Acquitted is an adjective describing a person who has been declared not guilty of a crime after a trial. It emphasizes the judicial finding that the evidence did not establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The term often appears in legal contexts and media reporting, signaling clearance from criminal liability.
- Pronouncing with stress on the first syllable (a-CQUIT-ted) instead of the second (ə-ˈKWIT-ɪd). Correct by marking the beat: reduce the first syllable, then deliver strong /KWIT/ on the second. - Dropping or softening the /kw/ into /k/ or /w/ (e.g., /ˈkwɪtɪd/ or /ˈkwɪtɪd/). Correct by keeping a tight /kw/ onset with the lips rounded and a crisp /w/ glide. - Final /tɪd/ becoming /təd/ or /tɪd/ with weak /d/. Correct by saying /tɪd/ with a crisp alveolar stop, not a dental or collapsed /d/.
- US: rhotics are less relevant here; focus on crisp /ɹ/ not present; ensure /ə/ is subtle; /ˈkwɪ/ is clear; final /tɪd/ is a clear stop. - UK: slight vowel tightening; maintain non-rhotic speaker with clear /t/ and /d/; more precise /ɪ/ in /ɪd/. - AU: broader vowels in /ə/ and flatter /ɪ/; keep /kw/ strongly articulated; avoid conflating /ɪ/ with /iː/.
"The jury acquitted him of all charges after a two-week trial."
"Despite the challenging questions, the defendant walked free as he was acquitted."
"Prosecutors argued for conviction, but the court ultimately acquitted the suspect."
"The recently acquitted defendant spoke to reporters about rebuilding his life."
Acquitted comes from the past participle acquit, which derives from the Old French aquiter (to release from a charge), from a- (toward) + quiet (quiet, to cease). The root Latin word is quietus, meaning settled or discharged. In English, acquit appeared in the 14th century in legal contexts to express release from blame or accusation. Over time, it broadened to describe a finding of not guilty in court and, more generally, any situation where someone is freed from obligation or blame. The pronunciation shifted subtly with the Great Vowel Shift and standardization of legal vocabulary in Early Modern English, but the core meaning of release from liability has remained stable. In modern usage, acquitted is most often seen in legal reporting and dialogue surrounding trials, appeals, and post-trial statements. First known uses appear in legal tales and records from medieval England, evolving with the development of common law and procedural terms. The word’s trajectory reflects the movement from a legal action to a status change—being freed from charges or blame.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Acquitted" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Acquitted" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Acquitted"
-ted sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as ə-KWIT-id with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /əˈkwɪtɪd/. Begin with a schwa, then a clear /ˈkwɪ/ cluster, end with /tɪd/. Keep the lips rounded slightly for /kw/ and finish with a light /d/ in rapid speech. Audio cues: listen for a crisp /t/ before the final /ɪd/ sequence.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress and mispronouncing the /kw/ cluster. First, some say a-CQU-itt-ed with stress on the first syllable; correction: stress on the second syllable /əˈkwɪtɪd/. Second, speakers may say /ɑːˈkwɪtɪd/ or omit the /w/ in /kw/. Use /ˈkw/ for the second syllable and keep the /ɪ/ sound short. Focus on signaling the /kw/ immediately after the initial schwa and before /ɪd/.
In US/UK/AU, the core /əˈkwɪtɪd/ is consistent, but vowel quality can vary slightly. US tends to have a lighter rhotic schwa and a sharper /t/ release before the final /ɪd/. UK may have a slightly longer /ɪ/ and clearer /d/. Australian often shows a more centralized /ə/ and a flatter /ɪ/ with a softer /t/. Overall, rhoticity is minimal in Non-rhotic dialects, but the primary stress pattern remains on the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /kw/ immediately after an unstressed first syllable and the final /tɪd/ sequence. People overemphasize the first syllable or mispronounce /w/ in /kw/. The triplet /-tɪd/ can blend in fast speech, sounding like /-təd/. Practice by isolating the /ə/ → /ˈkwɪ/ transition, then add the /tɪd/ with a crisp stop. IPA cues help you lock the correct tongue position.
In Acquitted, the /ac/ is not a separate vowel sequence like /æ/. The word starts with a schwa /ə/ followed by the /ˈkwɪ/ cluster. There is no /æ/ sound in standard pronunciation. The /ac/ spelling cues the /ə/ + /kw/ sequence; the key is to transition smoothly from the schwa into /ˈkwɪ/. Practice by starting with a light /ə/, then force the lips into /kw/ quickly.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Acquitted"!
- Shadowing: listen to native speaker audio and repeat in real time, focusing on the syllable boundary after /ə/ and the /kw/ onset. - Minimal pairs: compare /əˈkwɪtɪd/ with /əˈkwɒtɪd/ or /əˈkwoɪtɪd/ to sharpen the /ɪ/ vs /ɒ/ distinctions. - Rhythm: stress-timed pattern: 2 beats across 4 syllables; practice clapping: unstressed, stressed, unstressed, unstressed. - Intonation: in sentences, use a falling intonation after the final syllable; in questions, rise a bit on the final syllable. - Recording: record and compare to a native pronunciation; listen for crisp /kw/ and final /tɪd/.
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