3 syllables: at, tain, ments. Stress on tain.
uh-TAYN-muhnts
/əˈteɪnmənts/
attainments is pronounced uh-TAYN-muhnts (/əˈteɪnmənts/). It has three syllables (at-tain-ments), with the stress on "tain". Attainments refers to achievements or skills acquired through effort or study. It is used to describe the results of progress, such as educational, professional, or personal milestones, and often appears in formal or academic contexts. The plural form signals multiple accomplishments rather than a single attainment.
Attainments refers to achievements or skills acquired through effort or study. It is used to describe the results of progress, such as educational, professional, or personal milestones, and often appears in formal or academic contexts. The plural form signals multiple accomplishments rather than a single attainment.
- You might flatten the /ɪ/ in the second syllable or misplace the stress, saying something like /əˈtænmənts/. To fix, rehearse the /teɪn/ portion with a strong, clear /eɪ/ and keep the /n/ immediately after before the /m/.- Another frequent error is swallowing the /n/ before /t/ leading to /mm/ or a broken /mənts/; practice isolating the /n/ and /t/ to keep them distinct. - Some speakers blend /mən/ too quickly, reducing the /ə/ to a schwa that’s barely audible; emphasize the /ə/ and the /n/ release before adding /ts/ at the end.
"Her attainments in mathematics earned her a scholarship."
"The artist’s attainments reflect years of practice and study."
"The company cites its attainments in customer satisfaction."
Pronounce as a-TTAIN-ments with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /əˈteɪnmənts/. Start with a schwa, then a stressed /teɪn/ (cv-tain), followed by /mənts/ (m-unts). Position your lips for /t/ and /n/ with a light alveolar release; keep /ɪ/ reduced in some fast talk, but in careful speech you hear the /ɪ/ in the second syllable if enunciating clearly. Audio reference: compare with “attainment” /əˈteɪnmənt/ to hear the final /nts/ cluster.
Common mistakes: 1) Fusing /teɪn/ with /taɪn/ as in ‘attainments’ sounding like ‘attainments’ with a diphthong error; 2) Dropping the /n/ or losing the /n/ before /t/ leading to /ˈæˌteɪmənz/; 3) Unstressing the second syllable; ensure the /ˈteɪn/ is clearly stressed and the /n/ is released before the /m/ in /mən/. Practice by isolating /teɪn/ and /mən/ segments, then blend them.
US: /əˈteɪnmənts/ with non-rhotic-ish /r/ absent; UK: /əˈteɪnmənts/ more clipped, with tense /æ/ less; AU: similar to UK but with slightly flatter vowels; main variation is vowel quality in /eɪ/ and the rhythm of /ˈteɪn/ vs /ˈtæɪn/ across regions. The final /nts/ is fairly stable; keep the /n/ clear in all. IPA references align with regional dictionaries.
Two main challenges: the /teɪn/ sequence requires precise place of articulation for the diphthong /eɪ/ and the quick transition to the /n/ before the /m/ in /mən(ts)/; plus the final consonant cluster /nts/ demands good alveolar release and timing. Also, the plural /s/ after /t/ can create ambiguity with a speaker’s near-stops; focus on /n/ release, then subtle /t/ before /s/ to maintain a clean ending.
Yes: the placement of primary stress on the second syllable and maintaining clear closure between /n/ and /m/ in the sequence /n/ + /m/ + /æ/ or /ə/ before the final /nts/. Practice the transition from /n/ to /m/ with a light, almost silent /ə/ between them in careful speech; ensure the /nts/ at the end stays audible. The word’s plural form makes the final cluster more demanding.
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- US: lean into rhotic-free or reduced r; vowel /eɪ/ robust but not overpronounced; keep /nt/ sequence crisp. - UK: slightly tenser /eɪ/ and crisper /t/ before the /s/; keep the final /nts/ clear. - AU: more relaxed diphthongs; maintain the /n/ and /t/ separation before /s/ but allow a little vowel reduction in fast speech. IPA references: /əˈteɪnmənts/ for all, with minor vowel quality shifts.
Attainment derives from the verb attain, itself from Old French atermir or atainer, from Latin ad ‘to’ plus tangere ‘to touch’ in some sense, evolving through Old French attainement to Middle English attainment. The sense shifted from “the act of reaching” to more abstract achievements or visible results. The plural form -ments appeared in Middle English as a productive suffix to create nouns indicating action or product. First known use in English traces to late Middle English, with the sense increasingly tied to successful outcomes or acquisitions rather than merely reaching a goal. Over centuries, attainments became common in formal discourse (law, education, philosophy) to denote substantive skills or milestones achieved as a result of effort and persistence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "attainments" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "attainments"
-nts sounds
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