Amortization is the process of gradually paying off a debt through regular, scheduled payments that reduce both principal and interest over time. In accounting and finance, it also refers to systematically expensing the cost of an intangible asset or loan-related charges. The term emphasizes reduction of outstanding balance to reflect time value and cost allocation.
- Misplacing stress and weakening the vaunted middle syllable; practice AM-or-ti-ZA-tion with a steady beat and emphasis on the long /eɪ/ in -za-tion. - Dropping the second vowel in the -or- or -ti- cluster, producing Ah-mor-tay-shun or ah-MORT-uh-syun. Correct by delineating each syllable clearly: AM-or-ti-ZA-tion, with the /t/ crisp before /z/. - Skipping or softening the final -tion into -shn; instead practice /-ˈzeɪ.ʃən/ rather than /-ʃn/. Use a quick, light tongue tip tap for /t/ before /z/ and ensure the /ʃən/ remains compact. - Confusing with similar words like amortise/amortise; keep the American /əˌmɔr.təˈzeɪ.ʃn/ or UK variant with /əˌmɔː.tɒɪˈzeɪʃən/ consistent. Practice slowly, then speed up while preserving the energy of each segment.
- US: rhotic /ɹ/ in /mɔr/; keep a full mouth opening at /ɔ/. Vowel reductions: the /ə/ at start is schwa-light; avoid a full vowel. Use /ˌæmɔɹ.təˈzeɪ.ʃn/ for easy rhythm if you’re comfortable with /ɹ/. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; the first syllable may be longer, with /ɒɪ/ diphthong in -ti- as /tɒɪ/. The final -tion often reduces to /ʃən/ or /zən/ depending on speaker. - AU: tends to flatter vowels; /ə/ as a light schwa; /ˈzeɪ/ remains clear; /t/ before /z/ should be crisp but not overly aspirated. IPA references: US /əˌmɔr.təˈzeɪ.ʃn/, UK /əˌmɔː.tɒɪˈzeɪʃən/, AU /əˌmɔː.təˈzeɪʃən/. - General tips: keep lip rounding modest for /ɔ/ vowels; ensure /t/ is released; avoid glottalization in US contexts; practice with a mirror to monitor jaw openness and tongue height.
"The loan's amortization schedule shows how each mortgage payment reduces the principal."
"Companies use amortization to allocate the price of intangible assets over their useful life."
"An accurate amortization table helps investors understand cash flow and debt servicing."
"Tax rules often require amortization of certain loan-related costs over the life of the loan."
Amortization comes from the French amortir, meaning to kill or to cost, which itself derives from Latin ad- + amortire, from amotus ‘to carry away, deprive’ (root mot- ‘to move, remove’). The English form amortize appeared in the 19th century in financial usage, transferring the core sense of reducing a debt or a cost by regular payments. Early financial texts adopted amortization to describe the systematic application of payments to principal and interest, moving from a broad notion of “to extinguish” to a precise accounting mechanism. Over time, the noun amortization entered common business parlance to describe both loan repayment schedules and the expensing of intangible assets. The first known uses appear in mid-1800s finance literature, with the term becoming ubiquitous in accounting standards and banking. In modern usage, amortization is central to both loan amortization schedules and amortization of intangibles for tax and financial reporting, preserving the core idea of time-based cost allocation.
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Help others use "Amortization" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Amortization" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Amortization" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Amortization"
-ion 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.
Pronounce as ah-MOR-tuh-ZAY-shun, with primary stress on the second-to-last syllable in most US and UK usages: /əˌmɔːr.tɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ (US) or /əˌmɔː.tɒɪˈzeɪʃn/ (UK). In practice, say ah-MOR-tuh-ZAY-shun, keeping the z sound clear and the -tion ending as SHN. For audible clarity, emphasize the middle syllable and the final -tion as a light, quick /ʃən/. Audio reference: imagine hearing “amortize” plus “-ation.”
Common errors include treating the middle syllable as a pure “m” sound or dropping the vowel in the second syllable (ah-MOR-tuh-ZAY-shun instead of ah-MOR-tuh-ZAY-shən). Another frequent mistake is misplacing the primary stress on the last syllable, producing /ˌæmərˌtɪˈzeɪʃn/ instead of /ˌæ.mɔːr.təˈzeɪ.ʃən/. To correct, practice the sequence AM-OR-TI-ZA-TION with a clear, even tempo and finalize the final /ʃən/ using a light, quick schwa before n.
In the US, you’ll hear /əˌmɔr.təˈzeɪʃn/ with a rhotic /ɹ/ sound and a strong mid syllable. UK pronunciation often shifts to /əˌmɔː.tɒɪˈzeɪʃən/ or /ˌæmɔː.tɪˈzeɪʃən/, with non-rhoticity and vowel quality differences in the second syllable. Australian speech tends toward /əˌmɔː.təˈzeɪʃən/ with a flatter vowel in the second syllable and a clearly articulated /z/ in the third. IPA references: US /əˌmɔr.təˈzeɪʃn/, UK /əˌmɔː.tɒɪˈzeɪʃən/, AU /əˌmɔː.təˈzeɪʃən/.
It challenges both multisyllabic rhythm and a tricky -ti- vs -ta- vowel sequence, plus the final unstressed -tion with a /ʃən/ cluster. The middle “tor” portion can create a quick /tə/ or /tɪ/ depending on accent, and the /z/ in -za-tion must stay voiced and clear. Focus on sustaining the /t/ before the /ʃ/ and keeping the final /ən/ light. IPA cues and mouth position guidance help you lock the sequence across contexts.
A distinctive feature is the sequence mor-tuh-zay-shun where the schwa-like second syllable is light and the third syllable carries a clear /zeɪ/ before the final /ʃən/. The stress typically lands on the third-to-last or second-to-last syllable depending on regional patterns. For precise articulation, cue your lips for /m/ + /ɔ/ + /r/ + /tə/ + /ˈzeɪ/ + /ʃən/ and maintain a steady tempo through the -ti- portion.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Amortization"!
- Shadowing: listen to a fast speaker say a sentence with amortization, then repeat exactly 5–7 seconds later, matching rhythm and stress. - Minimal pairs: focus on AMOR- vs AMOR-; practice with AMORTISATION as well to feel /z/ vs /s/ differences in neighboring words. - Rhythm practice: clap on syllables AM-or-ti-ZA-tion to feel trochaic or iambic tendencies; aim for even syllable timing. - Stress practice: place primary stress on the -za-tion segment; practice with and without secondary stress on earlier syllables to hear the change in emphasis. - Recording and playback: record yourself saying a 5- to 7-word sentence including amortization, then compare to a native speaker; adjust mouth positions, then re-record. - Context sentences: “The company’s amortization schedule showed steady principal reduction,” “We reviewed tax amortization for asset write-off,” “Corporate finance uses amortization to allocate costs,” “The loan’s amortization affects cash flow.”
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