One syllable: grants.
grants
/ɡɹænts/
grants is pronounced grants (/ɡɹænts/). It has one syllable (grants), with the stress on "grants". Grants refers to sums of money given by an organization, typically for a specific purpose or project, with few if any expectations of repayment. The term can also refer to the act of granting something, i.e., giving or bestowing. In everyday use, it often appears in funding announcements, policy contexts, and academic or nonprofit settings. It denotes formal permission or financial support awarded after review.
Grants refers to sums of money given by an organization, typically for a specific purpose or project, with few if any expectations of repayment. The term can also refer to the act of granting something, i.e., giving or bestowing. In everyday use, it often appears in funding announcements, policy contexts, and academic or nonprofit settings. It denotes formal permission or financial support awarded after review.
"The university secured several research grants to fund the new clinic."
"A charitable foundation provides annual grants to community programs."
"The government grants licenses for new telecommunications projects."
Pronounce as /ɡrænts/ in US and AU; in UK you may hear /ɡrɑːnts/ or /ɡrænts/ depending on speaker. The word has a single stressed syllable: grants. Begin with a hard /g/, front-low vowel /æ/ (as in cat) for American, then an /n/ and a voiceless /ts/ at the end. Make the /æ/ or /ɑː/ sound short and clipped; the final /ts/ blends with a light release. Practice by saying “grants” quickly after “fund” to feel the association.
Common errors include turning the /æ/ into a broader /ɑː/ in some accents, producing an extra vowel before the final /ts/, or merging the /t/ and /s/ into a /z/ or /s/ sound. To correct: keep a short, lax /æ/ for US/AU; end with a crisp /ts/ by releasing the air with a light touch of /t/ before /s/. Avoid adding an extra vowel or delaying the final consonant; aim for a tight /æ nts/ sequence.
In US/AU, /ɡrænts/ has a short /æ/ and a clean /ts/ ending; rhotic influence is minimal in this word. In UK English, you may hear /ɡrɑːnts/ with a longer /ɑː/ in some dialects and a lighter /t/ release; some speakers may reduce the vowel to /ɒ/ or keep /ɑː/ depending on region. The main difference is vowel length and quality, while the final consonant cluster remains /nts/. For clarity, practice both /ænts/ and /ɑːnts/ variants.
The challenge lies in the final consonant cluster /nts/, which requires a quick, precise release and avoidance of devoicing into /nt/ or /ns/. Additionally, the vowel quality /æ/ in American/Australian accents is short and lax, which can drift toward a schwa in rapid speech. Some speakers unintentionally insert an extra vowel or a /t/ or /s/ separately, which disrupts the natural flow. Focus on crisp transition from /æ/ to /n/ and then /ts/.
Does the word ‘grants’ ever pronounced with a silent letter? No; there are no silent letters in grants. The /t/ is released into the /s/ to form the /ts/ cluster. Stress remains on the single syllable. In connected speech, you may hear a slight assimilation or a softer transition into the following word, but the core pronun. remains /ɡrænts/ or /ɡrɑːnts/ depending on accent.
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The word grants derives from Old French grant or graunt, from Latin concessio ‘a allowing, permission,’ from the verb concedere ‘to yield, grant.’ In Middle English, grant appeared as graunt, meaning a grant or concession, especially in legal or feudal contexts. The semantic core centers on giving, permitting, or bestowing; by extension it came to mean financial endowments provided by institutions like governments or foundations. The plural grants emerged as a natural extension when referring to multiple awards or instances of granting. In modern English, grants most often denote monetary awards intended for a specific purpose (research, education, nonprofit operations) and do not imply repayment, distinguishing them from loans. The term appears in formal, bureaucratic, or policy-related discourse and has become a standard lexeme in funding announcements and program descriptions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "grants" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "grants" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "grants"
-nts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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