Acquaintances is the plural noun for people you know slightly or casually, not close friends. It refers to individuals you recognize or have met, often in social or professional settings. The term implies a broader network rather than intimate relationships, and it is commonly used in contexts like introductions, social events, or surveys of social circles.
US vs UK vs AU: in US, you’ll hear a pronounced /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/ with a sharper diphthong /eɪ/. UK speakers may have a slightly shorter /ə/ and more enunciated /t/; AU tends toward similar US patterns but with subtler vowel height and a softer final /t/ or /s/ depending on pace. IPA references: US /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/, UK /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/, AU /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/.
"I bumped into a few acquaintances at the conference, but I didn’t stay long."
"She’s an acquaintance from yoga class, someone I’ve chatted with a couple of times."
"We invited our acquaintances to the party, not our best friends."
"The letter was sent to all acquaintances in the neighborhood to announce the event."
Acquaintances comes from the verb acquaint, which derives from Old French acueindre (to come to know) and Latin accountere (to make known). The form acquaint is recorded in Middle English as auqentein and later evolved through Old French acquoint-er, reflecting the assimilation of the -que- sequence and the suffix -ance, indicating a state or condition. The noun acquai ntance appeared in Early Modern English as a person one has come to know. The plural -s form acquaintances developed to denote a group of people one is acquainted with. The broader semantic shift from “to know” to “a person one knows slightly” reflects social network terminology expanding in the 18th-19th centuries, paralleling the rise of sociability in urban centers and professional circles. First known use as a noun in the 15th century texts, with common usage rapidly increasing in the 17th and 18th centuries as social registers expanded beyond close kin. Today, acquaintances emphasizes peripheral social ties more than intimate friendships, often used in both formal and informal contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Acquaintances"
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Pronunciation: ə-KWEYN-tən(t)s. Primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/. In careful speech, the final -ces is /s/, and the r-controlled vowel in 'acquaint' is /eɪ/ as in 'wake.' In fluent speech, you may hear a reduced final /t/ or /ən/ as /ən/ with a light release. Practice by isolating /ə/ + /ˈkweɪn/ + /tən(t)s/ and linking the /t/ to the following schwa.
Two frequent errors: misplacing the primary stress (say ac-QUA-in-tances) or mispronouncing the /kw/ cluster as /k-w/ separately. Corrective steps: first ensure the /ˈkweɪn/ unit carries primary stress; keep /kw/ as a single affricate sequence, not two separate sounds. Also avoid over-articulating the final /t/; in natural speech it’s often reduced to a light tap or held as /t/ briefly before /ən/.
US/UK/AU share /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/ but differ in rhoticity and vowel niceties. US tends to have full rhotic /ɹ/ in ‘acquaint’ not relevant here, UK non-rhotic accents may drop r sounds; AU approximates US vowel quality with slightly more centralized vowels. The /æ/ in 'acquaint' is typically /eɪ/ diphthong; the final /ən(t)s/ can be a soft schwa or a very light nasal ending depending on the speaker.
It blends a stressed second syllable with a challenging /ˈkweɪn/ cluster and a final consonant cluster /tən(t)s/. The /kw/ cluster before a long /eɪ/ diphthong can trip learners who expect clear consonant separation; the final /ts/ or /t/ before /ən/ can compress in fast speech. Another pitfall is the reluctance to reduce the final syllable in casual speech, which can alter perceived meaning.
Note the second syllable carries primary stress: /əˈkweɪn.tən(t)s/. Emphasize the /ˈkweɪn/ unit while keeping the following /tən(t)s/ light. Visualize the mouth: lips rounded for /ɪ/ or /eɪ/? In 'acquaint,' the vowel is a fronted diphthong /eɪ/. Ensure the /t/ is lightly released; in connected speech, you may hear a very soft /t/ or even /d/ influence in rapid speech.
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