Amongst is a preposition (and occasional adverb) meaning ‘in the middle of, surrounded by, or included within a group or range.’ It is a formal or British variant of “among,” used especially in literary or traditional contexts. In everyday speech, many speakers prefer amongst in Britain and in formal writing, but amongst and among are largely interchangeable in meaning and function.
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Tip: practice slow, then add gradually more speed while maintaining final cluster clarity. Use word-internal drills and hold the final /st/ for at least 60-80 ms in careful speech.
"- She walked amongst the trees, enjoying the quiet of the afternoon."
"- This decision will affect everyone amongst us, not just a few individuals."
"- The statue stood amongst a circle of sunlit statues."
"- He felt a sense of camaraderie amongst his teammates during the game."
Amongst derives from the Old English word amang, which itself comes from the Germanic root *ga-mang-*, a combination of the preposition *ge-* (intensifying or collective sense) and *mang* (“go between” or “in the midst”). Over time, amang evolved in Middle English to amung, amonge, and eventually amongst. The form amongst retained more formal, sometimes poetic usage and is closely tied to the sense of being within a group or surrounded by elements. The word shares its semantic arc with among, with usage typically defined by regional preference and stylistic purpose. Its first attested spellings appear in late Old English manuscripts, evolving through Middle English, where dialectal preferences influenced spelling (e.g., amang, amonge, amongst). By Early Modern English, amongst had solidified into a standard variant used in prefixed or formal registers, often in British English. The word’s evolution mirrors broader shifts in English from purely spatial to more abstract senses—being among people, things, or ideas—while maintaining its core sense of interiority within a set or group. Historically, amongst appears more in legal, religious, and literary contexts, where a slightly elevated register matters. Modern usage tends to favor among in American English and amongst in British or formal prose, though both forms remain correct when used with equivalent meaning.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "amongst" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "amongst" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "amongst"
-ust sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as ə-MONGST. The first syllable is unstressed schwa, followed by a stressed /mɒŋ/ or /mʌŋ/ depending on accent, then the final /st/ cluster. In IPA: US: əˈmʌŋst, UK/AU: əˈmɒŋst. Keep the /ŋ/ nasal mid-mouth position and release the final /t/ crisply in careful speech. For audio reference, listen to native speakers on Pronounce or Forvo under “amongst.”
Two common errors: (1) confusing it with ‘among’ and dropping the final /st/, producing /əˈmʌŋ/ or /əˈmɒŋ/. (2) Slurring the /st/ into the preceding consonant, producing a /st/ blend or an unreleased /t/. To correct: clearly articulate the final /st/ as a coda cluster; keep the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge for the /t/ and release. Practice by saying ‘a-MONG-st’ slowly, then faster with emphasis on the /st/.
US tends toward əˈmʌŋst with a rhotacized or absorbed vowel in some regions, while UK/AU commonly use əˈmɒŋst with a shorter /ɒ/ in non-rhotic accents; rhotic UK varies slightly by region. The final /st/ is consistently a clear /st/ in careful speech. In connected speech, the /ə/ can reduce more, and the /m/ can become a light bilabial with less voicing. Listen to regional speakers to hear subtle vowel shifts.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /ŋst/ at the end and the short, often reduced initial vowel. Coordinating the nasal /ŋ/ with the final /st/ demands precise tongue placement: the tongue body rises to the velum for /ŋ/ and then must quickly move to the alveolar ridge for /t/ and produce /st/ clearly. For non-native speakers, the transition between the middle nasal and end cluster can challenge fluency and timing.
Amongst has a trochaic pattern in typical English, with primary stress on the second syllable: a-MONG-st. The presence of the final /st/ means you must carry the stressed syllable across the vowel to the alveolar stop, avoiding an overlong first vowel. Ensure the vowel in the second syllable is crisp and not overly centralized, and that the final /st/ does not swallow into the next word.
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