3 syllables: Ac, quit, tal. Stress on quit.
uh-KWIT-uhl
/əˈkwɪtəl/
Acquittal is pronounced uh-KWIT-uhl (/əˈkwɪtəl/). It has three syllables (Ac-quit-tal), with the stress on "quit". Acquittal is a formal legal verdict in which a defendant is declared not guilty of the charges brought against them. It ends a trial or legal proceeding by finding insufficient evidence to convict. The term emphasizes exoneration and clearance from liability in a specific case.
nounAcquittal is a formal legal verdict in which a defendant is declared not guilty of the charges brought against them. It ends a trial or legal proceeding by finding insufficient evidence to convict. The term emphasizes exoneration and clearance from liability in a specific case.
Actionable tips: - Do a clapping drill: clap on the stressed syllable then again for the natural weak syllable, keeping the tempo steady. - Pair with a context sentence and record; replay to adjust the rhythm and vowel length. - Use minimal pairs to feel the rhythm: quick vs quit, kettle vs quittle (not real words, but for drill).
"The jury returned an acquittal after the defense presented new evidence."
"Her acquittal was celebrated by supporters who believed the system worked."
"The defendant faced years of legal costs, but an acquittal spared him from conviction."
Break it as uh-KWIT-uhl, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /əˈkwɪt.əl/. Start with a neutral schwa, then /ˈkwɪt/ where /kw/ is a tight lip rounding onset and /ɪ/ is a short near-high front vowel, and finish with /əl/ as a relaxed schwa + l. Think of it as ‘uh-QUIT-uhl.’ Audio resources: Cambridge, Oxford dictionaries provide embedded audio; practice repeating slowly and then at natural speed to match rhythm.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying uh-KWIT-tal) or pronouncing as ‘ac-quill-tle’ by mishearing /wɪt/ as /wɪlt/. Another frequent mistake is an overly strong final consonant, forgetting the light /əl/ ending. Correct by isolating the second syllable: /ˈkwɪt/ with a clear but quick release, then a relaxed /əl/. Record yourself saying the word in a sentence to hear the rhythm and adjust.
In US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the second syllable: /əˈkwɪt.əl/. Rhotic differences are minimal in this word; the /r/ is not present. Australians may have slightly more centralized vowels in the second syllable and a crisper /əl/. The /kwɪt/ sequence stays consistent, but regional vowel quality can slightly alter the first vowel duration and the ‘əl’ ending’s vowel reduction.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /kw/ after a reduced vowel and the unstressed final syllable /-əl/. Speakers often misplace the stress or render /ɪ/ as a long vowel, causing a mismatch in rhythm. Coordinating the tight bilabial onset /kw/ with the lax /ɪ/ and a soft ending /əl/ requires careful mouth positioning: lips rounded for /k/ onset, quick transition to /w/ without immersing too much lip rounding, and a light, quick /əl/.” ,
Is the ‘-tial’ ending pronounced as a separate syllable, or is it blended? It is pronounced as two syllables: /-tɪl/ is commonly realized as /-təl/ in many speakers, with the final /l/ becoming syllabic or a light touch. The key is to keep the /ɪ/ short in the second syllable and avoid a tense vowel. Utility for search: people often search for ‘ac-QUIT-tal’ vs ‘ac-QUIL-tal’ and should know it’s /-ɪtəl/ in most varieties.
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Acquittal comes from the Middle English acquit, from Old French acquiter, ultimately from Latin ad- ‘toward’ + quietus ‘rest, quiet, discharge’ (from quietus ‘release, payment’). The term originally referred to release from debt or obligation, and by the law French influence in medieval England, it broadened to release from criminal charge. The earliest uses appear in late medieval English legal texts, reflecting the shift from punishment to legal exoneration as the standard of justice. Over time, acquittal stabilized as the formal verdict when the prosecution’s burden of proof fails, or when evidence presents a reasonable doubt about guilt. In modern usage, it denotes a complete finding of not guilty in a particular case, distinct from a mistrial or dismissal, and is forever tied to the binary legal outcomes of guilt or innocence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Acquittal" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Acquittal"
-ual sounds
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