Permits is a plural noun or a verb form meaning official permissions or to grant permission. As a noun, it refers to documents that allow someone to do something; as a verb, it is the third-person singular simple present or the plural past tense of permit. In everyday uses, it often appears in legal or administrative contexts as well as in casual phrasing about allowance.
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US: maintain rhotics with /ɜːr/; UK/AU: often lighter rhoticity; ensure the first syllable carries the main vowel quality and keep the second syllable /mɪts/ brisk. - Vowels: /ɜːr/ in many US speakers (or /ɜːr/ as a rhotic schwa + r). - Consonants: /p/ aspirated; /m/ bilabial; /t/ alveolar with light release; final /s/ voiceless. - IPA anchors: US /ˈpɜ˞ɼmɪts/ (rhotic), UK /ˈpɜːmɪts/, AU /ˈpɜːmɪts/. Observe subtle vowel length and rhoticity differences.
"The city requires permits for building work."
"She permits photography in the gallery under certain conditions."
"The park restricts dogs unless permits are shown."
"Authorities permit limited access after check-in.] , "
Permits comes from the verb permit, from the Old French permis, from Latin permissus, past participle of permittere, meaning to allow, to send through. The word entered English via Old French in the medieval period, retaining its sense of authorization or permission. The noun form evolved to denote the actual document that conveys permission. The verb form conjugates to permit, permitting, permitted; historically, the sense broadened to include the act of allowing or granting. The semantic shift from tangible document to the abstract action of granting permission left the same Latin root in both senses, with modern usage split between a countable noun (a permit) and a verb form (permits). First known written uses appear in legal and administrative contexts in Middle English, with standardized spellings varying before the modern form settled. Over centuries, the word has maintained a common presence in law, governance, and everyday language, reflecting the ongoing human practice of regulating access and activity through formal authorization. Its adaptability—document vs. action—ensures it remains a staple in official discourse and casual talk alike, from traffic permits to workshop permits.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "permits" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "permits" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "permits"
-its sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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In US/UK/AU, permits is two syllables with primary stress on the first syllable when used as a noun: /ˈpɜːr·mɪts/ (US) or /ˈpɜː·mɪts/ (UK/AU). The vowel in the first syllable is a mid-central to back rounded vowel for many speakers; the second syllable is /mɪts/. When used as a verb (he permits), the stress shifts to the second syllable: /pərˈmɪts/ in connected speech, with the “er” reduced to a schwa. Pay attention to the t in the final cluster which is released lightly.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (saying PER-mits when it’s a verb form that often carries the stress on MITS in rapid speech), curling the vowel into an uncertain /ɜ/ for non-native speakers, and over-articulating the final /t/ turning it into a released stop in rapid speech. Correction: practice the two-syllable pattern with clear separation: PEr-mits for nouns, per-MITS for verbs, and keep the final /t/ light and quick. Use minimal pairs like permits/permit to feel the stress contrast.
In many US varieties, the first syllable of the noun is stressed with a stronger /ɜːr/ early vowel, while the verb form shifts stress to /ˈmɪts/ after the /pər/. UK English tends to maintain /ˈpɜːmɪts/ with less rhoticization in rapid speech; Australian English follows similar patterns but with a more centralized /ɜː/ and flatter vowels. Across accents you’ll hear a slightly different vowel quality in /ɜːr/ and final /ɪts/ may reduce to /ɪts/ or approach a clipped /ɪts/. IPA references anchor the contrasts: US /ˈpɜːrmɪts/; UK /ˈpɜːmɪts/; AU /ˈpɜːmɪts/.
The difficulty stems from the two pronunciations (noun vs verb) with stress shift and subtle vowel quality in /ɜːr/ versus /ər/ depending on accent. Additionally, the /mɪts/ cluster near the end can be affected by flapping or unreleased /t/ in rapid speech. For non-native speakers, the challenge is maintaining the first‑syllable contrast while keeping the second syllable brisk and clear, and navigating the schwa reduction in connected speech.
A unique issue is the noun/verb homograph distinction with stress shift. The word’s phonetic realization changes meaning with stress placement, not just word class. In careful speech, emphasize the first syllable to signal a noun (PER-mits) and the second syllable for a verb (per-MITS). This distinct stress pattern is a strong cue in listening and must be consciously practiced in shadowing and repetition.
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