2 syllables: move, ment. Stress on move.
MOOV-muhnt
/ˈmuvmənt/
movement is pronounced MOOV-muhnt (/ˈmuvmənt/). It has two syllables (move-ment), with the stress on "move". Movement refers to the act or process of changing position or place, often implying motion or a collective effort toward a goal. It can describe physical displacement, social or political change, or the flow of something in a system. In linguistics, it can denote a shift or gesture in expressive action. Overall, movement connotes motion, progress, and dynamic change.
Movement refers to the act or process of changing position or place, often implying motion or a collective effort toward a goal. It can describe physical displacement, social or political change, or the flow of something in a system. In linguistics, it can denote a shift or gesture in expressive action. Overall, movement connotes motion, progress, and dynamic change.
"The movement of the crowd diverted traffic away from the parade route."
"She joined a social movement advocating environmental reform."
"The pendulum's movement slowed as friction increased."
Movement is pronounced as /ˈmuːv.mənt/ in US and UK. The primary stress is on the first syllable: MOO-ve-ment, with a clear long /uː/ in the first syllable and a schwa-reduced second syllable. In careful speech you’ll hear a distinct /m/ at the start and a final /t/; in rapid speech the /t/ can be softer or even unreleased. “Movement” rhymes with words like “cement” and “segment.”
Common mistakes include confusing the first syllable vowel with a short /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ (saying MUH-vement) and flattening the /uː/ to /ʌ/ or /ə/. Another is articulating the second syllable as /mənt/ with a weak or omitted onset, losing the /v/ contrast. Correct by ensuring the first syllable carries a full /uː/ while the /v/ has voice; keep the final /t/ crisp or lightly released if consonant clusters create coarticulation. Practice saying /ˈmuːv.mənt/ slowly, then accelerate.
In US English, /ˈmuːv.mənt/ with rhoticity; the /ˈmuːv/ begins with a long vowel and a clear /v/. UK English often preserves the same /ˈmjuːv/ʔ realisation in some varieties, but most speakers render it as /ˈmjuːv.mənt/ with a shorter /uː/ and maybe less pronounced syllable one. Australian English tends toward a more centralized first vowel in rapid speech and a slightly flatter /ɜː/ or /juː/ transition depending on speaker; the /t/ may be tapped in connected speech. Overall the main differences: vowel quality and the strength of the /r/-like onset.
The difficulty centers on the two-syllable structure with a stressed first syllable and a voiced fricative /v/ followed by a voiceless /t/ in rapid sequence. The transition from /v/ to /m/ and the final /t/ can blur in casual speech, especially when adjacent sounds are fast. Precise lip- and teeth-positioning—upper teeth gently touching lower lip for /v/, followed by a clean bilabial /m/—helps clarity. IPA reference /ˈmuːv.mənt/ highlights the essential positions.
A unique aspect is the contrast between the voiced labiodental /v/ and the following bilabial /m/. This transitions across two distinct voiced-labial phonemes in close sequence, which can invite slight voicing overlap in rapid speech. Maintaining a crisp /v/ before the nasal /m/ ensures the word’s identity. Visualizing the flow from teeth to lips helps—teeth gently touch lip for /v/, then lips close for /m/. IPA guide: /ˈmuːv.mənt/.
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Movement comes from the Old French mouvement, from the Late Latin movementum, from moveō (to move). The component -ment is a common suffix forming nouns denoting an action or resulting state. The first English attestations appear in the 15th century, originally referring to physical motion. Over time, its semantic scope broadened to include figurative motion (social or political change) and organizational dynamics (a movement within a group). The root move- traces to Latin movēre, which is related to motion and change in many Romance languages. The term has also influenced technical uses (e.g., device movement in machinery, mathematical movement in graphs). By the modern era, movement encompasses both tangible, kinetic action and abstract processes of development, progress, or upheaval, reflecting its broad human relevance to describe how things advance or shift in space, time, or context.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "movement" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "movement" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "movement"
-ent sounds
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