Attachments refers to items fastened or joined to something else, such as files appended to an email or objects connected to a larger mechanism. It denotes components that accompany a primary item, boundaries and attachments that enable connection, support, or inclusion. In usage, it can describe physical fasteners or digital files linked to messages or documents.
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US: clearly enunciate əˈtætʃ.mənts with a strong second syllable; keep /æ/ open and the /tʃ/ crisp. UK: similar stress, but the /ə/ in the first syllable may be slightly reduced; listen for less pronounced rhotic influence in connected speech. AU: tends to flatten vowel distinctions slightly; maintain /æ/ as a brighter vowel and keep the /tʃ/ distinct. For all: rehearse with slow tempo, then normal, then fast, paying attention to three distinct phonetic segments: syllable one (ə), syllable two (ˈtætʃ), and syllable three (mənts). IPA anchors: /əˈtætʃmənts/.
"I opened the email and saved the attachments to my desktop for later review."
"The attachments on the device include a power adapter, a USB cable, and a charging dock."
"She sent the contract with several attachments that clarified the terms."
"Be careful not to open suspicious email attachments that may contain malware."
Attachments comes from the verb attach, which derives from the Old French atacheor (to fasten) and Latin ad-tack- (to fasten, to bind). The prefix ad- means 'toward' and tack- stems from tackere, meaning to fasten or pin. Through Middle English, attach evolved to describe both physical fastening and to connect concepts or documents. In maritime contexts, attach has long implied bringing things together under a common system, leading to phrases like attached documents or attachments in correspondence. By the modern era, attachment broadened to digital files appended to emails, preserving the sense of something that is joined or linked to a principal item, while also retaining its original sense of physical fastening. First known uses in English for attachment as a noun date from the 15th century, with attachment in the sense of ‘a thing that is attached’ appearing in legal and ecclesiastical documents. The term has since proliferated into various specialized domains, including technology, engineering, and media, where attachments convey supplementary material, tools, or components that accompany the primary object.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "attachments" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "attachments"
-nts sounds
-ons sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as ə-TACH-ments in US/UK/AU. The primary stress is on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: əˈtætʃ.mənts. Start with a schwa, then a strong TACH sound formed by a light d-tap combination, followed by the -ments ending with a soft /mənts/. Mouth positions: lips relaxed for schwa, tongue tip near the alveolar ridge for /tæ/, then the /tʃ/ sound like 'ch' in 'chat', followed by a light /mənts/ where the 'm' is bilabial, the 'n' is alveolar, and the 'ts' is sibilant cluster. You’ll hear a crisp onset on the stressed syllable.
Common errors: (1) De-emphasizing the second syllable and turning it into 'a-TACH-ments' with reduced stress, (2) mispronouncing /tʃ/ as /t/ or /dʒ/ leading to 'a-TAT-ch-ments', (3) running the syllables together into 'attachment-s' or 'attatchments'. Correction: emphasize the /ˈtætʃ/ chunk clearly, produce a true /tʃ/ as in 'church', and segment into three syllables with the middle syllable receiving primary stress: a-TACH-ments. Practice with slow repetition: ə-ˈtætʃ-mənts, then speed up while maintaining the /tʃ/ quality.
In US and UK, primary stress remains on the second syllable: əˈtætʃmənts. US rhotics produce a more pronounced /r/ sound? Not in this word; it’s non-rhotic in many UK dialects, but 'attachments' does not carry rhotics in standard pronunciations either way. Australian tends to be closer to British vowels with a slightly flatter /æ/ and a shorter /ə/ in the first syllable. The /tʃ/ remains consistent across accents. Overall: stress position is stable; minor vowel quality differences (æ vs a) appear: US often ɪ- or ɛ before n? But in 'attachments' the vowel remains /æ/ in the stressed syllable across major dialects.
This word blends a stressed /tæ/ with a /tʃ/ sound in the middle, which is a tricky consonant cluster for non-native speakers. The transition from the alveolar /t/ to the palatal /tʃ/ demands precise tongue-position control. Also, the final /mənts/ includes a light /m/ and a sibilant cluster /nts/ that can blur if the mouth closes early. Focusing on the /tʃ/ and the clear separation of syllables helps maintain clarity. IPA cues: əˈtætʃmənts.
The word challenges you to maintain the second-syllable emphasis while smoothly transitioning through a /tʃ/ before the final /mənts/. You should actively separate the syllables yet keep the flow natural: ə-TACH-ments. Using minimal pairs with other -ments words (e.g., 'statements', 'basements') can help you feel the distinct /tæ/ and /tʃ/ articulation, ensuring you don't merge the mid-syllable into the final cluster.
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