Prompt (adj.) describes something done or occurring with eagerness, immediacy, or readiness. It conveys immediacy, clarity, and efficiency, often implying no delay or hesitation. In formal contexts, it can indicate timely responsiveness or the requirement for quick action or reaction.
US: aim for a louder, slightly longer first vowel before /m/. UK: the /æ/ or /ɒ/ sound may be shorter; keep the final /pt/ crisp without extra vowel; AU: tends to be similar to UK but with lightly rounded vowels and stronger non-rhotic tendencies in casual speech. IPA cues: US /ˈprɑːmpt/ (or /ˈprɒmpt/), UK /ˈprɒmpt/, AU /ˈprɒmp(ɾ)t/; keep /pt/ as a clean, voiceless release.
"Her prompt reply helped keep the project on track."
"The manager appreciated his prompt completion of the task."
"During the interview, he gave a prompt, well-considered answer."
"We were impressed by the prompt service at the restaurant."
The adjective prompt derives from Middle English prompt (also spelling prump), from Old French promt ‘ready, prepared, quick,’ from Latin promptus ‘brought forth, shown, ready,’ from prehendre ‘to seize, grasp.’ The semantic path tracks readiness and speed: something prompt is ready immediately, prompting action and response. In English, the sense broadened in the 15th–16th centuries to denote timely action or swift execution, and later came to describe cues or incitements that prompt an action. The word’s relation to “prompting” (as in giving a cue) reinforces the core idea of eliciting an immediate response. First known uses appear in legal and administrative English where timely compliance was essential, and later in everyday usage as a general descriptor for any quick or on-time behavior. Across centuries, “prompt” has maintained its core sense of immediacy while expanding into nuanced contexts like prompt service, prompt payment, and prompt feedback.
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Words that rhyme with "Prompt"
-ept sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Prompt is pronounced with two phonemes: /ˈprɒmpt/ in UK English or /ˈprɑːmpt/ in some US transcriptions, but most US dictionaries standardize as /ˈprɑːmpt/ or /ˈprɑːmpt/ depending on accent and dictionary. The initial /pr/ blends as a typical 'pr' consonant cluster; the vowel in the first syllable is a rounded back vowel similar to 'a' in 'father' for many speakers, followed by a voiceless /m/ and final /pt/ cluster that lands as a voiceless plosive release. The emphasis sits on the first syllable, with a crisp, short /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on dialect. Mouth position: lips lightly rounded for the backing vowel, tongue high-front for the /ɹ/ quality, and a firm closure before the abrupt /pt/ release. If you’re using a US General American vowel, think /ˈprɑːmpt/ with a tenser, longer first vowel.
Common mistakes: 1) Dropping the final /t/ or making it a soft /d/ sound like 'promp' or 'promp-t' with a glottal stop; 2) Vowel length or quality drift in the first syllable, pronouncing it as a pure /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ without the rounded quality or wrong height; 3) Running the cluster /mpt/ together too loosely, causing a blurred release. Corrections: clearly articulate the /m/ closure and release into the /pt/ plosive; maintain a crisp stop after /m/ and avoid vowel reduction in the first syllable. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the final plosive: prompt vs. promp(t) vs. prompt (with silent /t/).
US: rhotic, with a robust /r/ influence in some speakers; vowel in first syllable often /ɑː/ or /ɑ/ depending on region; final /pt/ clearly released. UK: non-rhotic for many speakers; closer to /ˈprɒmpt/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and tighter /pt/ release. Australia: similar to UK but often with slightly longer vowels and a more clipped final /t/; some speakers may aspirate the /t/ slightly more than UK. Overall, the main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality; the final consonant cluster remains a hard /pt/ in all three, though rare glottalization can occur in fast speech, especially in UK or AU informal registers.
Two main challenges: the tight /mpt/ consonant cluster, which must be released crisply without a vowel between /m/ and /p/; and the vowel quality of the first syllable, which should be short and rounded rather than lax. If your mouth stays relaxed between the /m/ and /p/ you’ll blur the release; ensure a brief closure of the lips for /m/ followed immediately by a clean /p/ release into /t/. The stress on the first syllable also makes it easy to tilt the vowel, so maintain a crisp, distinct vowel quality.
No silent letters in standard pronunciation; the stress is on the first syllable: PROMPT. The second syllable is a closed, unreleased-looking /pt/ cluster that results in a short, clipped ending. The key is a strong primary stress on the first syllable and a clean, quick release of /pt/ at the end. Keep the jaw relaxed but ready; the tongue should stay engaged for /pr/ at the start, then snap into the /m/ and final /pt/ without adding extra vowel between /m/ and /p/.
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