3 syllables: ad, mit, tance. Stress on mit.
uhd-MIT-uhns
/əˈdmɪtəns/
admittance is pronounced uhd-MIT-uhns (/əˈdmɪtəns/). It has three syllables (ad-mit-tance), with the stress on "mit". Admittance refers to permission or access granted to enter a place or participate in an activity. It can also denote the act of admitting someone, or the right to approach a particular person or institution. The term emphasizes official or formal authorization rather than mere invitation, and is often used in contexts like security, buildings, or institutions.
Admittance refers to permission or access granted to enter a place or participate in an activity. It can also denote the act of admitting someone, or the right to approach a particular person or institution. The term emphasizes official or formal authorization rather than mere invitation, and is often used in contexts like security, buildings, or institutions.
- You may tend to flatten the /ɪ/ in /ˈmɪt/ or make the /t/ sound overly aspirated. Remedy: keep /ɪ/ crisp and stop the /t/ tight, followed by a gentle /əns/. - Some speakers insert an extra vowel or stress shift, producing /ədˈmɪd.əns/ or /ædˈmɪt.əns/. Remedy: adhere to the two-syllable rhythm and keep the second syllable longer, but never elongate it into a clear additional syllable. - The final /əns/ can be mispronounced as /æns/ or /ənz/. Remedy: end with a light schwa and a crisp final /ns/ to prevent a vowel-heavy ending.
"The museum’s admittance fee is listed at the entrance."
"They gained admittance to the conference after presenting their abstract."
"The hospital restricts admittance to only registered patients."
Pronounce as əd-MIT-əns. The stress falls on the second syllable: /ədˈmɪt.əns/. Start with a schwa-unstressed first syllable, then a clear /ˈmɪt/ with a short, clipped 'i' like in 'mit,' followed by a weak second syllable /-əns/. Imagine the word as ad-MIT-tance with a light final nasal.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying ad-MIT-tance) and running the second syllable together as /ədˈmɪtəns/ or /ædˈmɪtəns/. Correct by maintaining a strong /ˈmɪt/ in the second syllable and keeping the final /əns/ light and quick, not forming a heavy 'tance' syllable. Also avoid turning it into 'admission' by replacing /t/ with a stronger /d/ sound. Practicing with a pause after the first syllable helps fix the rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, the /ˈmɪt/ vowel in the stressed syllable remains short and clipped. The initial has a schwa /ə/ before the stressed syllable in all three. Rhoticity doesn’t dramatically alter the word, but Australians may have a slightly more fronted or clipped /ɪ/ and a softer /nt/ sequence. Overall, the key is preserving /ədˈmɪt.əns/ with a clear stress on /ˈmɪt/ regardless of accent. IPA remains /ədˈmɪt.əns/ for all three varieties.
The difficulty sits in the two consonant clusters: the initial /d/ following a reduced /ə/ can blur, and the /t/ in /mɪt/ must be crisp within a quick vowel sequence. Many speakers misplace the stress or mishandle the final /əns/ by making it /əns/ too heavy. Focus on a clean /ˈmɪt/ and a light, quick final /əns/ to avoid a staccato ending. Practicing with a cue word and slow progression helps cement the rhythm.
In fluent speech, some speakers may reduce the second syllable slightly, creating a compact /ədˈmɪt.əns/ where the /ə/ in the third syllable becomes less pronounced. However, in careful or formal speech, you should keep /ˈmɪt/ clearly stressed and the final /əns/ light and short. Your aim is to retain the two-syllable beat in the stressed-timed rhythm of English, not to fuse the word into a single syllable.
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- US: Clear rhotic-less or rhotic influence isn’t critical; maintain /ədˈmɪt.əns/ with a slightly stronger /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable. Maintain a quick /əns/ ending. - UK: Maintain non-rhotic tendency; the final /s/ is crisp, and the /t/ remains aspirated but not overly strong. Use a clipped /ˈmɪt/ and keep /əns/ short. - AU: Similar to UK with subtly broader vowel qualities; keep the nucleus /ɪ/ compact and ensure /t/ is precise. The /ə/ in the second half remains light. IPA guide: /əˈdmɪtəns/ or /ədˈmɪtəns/ depending on speaker.
Admittance comes from the verb admit, via Old French ademettre or admettre, from Latin admittere (ad- ‘toward’ + mittere ‘to send’). The noun form admittance materialized in English by the 15th–16th centuries, reflecting the act of admitting someone or permitting entry. The suffix -ance derives from Latin -antia or -antia, marking a state or quality, here the state of being admitted or permitted. Over time, the sense broadened from physical entry to more abstract permissions (admittance to a club, admittance into a program). Early records show legal and ceremonial usage where admittance signified official entry rights, often accompanied by badges, tickets, or verifications. In modern usage, admittance is common in security, venues, and institutions, sometimes used interchangeably with admission, albeit with a slightly more formal or procedural tone in professional documents and policy language.
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Words that rhyme with "admittance"
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