4 syllables: Ex, pen, di, ture. Stress on pen.
ik-SPEN-duh-chur
/ɪkˈspɛndətʃɚ/
Expenditure is pronounced ik-SPEN-duh-chur (/ɪkˈspɛndətʃɚ/). It has four syllables (Ex-pen-di-ture), with the stress on "pen". Expenditure is the amount of money spent, typically over a particular period or for a specific purpose. It refers to outflows in financial accounting and budgeting, as opposed to income. The term is commonly used in business, government, and personal finance to describe spending, costs, and disbursements.
nounExpenditure is the amount of money spent, typically over a particular period or for a specific purpose. It refers to outflows in financial accounting and budgeting, as opposed to income. The term is commonly used in business, government, and personal finance to describe spending, costs, and disbursements.
"The annual expenditure on healthcare rose significantly last year."
"She tracked household expenditure to identify areas where she could save."
"The government announced a reduction in expenditure for non-essential programs."
Pronunciation is /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃə/ (US/UK variants align closely). The primary stress is on the second syllable ‘pen’, with a light, unstressed final syllable. Break it as: i-KSPEHN-dih-chuh. Vowel sounds use short “i” as in hit, and a soft schwa in the final syllable. In rapid speech, you may hear /ɪkˈspɛndɪˌtʃə/ in some dialects, but the standard is /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃə/.
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable (e.g., /ˌɛkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃər/ or /ˌɛkˈspɛn.dɪˌtʃɚ/) and mispronouncing the final -ture as -tyu or -chure. Another error is reducing the middle /ən/ to a strong /ɪ/ sound. Correction: emphasize second syllable pen, use a clear /dɪ/ before the final /tʃə/; ensure the final syllable is a light /tʃə/ rather than a heavy vowel. Practice drill: ex-pen-DI-ture with even, light final syllable.
In US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation centers on /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃə/. The main differences are vowel quality: US vowels may be slightly flatter in /ɪ/ and /ɛ/, UK often has crisper /ɪ/ and /e/ in the first syllables, and AU tends to draw out the final schwa more softly. Rhoticity doesn’t change the core syllable stress, but non-rhotic accents may drop r sounds before final vowels in casual speech; here, there is no rhotic r, so /tʃə/ is consistent. Overall, keep stress on pen- syllable with a light final -ture.
The difficulty comes from the multisyllabic structure and the combination -pen-dɪ-tʃə: the /pen/ cluster followed by /dɪ/ and then the /tʃə/ consonant blend. The sequence of a stressed syllable adjacent to a lightly pronounced final -ture can cause misplacement of pressure or a rushed final syllable. Focus on the syllable break after pen and keep the /d/ clear before the /tʃ/; practice with slow, deliberate articulation and gradual speed.
Expenditure often triggers confusion about the /tʃ/ sound in the final syllable; some speakers pronounce /tʃə/ as /tʃəɹ/ or /tʃɚ/ in rapid speech. The unique aspect is maintaining an unstressed, reduced final syllable: /…tʃə/ rather than adding a trailing vowel or r-sound. Ensure the final sound is a light schwa followed by /tʃə/—not a full vowel or syllabic rhythm. IPA guide: /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃə/.
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Expenditure comes from Middle French depens(e)ment, based on depenser “to spend.” The root depenser itself stems from Latin dependent-, dependere “to hang downward, expend, stretch out,” from de- “apart, away” + pendere “to hang, weigh.” In English, expenditure appeared in the 16th–17th centuries in legal and financial contexts, referring to the disbursement of funds. Over time, the sense narrowed to denote monetary outlays or costs incurred in carrying out a project or operation. The word accumulated usage in accounting, budgeting, and governmental finance, where precise tracking of outflows is essential. The phrase “expenditure of funds” became a standard collocation in reports and audits, and today it is a common term in financial statements, budgets, and policy discussions, often paired with “income” or “revenue” to discuss balance and fiscal health.
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Words that rhyme with "Expenditure"
-ent sounds
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