A budget is a plan that allocates expected income and expenditures over a defined period, typically used by individuals or organizations to guide financial decisions. It outlines priorities, limits, and targets, enabling monitoring and control of spending. As a noun, it also refers to a sum allocated for a specific purpose within such a plan. The term emphasizes prudent management and forecasting.
- You often mispronounce budget by turning the first syllable into /bʌ/ but then lengthen the second syllable too much; keep it short and crisp: /ˈbʌdʒɪt/. - Don’t omit the /dʒ/; some learners devoice it to /t/ or /j/; ensure you voice the affricate clearly: /dʒ/. - Final /t/ should be released with a light burst; avoid stopping voice early or making it silent. - The unstressed vowel in the second syllable can reduce too much; keep /ɪ/ distinct but not emphasized. - In rapid speech, you might merge syllables; maintain two-syllable rhythm to preserve clarity.
- US: clear /ɪ/ and a prominent /dʒ/; you might notice r-coloring less pronounced; focus on a quick mouth sequence: lips start rounded for /b/, then a rapid /dʒ/ with tongue blade toward the ridge behind the teeth, finishing with a short /ɪ/ and /t/. - UK: crisper /t/ release and less reduction in vowel quality; aim for precise lip and tongue positions; keep /b/ as a bilabial stop and /dʒ/ without extra lip rounding. - AU: often flatter vowels; maintain compact /ʌ/ and relaxed /ɪ/; watch for glottal stop tendencies before /t/ in casual speech. IPA references help keep you consistent.
"Our monthly budget includes rent, utilities, groceries, and savings goals."
"The city announced its budget for next year, highlighting investments in schools and transit."
"You should review your budget quarterly to adjust for changed circumstances."
"She won’t exceed her travel budget, even if she finds a cheaper hotel."
Budget comes from the Old French bougette, meaning a small bag or purse, diminutive of bouge/bouge—the bag or pouch carried by a person. In medieval Europe, a bougette referred to a small bag used to carry money or provisions, and it appears in English by the 13th century in the sense of a leather bag containing goods. By the 16th century, the term broadened in English to mean a bag for a purse of money, and metaphorically to a plan of expenses. The modern financial sense—an itemized estimate of income and expenditures—emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries as finance and governance formalized, with governments and organizations adopting “budget” to describe the annual or periodic financial plan and the act of budgeting (allocating resources and setting limits). First known English usage attests to the sense of a purse and a set of items carried for a journey, gradually shifting to the figurative sense of planned provisioning.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Budget" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Budget" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Budget" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Budget"
-get sounds
-al) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Budget is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈbʌdʒɪt/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable. Start with /b/ as in 'bat', then /ʌ/ as in 'strut' (not a long /o/), followed by /dʒ/ as in 'judge', and end with /ɪt/ where the vowel is a short, lax /ɪ/ and the final consonant is a crisp /t/. You’ll often hear a quick, almost clipped ending in casual speech. Audio examples: open a reputable dictionary or Pronounce for native-speaker samples.
Common mistakes: (1) Over-squeezing the vowel in the second syllable, saying /ˈbʊdʒiːt/ or /ˈbuddʒɪt/ with a full /iː/. Correction: keep the /ɪ/ short and relaxed: /ˈbʌdʒɪt/. (2) Mispronouncing /dʒ/ as /d/ or /j/; correct is the affricate /dʒ/ like in 'judge'. (3) Rushing the final /t/ or de-voicing it; ensure a clear /t/ with a light release. Practice with two-syllable rhythm: BUD-get, not BUH-jət.
US/UK/AU all share /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ as the base, but differences appear in vowel length and following consonant clarity. US tends toward a slightly sharper /dʒ/ and a bunched /ɪ/ in rapid speech; UK may exhibit crisper /t/ release and less vowel height variation; Australian often features a shorter, more centralized /ʌ/ and a flatter /ɪ/ with a softer /t/ or glottal stop in casual speech. In all, rhoticity is present in US and AU but less pronounced in some UK accents in rapid speech.
The difficulty centers on the /dʒ/ cluster blending with a short, lax /ɪ/ and ending with a clear /t/. For many, the transition B- to /dʒ/ creates a subtle articulatory shift; the /ʌ/ vowel in stressed syllable can be misproduced as /ɜː/ or /æ/. The final /t/ can be unreleased in rapid speech. Focus on keeping the /dʒ/ affricate intact, shortening the second syllable vowel, and articulating a crisp /t/.
Budget often prompts questions about the subtle shift from a plain consonant onset to an affricate cluster (/b/ + /dʒ/). To master this, practice the transition from /b/ to /dʒ/ in isolation (bu- + -dʒ-), then integrate it into a word: 'bud' + 'get' with a smooth, rapid connection. You’ll feel the glide from /b/ into the /dʒ/ onset; keep your lips rounded to aid the /dʒ/ formation.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Budget"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker saying budget in natural sentences and repeat exactly after them, focusing on the /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ rhythm. - Minimal pairs: practice with budge /bʌdʒ/ vs budge? Not meaningful; better: budget vs budge? Use tasks like budget vs badge? Budget (/ˈbʌdʒɪt/) vs badge /bædʒ/ to feel /dʒ/ in different contexts. - Rhythm: practice 2-beat pattern: BUD-GET with stress on first; use metronome at 60-90 BPM; then 120-140 BPM to increase speed while maintaining clarity. - Stress patterns: keep primary stress on first syllable; second syllable lightly voiced. - Recording: record yourself saying budget in sentences; compare to a native speaker; listen for the /dʒ/ clarity and final /t/ release. - Context sentences: 1) Our budget proposal passed. 2) He is working within a tight household budget. 3) The city’s budget deficit is a concern.
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