Assaults (plural noun or verb form in present third-person) refers to intentional, unlawful attacks or aggressive physical acts, often with intent to harm. The term carries legal and criminal connotations and is commonly used in reports, court language, and discussions of violence. In everyday use, it also describes a vigorous, forceful attack in a non-legal sense. Core sense: aggressive, unlawful hitting or attempting to harm another.
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- You’ll often shorten the vowel in the second syllable or reduce it too much, making the word sound like /əˈsɒlts/ or /əˈsɔt/. Fix: maintain a clear mid back rounded vowel in the stressed syllable. - The /lt/ cluster is tricky; some speakers skip or de-voice the /l/ or produce /l/ and /t/ too far apart. Fix: load the tongue at the alveolar ridge for /l/ and then release into /t/. - Final /ts/ can be slurred into a single sound; aim for crisp /t/ release into /s/. Fix: practice with slow tempo, force a small pause between /t/ and /s/ to keep clarity.
- US: emphasize non-rhoticity? No, US is rhotic; the /r/ is not relevant here. Focus on American /əˈsɔlts/: use a strong /ɔ/ and crisp /lt/. - UK: longer /ɔː/ and less vocalic reduction of the first syllable; maintain non-rhoticity; watch for a more fronted /ɔː/ in some dialects. - AU: often a mid-back /ɔː/ with more centralized vowels; keep final /s/ clear and short. IPA references: /əˈsɔlts/, /əˈsɔːlts/, /əˈsɒlts/ depending on region.
"The security guards reported multiple assaults that occurred near the station last night."
"She assaults the ball with a powerful kick, sending it toward the goal."
"The defendant pleads not guilty to the assaults alleged in the indictment."
"News coverage highlighted a surge in assaults at the downtown club over the weekend."
Assaults comes from the Middle English word assaulten, from Old French as saulter or assault, from Latin ad-saltāre ‘to leap toward’ (ad- ‘toward’ + saltāre ‘to leap’). The shift from “to leap toward” to “to attack” occurred as the term evolved in medieval warfare and legal language, where an assault implied an aggressive advance or attack on a person or place. In Early Modern English, assault moved into legal contexts to denote a hostile attempt or overt act causing fear or injury, later aligning with modern criminal statutes that distinguish “assault” from “battery” but often resting both under violent crime. The plural form assaults follows standard English pluralization rules, acquiescing to pronunciation changes like /əˈsɔːlts/ in many dialects and the reduced leading syllable in casual speech. First known uses appear in 13th–14th century English legal records, often in French- and Latin-derived legal jargon, with the sense of an aggressive approach or attack documented in statutes and treatises from that period onward. The evolution reflects broader shifts in criminal law and social tolerance for violent acts, with the term maintaining its core notion of intent to harm, while acquiring precise legal definitions in various jurisdictions. Modern usage frequently appears in news, police reports, and court briefs, always signaling an hostile act or attempted harm, whether in formal legal prose or public discussion.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "assaults" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "assaults"
-lts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as- SAULTS, with primary stress on the second syllable: /əˈsɔlts/ (US) or /əˈsɔːlts/ (UK). Start with a neutral schwa in the first syllable, then the stressed /sɔlt/ cluster, ending with a light /s/. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, the /ɔ/ as a mid-back rounded vowel (jaw moderately lowered), the /lt/ as a clear consonant cluster before a final /s/. Audio reference: listen for the tight, clear /s/ followed by the rounded vowel and crisp /lt/ closure, then a final /s/.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (putting it on the first syllable as AS-saults), pronouncing /ɔː/ as /ɑː/ or misproducing the /ls/ blend, and losing the final /ts/ into /t/ or /s/. Corrections: keep vowel quality as /ɔ/ or /ɔː/ depending on dialect, maintain a crisp /lt/ before the final /s/, and ensure the /t/ is released before the final /s/. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on stress and consonant cluster clarity.
In US English, /əˈsɔlts/ with a rhotic rless middle; UK usually /əˈsɔːlts/ with a longer /ɔː/ and non-rhoticity, so the /r/ is not pronounced. Australian English is similar to UK but often shorter vowel quality and more centralized diphthongs; some speakers compress the /ɔː/ toward /ɒ/ or merge vowels depending on region. Across accents, you should watch for vowel length and rhoticity, which affects overall rhythm and syllable length.
It’s challenging because of the consonant cluster /lt/ followed by /s/ and the short, reduced first syllable. The transition from /ɔ/ to /lt/ requires precise tongue tip elevation and blade contact, then a quick, unvoiced /s/. For non-native speakers, the main pitfalls are wrong vowel height, weak /t/ release before the final /s/, and stress misplacement. Focus on keeping the /lt/ sequence crisp and a swift, clear /s/ at the end.
A unique concern is the final /ts/ cluster; in many dialects the /t/ can be unreleased or lightly released before /s/, which makes it sound like /ˈsɔlts/ or /ˈdɪsɔlts/? The standard is a released /t/ followed by /s/ in careful speech: /əˈsɔːlts/. Ensure you finish the /t/ cleanly before the final s, and don’t merge it with the s— this keeps the word distinct from similar-sounding words like ‘assault.’
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers pronouncing ‘assaults’ in news clips; repeat immediately with identical timing. - Minimal pairs: assault vs a-salt? Try “assaults” vs “a salts” to keep attention on the /l/ and /t/ vs silent consonants. - Rhythm practice: practice the 4-beat rhythm of “uh-SAULTS” urging a crisp onset and tail. - Stress patterns: practice with slow speed; gradually speed up while keeping stress on the second syllable. - Syllable drills: /ə/ + /ˈsɔːlts/; practice linking to other phrases to encourage natural pacing. - Recording: record yourself reading sentences with assaults to evaluate vowel quality and final consonants.
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