Gratuity is a sum of money given voluntarily, beyond the amount required, often as a tip or gift to someone for service. In broader terms, it also refers to a reward or gratuitous gift given as a gesture of appreciation. The term can denote both the tip in hospitality contexts and a permissible extra amount in financial or service exchanges.
- You might stress the wrong syllable or compress the middle vowel; the correct pattern is /rəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ with primary stress on the second syllable. - The middle /tuː/ should be a long, rounded vowel; avoid a short /tu/ or /tyu/ with a clipped ending. - The final /ɪ.ti/ should be quick and light; avoid drawing out the ending to /tiː/ or turning it into a prolonged syllable. To fix: practice with minimal pairs that emphasize the second syllable, and use a syllable-timed rhythm to maintain even weight across syllables.
- US: rhotic /r/; ensure /rə/ onset is relaxed; stress on the second syllable, long /tuː/. - UK: potential /ɡræt.juˈɪt.i/ with a lighter first syllable; keep /juː/ for the onset of the third syllable. - AU: /ɡrəˈtjuː.ɪ.ti/ or /ɡɹæˈtjuː.ɪ.ti/ depending on region; may have more vowel variation in the first syllable. Use IPA to compare: /rəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ vs /ræˈtuː.ɪ.ti/; emphasize final /ti/ lightly. - Focus on the middle long vowel /uː/; avoid a clipped /tu/.
"- After the meal, she left a generous gratuity for the waiter."
"- The hotel staff received a gratuity for exceptional service."
"- Some countries have tipping cultures where gratuity is customary."
"- His gratuity was acknowledged with a handwritten note of thanks."
Gratuity comes from the Latin gratuus, meaning pleasing or favorable, and gratus, meaning grateful or pleasing. The English adoption traces through late Middle English, influenced by the Latin root gratus and gratuus, evolving to the sense of a voluntary reward. In 15th–16th century usage, gratuity primarily referred to a favor or gift that showed gratitude. By the 17th–18th centuries, English speakers began using gratuity for monetary gifts or tips given to service workers as a token of appreciation. The term absorbed nuances in commercial and hospitality contexts, distinguishing a voluntary amount from required wages or salaries. In modern usage, gratuity is common in many English-speaking regions, particularly where tipping is culturally expected. First known uses appear in formal writing referencing a gift or allowance, with the financial sense solidifying in the 19th and 20th centuries as tipping practices became widespread in restaurants, hotels, and service industries. Today, gratuity can also refer to a predetermined percentage in some contexts or simply a voluntary gift to acknowledge good service, though some regions legally differentiate service charges and gratuities."
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Words that rhyme with "Gratuity"
-ity sounds
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Gratuity is pronounced with three syllables: /ɡrəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ in US and UK standards (the primary stress on the second syllable). The initial /ɡrə/ blend keeps a light, schwa-like first vowel; the peak is on /tuː/ with a long 'oo' sound, followed by a brief /ɪ/ and final /ti/. In Australian speech you’ll hear /ɡræˈtjuː.ɪ.ti/ with a shorter first vowel in some accents, but generally the /tuː/ remains prominent. You can audio-reference with standard dictionaries for verification: Cambridge/U Oxford audio samples.
Common errors include misplacing stress (say /ɡrætˈjuː.ɪ.ti/ instead of /ɡrəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/), mispronouncing the central /tuː/ as a short /tu/ or /tə/, and flattening the final /ti/ into /tiː/ without the light endings. To correct: emphasize the second syllable with /tuː/ and keep the first vowel as a relaxed schwa /ə/. Practice the final /ɪ.ti/ as a quick, two-phoneme ending rather than dragging the last syllable. Listen to native samples and imitate the rhythm.
In US English, /ɡrəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ with a rhotic /r/ and a pronounced /tuː/. UK English tends toward /ˌɡræt.juːˈɪ.ti/ with a shorter first vowel in some speakers and a more pronounced /dʒ/-like transition as appropriate; UK vowels may be slightly less rhotic depending on region. Australian English often uses /ɡɹæˈtjuː.ɪ.ti/ with a broader /æ/ or /ɜː/ in the first syllable, and a more rounded /j/ glide. Always check local samples, but maintain the second-syllable stress and long /uː/ quality for intelligibility.
Two main challenges: a stable secondary stress pattern on the second syllable and the long /tuː/ pairing with a short, quick final /ɪ.ti/. The /ɡr/ onset can trigger mispronunciations if you vocalize it too forcefully; keep a light, relaxed /rə/ onset. The risk is blending the /tuː/ with the following /ɪ/; separate them clearly in practice, ensuring the /ˈtuː/ peak stands out before the trailing /ɪ.ti/.
Gratuity carries a distinctive syllable boundary: /ɡrəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ where the sequence /tuː.ɪ/ is a careful transition; the /tuː/ should be a strong, open-front long vowel, and the /ɪ/ must not merge into /ti/. The combination of /tuː.ɪ/ can tempt learners into a diphthong or a clipped /tu.ɪ/; practice by isolating each syllable and then linking smoothly. IPA references aid confirmation.
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers saying /ɡrəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/ and repeat in real-time; mimic rhythm and intonation; start slow, then speed up to natural tempo. - Minimal pairs: compare /rə/ vs /ræ/ in the first syllable, then /tuː/ vs /tjuː/; re-listen and tune your mouth; - Rhythm practice: practice with a metronome at 60-80 BPM for slow, 100-120 for normal, 140+ for fast to keep even syllable timing. - Stress practice: drill the secondary stress on the second syllable, using a marker to ensure /rəˈtuː.ɪ.ti/; - Recording: record your pronunciation, compare with dictionary audio, and adjust; - Context sentences: create sentences with natural pace and use a short pause between /rə/ and /tuː.ɪ.ti/ to maintain clarity.
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