3 syllables: com, mand, ment. Stress on mand.
/kəˈmændmənt/
commandment is pronounced /kəˈmændmənt/. It has three syllables (com-mand-ment), with the stress on "mand". A rule or directive, especially a religious or moral obligation, issued by an authority or deity. In everyday language, it refers to any formal instruction or command. The word emphasizes formality and weight, often implying enduring or universal applicability beyond casual requests.
Say it backA rule or directive, especially a religious or moral obligation, issued by an authority or deity. In everyday language, it refers to any formal instruction or command. The word emphasizes formality and weight, often implying enduring or universal applicability beyond casual requests.
"In many traditions, the Ten Commandments are central to moral law."
"She obeyed the commandment to treat others with kindness."
"The company’s code of conduct acts as a modern commandment for employees."
Pronounce as /kəˈmænd.mənt/ (US) or /kəˈmɑːn.dmənt/ (UK). The primary stress is on the second syllable: ca-MAND-ment. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then /ˈmænd/ with a flat, short a, followed by /mənt/ where the final /t/ is crisp in careful speech. Mouth position: relaxed lips, jaw drops slightly for /æ/; avoid tensing the tongue at the end. Listen to native samples and practice the transition from /æ/ to /m/ to /ə/ to /nt/ quickly.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress as CA-mand-ment; ensure the stress is on the second syllable /ˈmænd/. (2) Slurring the /d/ into /m/ producing /ˈmændmənt/; keep a clean /d/ before /m/. (3) Dropping the final /t/ or turning it into a flap; articulate a final /t/ or a clear light /t/ release. Correct by practicing slow, then connected speech: /kəˈmænd.mənt/ with a crisp final /t/.
US tends to use /kəˈmænd.mənt/ with rhotic vowels and clear /æ/ in the stressed syllable; UK often has /kəˈmɑːn.dmənt/ with a longer /ɑː/ and lighter /t/ release in rapid speech; AU mirrors US but may reduce the final /t/ slightly and use a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable. Emphasis and vowel length vary; listen for a shorter, sharper second syllable in American speech and a longer vowel in British speech.
Because it combines a stressed hard syllable /ˈmænd/ with an unstressed second syllable /mənt/, requiring precise consonant timing: /d/ before /m/, and a final /t/ release after an /n/. The cluster /ndm/ can blur in rapid speech, and the /æ/ vs /ɑː/ contrast is subtle and dialect-dependent. Practicing slow, then normal, then fast helps solidify the sequence and the final plosive. IPA cues help you monitor the exact tongue position for /æ/ and /m/ transitions.
Yes. The root is two separate morphemes: command + -ment. Pronounce /kəˈmænd/ for the first part, clearly articulating /nd/ before the /m/ of the suffix /-mənt/. Do not fuse /nd/ and /m/ into a single sound. Practicing with the full word: /kəˈmænd.mənt/ ensures you maintain distinct segments while keeping a natural rhythm.
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The word commandment traces to Old French comandement, from Late Latin mandamentum, from Latin mandare “to commit, order, entrust.” It combines Latin mandare (to command) with the abstract agentive suffix -mentum. The sense developed in Christian and Jewish contexts to denote a solemn, authoritative instruction from God. In English, commandment began appearing in religious and legal texts during the medieval period, often used to translate Hebrew and Greek terms for laws given by divine authority. Over time, the term extended beyond sacred law to describe any formal rule or edict, while retaining its tone of solemn obligation. First recorded uses in English date back to the 13th- or 14th-century religious writings, where “commandment” referred explicitly to divine commandments. In modern usage, it can denote timeless moral imperatives as well as rigid organizational policies, though it often carries a slightly archaic or formal connotation.
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Words that rhyme with "commandment"
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