2 syllables: com, ment. Stress on com.
KAH-ment
/ˈkɑmɛnt/
comment is pronounced KAH-ment (/ˈkɑmɛnt/). It has two syllables (com-ment), with the stress on "com". Comment (noun or verb) refers to a remark or note offering opinion or observation, often accompanying discussion or media. As a verb, it means to express an observation or opinion publicly or in writing. In everyday use, it signals a marginal remark or clarification inserted into a conversation or text. The term spans formal analysis to casual social commentary, with emphasis on clarity and relevance.
Comment (noun or verb) refers to a remark or note offering opinion or observation, often accompanying discussion or media. As a verb, it means to express an observation or opinion publicly or in writing. In everyday use, it signals a marginal remark or clarification inserted into a conversation or text. The term spans formal analysis to casual social commentary, with emphasis on clarity and relevance.
"• The moderator opened with a brief comment on the topic before inviting questions."
"• She commented on the report, noting several inconsistencies."
"• He left a positive comment under the video."
Pronounced /ˈkɒm.ənt/ (US /ˈkɒm.ənt/, UK /ˈkɒm.ənt/, AU /ˈkɒm.ənt/). Primary stress is on the first syllable: KOM-ment. The second syllable reduces to a schwa and links smoothly to the final nasal /nt/. Ensure the /ɒ/ in ‘com-’ is a broad ɒ as in cot, not a rounded o. Mouth position: open jaw, back of tongue slightly raised, lips relaxed. For clear speech, avoid tensing the tongue at the onset of the nasal; let the /m/ carry the syllable’s weight.
Two frequent mistakes: (1) Overpronouncing the second syllable, saying /ˈkɒ.ment/ with a full vowel in the second syllable. Correct form uses a reduced second syllable /ə/ (schwa): /ˈkɒ.mənt/. (2) Confusing /m/ and /n/ intrusion, where speakers insert an extra nasal or shift the nasal place; keep clean syllable boundaries: /ˈkɒ.mənt/. For clearer delivery, practice lightly nasalizing the final /nt/ cluster, ensuring the /t/ release is not merged into a flare.
In US and UK, the first syllable uses /ɒ/ as in cot; in many US varieties it can sound closer to /ɑ/ in some dialects, but standard is /ˈkɒm.ənt/. The second syllable is unstressed with a schwa /ə/ in both. Australian English maintains /ˈkɒm.ənt/ with a light /ə/ and often non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech; the /t/ might be realized as a tap [ɾ] in casual speech, especially in American varieties, so /ˈkɑː.mənt/ or /ˈkɒ.mənt/ with a flapped /ɾ/ becomes plausible in fast speech. Across accents, the r-colored or rhoticity affects the first vowel subtly; kept consistent as /ɒ/ in careful enunciation.
Difficulty arises from the short, reduced second syllable and the final /nt/ cluster, which can cause a light vowel reduction and tension at the /t/ release. The primary stress on the first syllable requires precise timing in connected speech, and many speakers run the two syllables together, blurring /ə/ into adjacent sounds. Additionally, regional vowel shifts (US /ɒ/ vs. UK /ɒ/) and relaxed articulation in rapid speech can lead to mispronunciations like /ˈkɔ = / or /ˈkɑː.mənt/.
A key unique aspect is the non-opaque second syllable reduction: the second syllable is unstressed and typically /ə/ (schwa). The word also demonstrates a clear initial stress on /ˈkɒ/ and a final /nt/ cluster that requires a light release rather than a full syllabic vowel. Unlike many words with silent letters, comment is fully phonemic in modern standard forms, but the tendency to reduce the second syllable in casual speech can feel like an invisible vowel. Practically, keep the first syllable strong and the second syllable relaxed.
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Comment derives from Old French comentement, from Latin commentum, meaning a thing to be thought, a device, or something written for thought or record. The root is commen- from com- “together” plus mentum “thought” (from mens, mentis). In medieval Latin, commentum referred to an explanation or marginal note; by the 14th–15th centuries it entered English as comment, with senses developed for both remark and annotation. The word evolved through legal, scholarly, and editorial contexts, where it denoted a marginal note, an opinion offered in debate, or a public remark. The noun sense predates the verb usage in common English, with the verb form ‘to comment’ appearing in the 16th–17th century, reflecting the act of offering remarks. Over time, “comment” broadened into digital language (comments under online posts), yet retains core meaning of a statement that adds observation, critique, or clarification to a broader discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "comment"
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