Importance refers to the quality of being significant or valuable, often driving attention or action. It denotes the degree to which something matters in a given context and influences decisions, priorities, or outcomes. The concept can be intrinsic or assigned by social, cultural, or situational factors, and it shapes how we allocate time, resources, and emphasis.
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US vs UK vs AU differences: • US: rhotic /ɹ/ in /ˈpɔːɹ/; clear /ɹ/; a slightly longer /ɔː/ in the stressed syllable; final /nts/ is crisp but can be lightly reduced in careful speech. • UK/AU: non-rhotic /r/; vowel may be slightly shorter and more centralized; final /nts/ can be lightly released. Vowel references: /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/ (UK/AU) vs /ɪmˈpɔːɹtəns/ (US). IPA anchors: /ɪ/ + /m/ + /ˈpɔː/ + /təns/. Tips: for US, keep a precise /ɹ/ followed by a short /ɪ/ before the stressed syllable. For UK/AU, avoid rhotic R, glide from /ɔː/ to /tə/ cleanly.
"The importance of timely communication cannot be overstated in emergency situations."
"Her work highlights the importance of early childhood education in future success."
"We discussed the importance of consistency in practicing a new language."
"In economics, the importance of price signals guiding markets is widely recognized."
The word importance comes from the French phrase importance, which derives from late Latin importāns (importing, significant) from the Latin verb importāre (to bring in, import). The root import- means “to bring in” or “to carry into,” which over time broadened to metaphorical uses indicating weight or significance. In medieval and early modern English, the term appeared as a noun indicating something of weight or consequence. The suffix -ance forms a noun indicating a state or quality. The modern sense of “significance, consequence” solidified in the 17th–18th centuries, paralleling shifts in philosophy, rhetoric, and social discourse that elevated the notion of what matters. The term is used across domains—from legal and political discourse to science and everyday language—often in phrases like “the importance of X” or “importance ranking.” The pronunciation shifted minimally from early borrowings, with primary stress on the second syllable in many varieties, and later pronunciation aligning with general English stress-timed patterns. First known uses appear in Middle English texts borrowing from French, with attested forms recorded in the early modern period, reflecting a bilingual cultural interchange between French and English that enriched the lexicon for abstract and value-laden terms like importance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "importance" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "importance"
-ort sounds
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Phonetically it is /ɪmˈpɔːrtəns/ (US) or /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/ (UK/AU). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: im-POR-tance. Start with a light, quick “im” [ɪm], then a strong, rounded “POR” with the open back vowel [ɔː], followed by a soft “t” and a final schwa-like “-əns” ending. In careful speech, you’ll clearly articulate the final /nts/. You can think: im + POR + tance. Audio reference: listen to /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/ from reputable pronunciation dictionaries.
Common errors: 1) Not stressing the second syllable (im-POR-tance) or misplacing stress on the first syllable, 2) Saying /ˈɪmpɒrtəns/ with a short /ɒ/ instead of the broad /ɔː/ vowel, 3) Deleting the /r/ in non-rhotic accents or not voicing the final /nts/. Correction tips: practice im- with a short /ɪ/ then glide into /ˈpɔːr/ with lip rounding for /ɔː/; ensure your tongue tip briefly taps the alveolar ridge for the /t/; finish with a crisp /n(t)s/ cluster and a light /ə/ before the final /ns/. Use slow repetition to avoid vowel conflation.
US: /ɪmˈpɔːrtəns/ with rhotic /r/ and clearly enunciated /t/; UK/AU: /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a slightly reduced /t/ before /ən(t)s/. AU tends to a longer, more rounded /ɔː/ vowel and a more clipped final consonant cluster in rapid speech. Across accents, the primary divergence is rhoticity and the vowel quality in the second syllable: US preserves a rhotic /r/ and a tense /ɔː/; UK/AU de-rhoticize the /r/ and rely on a mid-to-back rounded vowel. IPA references: US /ɪmˈpɔːɹtəns/; UK /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/; AU /ɪmˈpɔːtəns/.
Two main challenges: the strong second-syllable stress and the /ɔː/ vowel quality that sits between /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ in some accents. The final /nts/ cluster can blur in rapid speech, becoming [n̩ts] or [nts] with a reduced vowel before it. The combination of stress timing, vowel length, and a trailing syllable makes the word prone to misplacing emphasis or softening the final consonants. Practice exaggerating the middle vowel and the final /nts/ clearly before returning to natural speed.
A distinctive feature is the strong, rounded /ɔː/ in the stressed syllable and the lightly articulated final /nts/. You might search for “im-POR-tance pronunciation” to hear the precise US realization with /r/ or minimal rhoticization in non-rhotic contexts. Also note the second-syllable vowel length; some learners mispronounce it as a short /ɒ/ or /ɑː/. Listening to authoritative dictionaries and repeating after them helps lock the exact mouth positions for /ɪ/ + /m/ + /ˈpɔː/ + /təns/.
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