2) Mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /ɡ/ or /tʃ/, producing 'ack-nol-i-dog-ment.' Correct by holding the /dʒ/ as the single liquid-jerk blend, and emphasize the /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ chunk. Practice with a slow model: ac-KNOW-ledge-ment; then speed up while keeping the /nɒlɪdʒ/ intact.
US/UK/AU share /əkˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ or /ˌækˈnɒlɪdʒmənt/ patterns; the main variation lies in initial syllable reduction and vowel quality. US often gives a reduced first vowel (ə) and a darker 'o' in /ɒ/ or /ɒˈ/ depending on region; UK tends to clearer first vowel with less reduction; AU may display more vowel variation and elongated final syllable due to intonation. The /ŋ/ vs /m/ endings are consistent; focus on the /dʒ/ and secondary stress near KNOW.
The challenge hinges on the /kn/ cluster after the initial schwa, and the /dʒ/ in the middle. The sequence ac-KNOW-ledge-ment contains a fast transition from a soft schwa to a strong /ɒ/ vowel, then /lɪdʒ/ before the /mənt/. Coordinating the alveolar nasal with the palatal /dʒ/ can trip non-native speakers. Work on isolating the /kn/ blend, rehearsal of /ɡ/ with minimal lip tension, and maintaining even syllable timing to keep the stress on KNOW without rushing.
The noun and verb-like uses share the same phonetic skeleton; stress remains primarily on KNOW in both forms, though in slower, careful speech you may hear a slightly fuller articulation of the final syllables. In rapid speech, the -gment can compact, but you should still maintain the /dʒ/ integrity and avoid reducing /ɡmənt/ to a mere /gmənt/.
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