Apart means separated by space or distance; not together. It can describe physical separation, or a difference in opinion or state. In use, it often indicates a division, either literal or figurative, between two things, or a shift from unity to non-unity. The term can function as an adverb or preposition in many contexts, sometimes implied by phrasing rather than a dedicated preposition.
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"They stood apart from the crowd, watching in silence."
"The two houses sit far apart across the lawn."
"The findings are apart from what we expected."
"She moved away and lives apart from her family now."
Apart comes from the phrase a part, combining a- (away from) with part (a portion or piece). The root part derives from Latin pars, part- meaning a division or portion, with English adoption through Old French partir meaning to separate or part. In early Middle English usage, “a part” or “apart” described something separated from a whole or not in union. By the 17th century, apart was widely used as an adverb meaning “to or at a distance” and as a preposition indicating separation or division within phrases such as “driven apart” or “set apart.” The evolution of meaning retained the core sense of division or distance, but extended into figurative uses (emotions, opinions, or concepts that are not aligned). Today, apart is common in both neutral descriptive contexts and more idiomatic expressions, including “set apart,” “take apart,” or “apart from.” The word’s endurance in English reflects its utility in describing spatial, temporal, and conceptual separations, with the a- prefix reinforcing away or off from the core unit. First known uses are attested in Middle English texts where a- often signaled separation, with pars/part- indicating a portion; the compound traveled through legal, scientific, and literary language to become a general-purpose adverbial and prepositional marker of distance or division.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "apart" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "apart" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "apart"
-art sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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US: /əˈpɑrt/ (schwa + stress on the second syllable; final 't' released). UK: /əˈpɑːt/ (long /ɑː/; non-rhotic environment doesn’t affect this word). AU: /əˈpɑːt/ similar to UK. Tip: start with a light schwa, then space to a clear, open /ɑ/ vowel, finishing with a crisp /t/. Visualize a two-beat rhythm: ə- PART, with the emphasis on PART.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /r/ in American speech when following a vowel is sometimes heard as /əˈpɑt/ in rapid speech; ensure you release the /r/ sound clearly if followed by an /r/ environment. (2) Running the vowel into a short /ɪ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable; aim for a full /ɑː/ or /ɑ/ depending on your accent. (3) Unstressed first syllable as /æ/ like 'cat'; maintain the weak /ə/ (schwa). Practice by isolating the two syllables and then speeding up.
US: /əˈpɑrt/ with rhoticity where the 'r' is pronounced before the /t/. UK/IR: /əˈpɑːt/ or /əˈpɑːt/ with non-rhotic behavior, vowel lengthened to /ɑː/. AU: /əˈpɑːt/ similar to UK, but with slightly closer frontness in some regions and a softer /t/ in casual speech. Overall: US tends to a shorter second vowel but with /r/; UK/AU favor a longer, more open /ɑː/, and often no rhotic r in the following positions.
The difficulty lies in balancing the two-syllable stress pattern and precise vowel quality. In US English, the /ɹ/ before a tense /ɑː/ plus a distinct /t/ release can trap the tongue between a rhotic liquid and a voiceless alveolar stop. UK/AU listeners may expect a longer /ɑː/ and a lighter final /t/ or glottalization in some dialects. Additionally, the weak initial schwa requires careful articulation so the following stressed syllable doesn’t blend. Practicing minimal pairs helps fix the contrast.
No silent letters in standard pronunciations of apart. The word’s two phonemic chunks are distinct: the unstressed schwa /ə/ and the stressed /ˈpɑːr/ or /ˈpɑrt/ depending on the accent. The potential trap is the final /t/ that can be unreleased or glottalized in some varieties, especially in casual speech. In careful speech you should release /t/ clearly to preserve the two-syllable structure and avoid merging into a single syllable.
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