Admit is a transitive verb meaning to confess, acknowledge, or accept as true or real. It also means to allow entry or access, such as admitting someone to a place or institution. The word often carries a formal or slightly defensive tone, especially in contexts of admission of guilt or error, and appears in phrases like admit that and admit into. 2-4 sentences, 50-80 words MAX.
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"He admitted that he was mistaken about the dates."
"The museum will admit visitors starting at nine o'clock."
"She admitted him to the club after reviewing his application."
"If you don’t admit your error, we can’t move forward."
Admit comes from the Latin admittere, formed from ad- ‘toward’ + mittere ‘to send.’ In Latin, admittere meant to send toward, to allow entry, or to admit into certain conditions. The verb passed into Old French as admettre, retaining ‘to allow or acknowledge.’ English adopted admit in the late Middle Ages, preserving both senses: to allow entry (permit) and to acknowledge (confess). Over centuries, the sense of acknowledging truth broadened, often with moral or legal overtones (admitting guilt, admitting a claim). By the 16th–17th centuries, admit also appeared in figures of speech like admit of, meaning to allow for or permit a particular outcome. The word’s pronunciation and stress patterns stabilized in modern English with primary stress on the second syllable in many dialects (ad-MIT), though some phonetic environments and connected speech can affect its rhythmic emphasis. First known use appears in Middle English texts via Old French influence, aligning with its Latin roots. Today, admit remains common across legal, educational, and everyday contexts, functioning as both a transactional and epistemic verb.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "admit" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "admit" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "admit"
-mit sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Usual IPA: us: əˈmɪt; UK: ədˈmɪt; AU: ədˈmɪt. The word is two syllables with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a neutral schwa in the first syllable, then a crisp /m/ plus a short /ɪ/ vowel, ending with a clear /t/. In careful speech, you’ll hear a crisp stop closure for /t/. In rapid speech, final /t/ may be softened to a tap-like closure or glottal stop in some accents, especially before another consonant. Practice: say uh-MIT, focusing on the burst of /mɪt/ after the weak first syllable.
Common errors: (1) Overstressing the first syllable (a-DMIT) instead of the natural weak-strong pattern; (2) Slurring the /d/ into /t/ leading to /æmit/ or /ædmɪt/ mispronunciations; (3) Not closing the mouth enough for the /t/ at the end, resulting in an aspirated or undefined ending. Correction: keep the first syllable reducido as a schwa, produce a clean /m/ immediately followed by a short /ɪ/ and a sharp, released /t/. Ensure the /t/ is a crisp alveolar stop; avoid voicing on the final consonant.
Differences are subtle: US speakers typically use a clear /əˈmɪt/ with a lax first vowel and a crisp /t/ at the end; UK pronunciations often resemble /ədˈmɪt/ with slightly shorter distinguishing vowels and less rhotic influence here since /r/ isn’t present; Australian echoes similar to UK but with more vowel height variation and potentially a glottal-t in casual speech. For all, stress remains on the second syllable. Pay attention to vowel quality: /ɪ/ as in kit is common, but regional shifts can affect height and tenseness.
Two main challenges: (1) The short, tense /ɪ/ vowel in the second syllable can be unstable in rapid speech; practice with minimal pairs to stabilize it; (2) Final /t/ realization varies by accent; it may be a released alveolar stop or a glottal stop in casual speech. The risk is losing the crisp terminal /t/ and merging the word with nearby words. Focus on keeping the second syllable clear and ending with a crisp alveolar stop.
A unique question is whether the /d/ can assimilate forward to a following consonant in fast speech, such as in ‘admit it’ sounding like /ˈædmɪt ɪt/ with link. The /d/ can partially assimilate with the following /ɪ/ and /t/ producing a smoother transition. In fluent speech you’ll often hear a lighter, faster articulation of /d/ as you move into the vowel /ɪ/, so keep the tongue ready to switch to /t/ immediately after the /ɪ/.
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