Performance (as a noun) refers to the act or process of carrying out a task, presenting or executing a work, or how well something functions or is received. It also denotes a public presentation or display. In professional contexts, it often implies measured effectiveness, skill, or achievement within a given domain.
"Her performance in the play was outstanding and earned standing ovations."
"The athlete’s performance improved after months of targeted training."
"We evaluated the software’s performance under heavy load."
"Live performance venues often require careful sound and stage management."
Performance comes from the Old French performance, based on late Latin performans, present participle of performare ‘to complete, complete a task, accomplish.’ The root per- indicates ‘thoroughly,’ while forma/‘to shape or form’ ties to the sense of carrying out or completing a form of work. In English, the noun sense of presenting or executing a piece of music, drama, or public display emerged in the late Middle Ages, aligning with both the action of performing and the result or display of that action. Over time, performance broadened to include not only the act but the quality or outcome (how well something performs) and in modern usage, spans entertainment, work performance, and device/system performance. First known uses appear in legal and theatrical contexts in the 14th–15th centuries, with the concept expanding during the Renaissance to emphasize skill, efficacy, and the observable result of labor. In contemporary usage, performance also intersects with metrics (e.g., performance indicators) in business, engineering, and sports, reflecting both function and evaluation of that function.
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Words that rhyme with "Performance"
-nce sounds
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Pronounce as /pɚˈfɔːr.məns/ in US and /pəˈfɔː.məns/ in UK/AU. The primary stress is on the second syllable: per-FOR-mance. Begin with a rhotic schwa in US: the ‘er’ sounds like a quick, rounded mid-central vowel; the second syllable’s ‘for’ has a long o sound, followed by a soft, unstressed final -mance. Practice by saying ‘per’ quickly, then emphasize ‘FOR’ before finishing with ‘mance’.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as ‘for-MANS’ with a reduced, unstressed ‘an’ sound, or over-emphasizing the final -ance as ‘ance’ with a hard 'a' sound. Another frequent mistake is misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable or softening the /ɔː/ to a short vowel in rapid speech. Correct by: (1) reinforcing the secondary stress on FOR, (2) keeping the mid-back rounded vowel /ɔː/ for the second syllable, and (3) ending with a light, clipped -məns rather than a heavy ‘mance’.
In US English, you’ll hear a rhotic initial vowel and a clear /ɚ/ in the first syllable, with /ɔː/ in the second syllable and a light final /məns/. UK/AU accents reduce rhotics, so the first syllable is /pə/ with less rhotic coloring; the /ɔː/ remains long, and the final /məns/ stays light. Australian tends to be non-rhotic with a gentle /ɔː/ and a clipped final /məns/. Key differences: rhoticity, vowel quality in the stressed syllable, and the treatment of the first syllable’s reduced vowel.
Two main challenges: the middle syllable /ˈfɔːr/ requires a long, rounded mid back vowel that can clash with a quick consonant cluster, and the final unstressed /əns/ can blur into a syllabic suffix if not enunciated. Additionally, navigating the transition from a stressed to an unstressed syllable, while keeping the final /ns/ crisp, demands precise timing and muscular control in the tongue and jaw.
Focus on the clear secondary stress on FOR within per-FOR-mance and maintain a light, crisp ending. The middle syllable carries the key vowel length and mouth posture: a rounded /ɔː/ followed by /r/ in rhotic accents or a reduced /ɒ/–like quality in non-rhotic accents. Keeping the stress pattern accurate helps intelligibility across contexts, from tech discussions (system performance) to arts (live performance). Emphasize clean /f/ to /ɔː(r)/ transition and a quick, weak ending /məns/.
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