2 syllables: ap, points. Stress on points.
uh-POYNTS
/əˈpɔɪnts/
appoints is pronounced uh-POYNTS (/əˈpɔɪnts/). It has two syllables (ap-points), with the stress on "points". Appoints is a verb meaning to assigns a person to a position or role, or designates someone for a task. In practice, it often appears in formal or bureaucratic contexts, such as committees or offices being filled. The word emphasizes a deliberate choice and authority behind the assignment, and its pronunciation remains stable across contexts.
Appoints is a verb meaning to assigns a person to a position or role, or designates someone for a task. In practice, it often appears in formal or bureaucratic contexts, such as committees or offices being filled. The word emphasizes a deliberate choice and authority behind the assignment, and its pronunciation remains stable across contexts.
"The board appoints a new chair next week."
"She was appointed to oversee the project."
"The council appoints members to various commissions."
Pronounced ə-POYNTS with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /əˈpɔɪnts/. Start with a schwa, glide into a rounded /ɔɪ/ as in “boy,” then end with a clear /nts/ cluster. Mouth: lips neutral to slightly rounded for /ɔɪ/, tongue high-mid for /ɔɪ/ diphthong, then quick n-t-s release. You’ll hear a crisp final /s/ rather than a z-sound in most dialects. Audio references: Cambridge/ Oxford dictionaries provide pronunciation audio for this word.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying a-PPOINTS or a-POINTS; (2) Slurring the /ɔɪ/ diphthong into a pure /ɔː/ or /oʊ/; (3) Adding an extraneous /t/ or mispronouncing the final /nts/ as /nt/. Correction: keep secondary syllable stressed, shape the /ɔɪ/ as a clear diphthong starting with /ɔ/ moving to /ɪ/, and end with a crisp /nts/ with no linking vowel. Practicing minimal pairs can help you lock the rhythm.
US/UK/AU share /əˈpɔɪnts/, with slight variations. US often features a tighter /ɔɪ/ with less rounding, UK may have a slightly longer /ɔɪ/ and clearer non-rhoticity affecting surrounding vowels; Australian tends to have a more centralized /ə/ at initial syllable and a slightly broader /ɔɪ/ due to Australian vowel qualities. The final /nts/ remains crisp in all. Focus on the /ɔɪ/ diphthong shape and ensure a final /ts/ rather than /s/ or /z/.
Because it hinges on a precise placement of the /ɪ/ glide into /ɔɪ/ and a compact /nts/ cluster. Beginners often mis-stress the word or flatten the /ɔɪ/ into /ɔː/; others slide straight to /t/ or soften the ending, producing /nts/ as /nzd/ or /ns/. Focusing on the diphthong transition and crisp voiceless alveolar nasal + alveolar plosive can help you achieve a natural, native-like rhythm.
The unique challenge is the delicate balance of the second syllable where /ɔɪ/ forms a tight diphthong that blends into the /nts/ cluster without drawing out the vowel or inserting an extra syllable. You’ll want to avoid a rolled or trilled /r/ influence, and ensure the /s/ at the end stays voiceless. Practicing with minimal pairs that contrast /ɔɪ/ stability can help.
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Appoints derives from the verb appoint, which comes from Old French apointe (to arrange, fix), itself from Latin adponere (to place toward) from ad- (toward) and ponere (to put, place). The sense broadened in Middle English to mean designating someone to a post or task, often by authority. The -s suffix marks third-person singular present tense in English, so appoints refers to a subject that designates or designates someone, e.g., "The board appoints a new chair." First known uses appear in medieval bureaucratic and legal texts, where rulers and councils would formally designate persons to offices or duties. Over time, the term became common in formal governance, corporate governance, and administrative law, retaining the core sense of deliberate placement or designation. The evolution mirrors the institutionalization of appointments in public and private sectors, with the verb maintaining a precise, procedural tone across centuries, even as usage broadened to nominal phrases like “appoints to” and “appointed by.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "appoints" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "appoints" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "appoints"
-nts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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