Adulthood refers to the period of life after adolescence when a person is legally and socially considered an adult, typically marked by full legal rights and responsibilities. The term emphasizes maturity, independence, and capacity for autonomous decision-making. It is used in contexts ranging from legal definitions to discussions of personal development and aging.
US & AU accents are Premium
Unlock all accent variations
- Mispronouncing /θ/ as /f/ or /s/: practice by placing the tongue on the upper teeth and forcing a breathy, voiceless fricative rather than a sibilant. • Treating the /d/ at the end as a stop before /ʊd/, which can slow the transition; practice by saying /θʊd/ in isolation to anchor the ending. • Over-emphasizing the first syllable or muting the second; ensure the pitch and length emphasize the stressed /ˈdʌl/ while keeping the first syllable reduced. - Correction tips: do repetition drills of a- + /ˈdʌl/ + /θʊd/ with and without voice, use minimal pairs, and record to monitor the flow from /l/ to /θ/ to /ʊd/.
- US: /əˈdʌlθʊd/. Vowel /ə/ is reduced; /ʌ/ is stressed, /θ/ dental fricative; final /ʊd/ blends. - UK: /əˈdɔːlθʊd/ or /əˈdʌlθʊd/ with a slightly rounded/open mid back vowel; non-rhoticity means r is not pronounced. - AU: /əˈdʌlθʊd/ or /əˈdʌlɒθʊd/ with a softer /t/; vowels may be slightly longer in second syllable. IPA references: US /əˈdʌlθʊd/; UK /əˈdɔːlθʊd/; AU /əˈdʌlθʊd/.
"She reached adulthood and could vote for the first time."
"The study tracked changes in health behavior from late adolescence into adulthood."
"Many people struggle with balancing financial independence and personal responsibilities in early adulthood."
"Adulthood brings new priorities, such as career stability and family planning."
Adulthood derives from adulthood, formed from the combination of the noun adult (from Old French adult, later Latin adultus, meaning grown up, mature) and the suffix -hood, which denotes a state or condition. The word adult itself traces to Latin adultus, from the verb agere meaning to lead, drive, or bring forth; the sense evolved from “having grown” to “a fully grown person.” In Middle English and Early Modern English, -hood emerged to denote a collective state of being (e.g., childhood, sisterhood), and by the 15th–16th centuries, adulthood began to appear in legal and social discourse to specify the threshold of maturity. The modern sense centers on legal capacity, social role, and psychological development associated with reaching a mature phase of life. The term’s usage expands across legal contexts, medicine, and everyday talk about aging and life stages, with nuances reflected in phrases like “adult education” and “adult responsibilities.”
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "adulthood" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "adulthood" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "adulthood" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "adulthood"
-ood sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounced /əˈdʌlθʊd/ in US and UK; Australia commonly /əˈdʌlthʊd/. Break it as a-dull-thood (syllables: a- DUL-thood). The primary stress is on the second syllable: /ˈdʌl/; the middle is an /l/ plus the cluster /θ/ (voiceless dental fricative) before the /ʊd/ ending. Keep the tongue lightly touching the upper teeth for /θ/. IPA guidance: US/UK /əˈdʌlθʊd/, AU /əˈdʌlthʊd/. You’ll want a short, crisp /θ/ with a light voiceless sound and avoid turning it into /f/ or /t/—practice with minimal pairs like thought/though to feel the difference. Audio references: you can compare pronunciations on Pronounce, Cambridge dictionary audio, or Forvo entries for “adulthood.”
Two common errors: mixing up /θ/ with /f/ or /s/ in the middle, turning /θ/ into /d/ or /t/ (e.g., /ˈdʌltsud/); and misplacing the stress by stressing the first syllable or melting /l/ into the following vowel. Correction: rehearse the /θ/ by placing the tongue tip to the upper teeth with a tiny breath, producing a voiceless fricative. Keep the /l/ crisp and ensure the /d/ in the final cluster doesn’t become a stop before the /ʊd/. Practice vocalizing the /θ/ with short, quiet air and then glide into /ʊd/.
In US and UK, the primary stress sits on the second syllable: a-DULTH-ood, with /θ/ present in most speakers. US often reduces the vowel in the first syllable to schwa /ə/ and may have a slightly flatter /ɒ/ or /ʌ/ in the second syllable depending on region. Australian English tends to maintain a clearer /ʌ/ in the second syllable and may have a broader /ɜː/ diphthong in some speakers. Overall, rhoticity doesn’t affect this word heavily, but vowel color and the aspiration of /t/ can vary slightly.
Because it combines a dental fricative /θ/ in the middle and a final /d/ cluster after /θ/: /əˈdʌlθʊd/. The /θ/ requires precise tongue placement against the upper teeth and a breathy, voiceless fricative. The liquid /l/ in the second syllable can blend with /d/ to create a light cluster that’s easy to overemphasize or slur. Finally, the vowel sequence /ʌ/ and /ʊ/ differs by speaker and dialect, making consistent articulation essential for intelligibility.
No silent letters in adulthood. Each part contributes sound: /ə/ in the first syllable, /ˈdʌl/ in the second, /θ/ as the /th/ in the third, and /ʊd/ finishing the word. The challenge is correctly articulating the dental /θ/ and keeping the /d/ from becoming a stop too early before the /ʊd/ sequence. Listen to native pronunciations and practice with minimal pairs to fix timing.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "adulthood"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker and repeat in real time, focusing on the /θ/ and the /l/ to /θ/ transition. - Minimal pairs: adulthood vs. adult hood? Not strict minimal pairs; use /θ/ vs /s/ in other words to isolate the error region, like /θ/ in thought vs /t/ in taught. - Rhythm: practice a four-beat rhythm for the word: a- (unstressed) | DUL- (stressed) | -thood. - Stress: emphasize the /ˈdʌl/ portion; keep the /ə/ reduced. - Recording & feedback: record yourself and compare to a native sample; adjust the tongue position for the /θ/ and ensure the final /d/ is crisp.
No related words found
