Amortize means to gradually reduce a debt or cost over time through scheduled payments or to distribute an intangible cost over a period. In finance, it describes paying off a loan with regular instalments that include both interest and principal, so the loan balance declines. More broadly, it can mean spreading out or writing off an expense systematically over a set period.
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- Confusing the stressed syllable: place stress on the second syllable (a-MOR-tize) rather than the first. This changes the rhythm and can make the word sound like a different term. - Slurring the final /taɪz/ into /tɪz/ or mispronouncing /ɔː/ as /ɒ/. Keep /ɔː/ long, then glide into /aɪ/ with a clean /z/. - Dropping the /r/ in rhotic accents, making the word sound more like /əˈmo̞ːˌtaɪz/. Practice with a rhotic speaker to hear the /r/ clearly and replicate it. Tip: exaggerate the second syllable briefly, then settle into normal pace to train muscle memory.
- US: /əˈmɔːr.taɪz/ with clear rhotic /r/ after the vowel. Keep /ɔːr/ together as a single rhotacized vowel, avoid breaking. - UK: /əˈmɔː.taɪz/ often less pronounced rhoticity; maintain a rounded /ɔː/ and distinct /taɪz/. - AU: /əˈmɔː.taɪz/ with broad vowel quality; ensure non-rhotic tendencies won’t remove the /r/ entirely in some dialects but may be lightly pronounced. Use the IPA references: /əˈmɔːr.taɪz/ (US), /əˈmɔː.taɪz/ (UK/AU). - Vowel length and tension: keep /ɔː/ long and tense; ensure /taɪ/ is a tight diphthong rising from mid-back to high front. - Final group: /z/ voiced; keep voicing steady, avoid devoicing at the end in careful speech.
"The loan will be amortized over 15 years with monthly payments."
"The company plans to amortize the software license cost over five years."
"For tax purposes, you can amortize certain intangible assets over their useful life."
"We amortize the debt by making fixed quarterly payments to minimize interest."
Amortize comes from the French amortir, meaning to put to death or to kill off, derived from Latin ad mort- ‘to death’ (ad = toward, mors/mort = death). The root mort- appears in words like mortal and mortality. In English, amortize took on a distinct financial meaning by the 18th–19th centuries, originally describing the gradual extinguishment of debt or an obligation through scheduled payments. The concept likely paralleled earlier practices of spreading costs, but the precise financial sense solidified with modern banking as loan structures and amortization schedules became standardized. The term’s transition from a broader sense of “to extinguish” to a specific accounting practice reflects the broader 19th-century shift toward formalized loan amortization, where interest and principal are separated in each payment, gradually reducing the outstanding balance. First known use in finance traces to the late 18th century, with the word appearing in treatises on public finance and lending practices as bankers and policymakers described systematic repayment schemes and the spreading of intangible costs over the life of an asset or loan.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "amortize" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "amortize" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "amortize"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as a-MOR-tize (US/UK: /əˈmɔːr.taɪz/ US, /əˈmɔː.tʃaɪz/ in some dialects but standard /-taɪz/; Australian typically /əˈmɔː.taɪz/). Start with a schwa before the stressed syllable, then a long /ɔː/ vowel, and end with /taɪz/. Mouth: relaxed lips, jaw drops slightly for /ɔː/, then a crisp /t/ with no flapping, and a clear final /aɪz/.
Two frequent errors: (1) misplacing the stress, saying a-MOR-tize with stress on the first syllable. (2) mispronouncing the final /aɪz/ as /ɪz/ or /əs/. Correction: stress the second syllable and ensure a clear /aɪ/ diphthong before the final /z/. Also avoid turning /ɔː/ into a short /ɒ/; keep a long mid-back vowel of /ɔː/.
US and UK generally share /əˈmɔːr.taɪz/ with a rhotic US /r/ in post-vocalic position and non-rhotic UK variants can slightly reduce rhotics. In Australia, you’ll hear /əˈmɔː.taɪz/ with a similar rhotic tendency to US English but with subtle vowel qualities: /ɔː/ often closer to [ɒː] in some speakers. Overall, the stressed /ɔː/ and the /taɪz/ ending are stable; the main variation is rhoticity and the precise quality of /ɔː/ and the speed of the /t/.
The challenge lies in the two back-to-front vowel targets: the unstressed schwa before the stressed /ɔː/ and the tight, high front diphthong in /taɪz/. Also, the /t/ followed by /aɪ/ creates a quick transition that can blur if spoken too fast. Focus on the clear second-syllable stress, keep /ɔː/ long, and enunciate the /t/ and /aɪ/ as distinct, without slurring into /tɪz/.
Yes. In British English, 'amortise' is common as the verb form, while American usage more often favors 'amortize,' though both are understood in international finance literature. The present participle is 'amortizing' (US) or 'amortising' (UK). In noun form, use 'amortization' (US) or 'amortisation' (UK). Being consistent with your audience’s regional spelling improves clarity and professionalism.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "amortize"!
- Shadowing: listen to a 20–30 second finance-focused clip saying amortize; imitate exactly in real time, focusing on stress pattern a-MOR-tize. - Minimal pairs: amortize vs. amortise (difference is spelling, same pron); amortize vs. 'emortize' (not a word) not useful; better: compare /ɔːr/ vs /ɑː/ by using words like ‘or’ vs ‘aw’. - Rhythm: practice 4-beat rhythm: a-MOR-tize with syllables evenly timed; then compress to natural pace. - Stress practice: clap on the stressed syllable; mark /əˈmɔːr.taɪz/. - Recording: record yourself reading a financial paragraph; compare with a native speaker; adjust /ɔː/ length and /taɪz/ clarity. - Context practice: sentence practice including amortization and amortizable: “The loan is amortized over 15 years.” - Accents: practice with US, UK, AU audio to notice the subtle rhotic differences.
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