Condiments are flavor-enhancing substances added to food, such as sauces, spices, and pickles. They are typically used to complement or modify taste and texture, often in small quantities. The term covers a broad range of accompaniments, from ketchup and mustard to chutneys and gravies, reflecting culinary traditions and regional preferences.
- US: maintain rhotic /ɹ/ awareness when connected to following words; the vowel in /ˈdɪ.mənts/ stays tense enough to distinguish from /ˈdɛn.mənts/ in rapid speech. - UK: RP-like quality with a slightly tighter /ɪ/; keep /ˈdɪ.mənts/ and avoid heavy vowel reduction in casual speech. - AU: tends to be more relaxed; emphasize the /d/ and /nts/ where listeners can still parse the final cluster; avoid collapsing to /dɪmən/ or /dɪments/; IPA guides: US /kən-ˈdɪ.mənts/, UK /kən-ˈdɪ.mənts/, AU /kən-ˈdɪ.mən(ts)/.
"She kept a few condiments on the table—ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce."
"The chef recommended a tangy chutney as a condiment for the roasted meat."
"They offered a selection of condiments, so guests could tailor the flavors."
"During the barbecue, she labeled each condiment so guests could easily find their favorite sauce."
The word condiment comes from the Latin condire, meaning to season or salt away, which evolved through Old French including contenir and later condimentum in medieval Latin. The form entered English in the late Middle English period, around the 14th to 15th centuries, originally referring to things that seasoned or preserved food. Over time, its usage broadened from general seasoning to a specific category of sauces, condiments, and accompaniments used to modify taste. The root con- indicates “together” or “with,” and -diment is linked to Latin mensura ‘measure’ via the French -oment in some historical forms, reflecting the idea of items used to complement a dish. In modern usage, condiments encompass a wide range beyond herbs, including emulsified sauces, pickled items, and chutneys, highlighting regional culinary practices and changing dining customs. First known written instances appear in culinary texts from the late medieval period, with the sense of “things added to food to season or preserve” solidifying in early modern English dictionaries by the 1600s. The term has remained relatively stable, though the variety of items labeled as condiments has expanded dramatically with global cuisine and food processing.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Condiments" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Condiments" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Condiments"
-ent sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounced kon-DIH-ments, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /kən-ˈdɪ.mənts/, UK /kən-ˈdɪ.mənts/, AU /kən-ˈdɪ.mən(t)s/. Start with a soft schwa /kən/, then a clear /ˈdɪ/ vowel, followed by /mənts/ where the /n/ is syllabic in rapid speech. Visualize the mouth moving from a light /k/ release to a crisp /d/ and a quick /m/ into /ənts/.”,
Common errors include misplacing stress (placing it on the first syllable con-DI-ments is incorrect), softening the /d/ into /t/ making /tɪ/ or slurring the final /nts/ into /ns/. Another pitfall is reducing the middle /ɪ/ to a schwa or merging the /d/ with the following /m/ producing /ndm/.”,
In US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel qualities shift: US often uses a mid-front /ɪ/ as in /ˈdɪ.mənts/, UK similarly uses /ˈdɪ.mənts/ but vowel qualities can be slightly tighter in RP; AU mirrors US/UK but can be more relaxed and less tensed in the /ɪ/ and /ə/ vowels, with smaller vowel duration differences in connected speech.
It combines a stressed mid vowel /ɪ/ with a complex coda /-mənts/, plus a final consonant cluster /nt(s)/ that can be challenging in rapid speech. The /d/ must be clearly enunciated to avoid blending with the following /m/, and the final /ts/ cluster needs a crisp release to distinguish from /t/ or /s/ alone. Mastery requires keeping the second syllable strong while not reducing the consonant burst.
Does the 'condi-' prefix influence stress placement in fast speech? No—the word always retains primary stress on the second syllable, regardless of whether you say it in isolation or in a sentence with other content. The initial /kən/ remains unstressed; focus on clearly articulating /ˈdɪ/ and the following /mənts/ with a controlled release. This consistency helps intelligibility across contexts.
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- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker saying 'condiments' in varied contexts; repeat after them with 2-second delay, focusing on stress and final cluster. - Minimal pairs: con-diments vs. condiments; but since only one correct form, compare with similar words to train rhythm: 'commandments' (for rhythm contrast) and 'commitments' (for final cluster training). - Rhythm practice: rehearse the phrase ‘ketchup and other condiments’ in 4-beat rhythm; mark the beat on a metronome at 60-90 BPM and increase to 110 BPM while keeping the /d/ crisp. - Intonation: in a sentence, drop the pitch on the first syllable and rise on the second: “These condiments are on the table.” - Stress practice: produce slow, then normal, then fast versions; maintain the second syllable stress even at fast tempo. - Recording: record yourself saying the word in isolation, then in a sentence; compare with a reference from a video tutorial to check stress and final cluster clarity.
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