Augment means to make something greater by adding to it; to increase or enhance in size, amount, or degree. It can refer to expanding resources, capabilities, or effects, often through deliberate addition. The term conveys improvement or enlargement, typically through supplementary effort or elements.
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"The company plans to augment its workforce with interns over the summer."
"Her lab results were augmented by a new imaging technique."
"They used data analytics to augment their understanding of customer behavior."
"The orchestra augmented its performance with a subtle electronic soundscape."
Augment derives from the Latin augmentare, meaning to increase, from augmentum ‘increase, growth’, itself from augere ‘to increase’. The Latin term is built from the root aug- meaning ‘to increase’ and the agentive suffix -mentum. Early use in English appears in the late Middle Ages with senses tied to increasing size, amount, or degree. By the Renaissance, augment broadened to include augmentation in value, power, or resources, often in scholarly or formal registers. In ecclesiastical and legal contexts, augmentations of revenue or rights appeared, signaling deliberate enhancement by addition. In modern usage, augment frequently pairs with technology, data, or capability—emphasizing intentional augmentation by supplementary elements rather than natural growth. Across centuries, the phonology settled into the current pronunciation with a primary stress on the second syllable, and the vowel qualities aligning to the general British and American inventories while maintaining the root Latin sense of enhancement.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "augment" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "augment"
-ent sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈɒɡ.mənt/ in broad US terms or /ˈɔː.ɡmənt/ in many UK variants; the first syllable bears primary stress. Start with a rounded back vowel /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ depending on accent, then a soft 'g' /ɡ/ as in 'go', followed by a muted schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /nt/ with a light n and t release. Think: 'AWG-ment' with the second syllable reduced. Listen to native speech samples for the exact vowel length and quality variations.
Common errors include pronouncing the first syllable as /æɡ/ (as in 'cat') instead of /ɒɡ/ or /ɔːɡ/ and over-articulating the second syllable /ˈmɛnt/ instead of a muted /mənt/. Another frequent error is pronouncing it with a hard 't' or with a long 'e' sound at the end. Correct by maintaining a relaxed, quick /tə/ or /mənt/ ending and ensuring the first syllable has back, rounded vowel quality. Practice saying 'awg-ment' with proper resonance.
In US accents, the first syllable often reflects /ˈɔːɡ/ with more open back vowel, while UK accents commonly render it /ˈɔː.ɡmɛnt/ with a slightly shorter, clearer /e/ in the second syllable. Australian speech tends toward /ˈɒɡ.mənt/ with a flatter vowel in the first syllable and a schwa in the second. The rhoticity difference (US rhotic, UK non-rhotic) influences linking and vowel length, but the overall syllable structure remains stable: strong first syllable, light second.
Two main challenges: the back low vowel in the first syllable /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ can be unfamiliar if you’re used to front vowels; and the second syllable /mənt/ requires a quick, reduced vowel and a clear nasal + stop sequence without inserting extra vowels. The rapid transition between /ɡ/ and /m/ can feel awkward. Focus on maintaining a crisp /ɡ/ release and a light, unstressed /ə/ preceding the /nt/ to keep the rhythm natural.
The primary stress is on the first syllable, not the second, which affects how you pace the phrase. Some learners may accidentally give the second syllable more prominence. Keeping the emphasis on the first syllable helps avoid mispronunciations like 'AU-ment' or stressing the 'ment' in haste. Also, ensure the 'g' is hard as in 'go', not softened to /dʒ/ or /ʤ/ in careful speech.
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