Recompense is a noun meaning a payment or reward given in return for a service, loss, or injury. It can also refer to compensation or restitution. The term carries formal or literary connotations and is used in legal, moral, or archaic contexts to denote repayment or recompense for actions.
"The villagers sought recompense for the damage done to their crops."
"After the lawsuit, the company offered a monetary recompense to the affected families."
"The hero’s sacrifices were finally met with recompense from the grateful nation."
"In old poetry, the knight was promised recompense for his loyalty and bravery."
Recompense origin traces to Middle English recompense, from Old French recompense, from recompenser, meaning to reward in return. The French word derives from the prefix re- (again, back) + the verb payer (to pay), evolving through Latin influences where payer is linked to pacare (to appease or pacify) and the notion of paying back or making amends. In English, recompense appeared in the 14th century, initially tied to the idea of repayment for services or losses and often used in legal, moral, or religious discourse. The sense broadened to include any form of compensation or reward. Over centuries, the pronunciation and stress stabilized, with primary stress on the second syllable RE-com-PENSE in older forms, and today commonly on the second syllable in many varieties, though some poetic or archaic usages may retain earlier patterns. In modern usage, recompense maintains a formal tone and is frequently found in legal documents, literature, and formal discussions of justice or gratitude. First known written appearances appear in Middle English texts, gradually becoming a staple term in English legal and moral vocabulary by the Early Modern period.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Recompense" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Recompense"
-nse sounds
-nce sounds
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Pronounce it as re-com-PENSE, with primary stress on the last syllable. IPA for US: rɪˈkɒm-pɛns or rɪˈkɑːm-pɛns depending on dialect; but most standard US uses rɪˈkɒm-pɛns in British and rɪˈkɑːm-pens in some US variants. A precise reference: /ˌriː.kɒmˈpens/ in some dictionaries, but common modern usage places the emphasis on -pense. Mouth positions: start with /r/ tapping the tongue tip, then /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ vowels, then /k/ with back tongue draw, /ɒ/ or /ɒ/ depending on accent, then /m/, /p/, /ɛ/, /n/, /s/. Listen to a pronunciation guide or dictionary audio for exact accent variant.
Common errors: stressing the first syllable instead of the final one (re-COM-pense). Mixing up the middle vowels, e.g., /riːˈkɒm-pɛns/ vs //rɪˈkɒm-pɛns/. Another mistake is running the final /s/ too forcefully (sibilant blend) or omitting the /mp/ cluster, saying /rɪˈkoʊm-pɛns/ with a glide. Correction: place the primary stress on -pense, keep the /mp/ cluster intact between /m/ and /p/, and ensure a clean /s/ at the end while not over-voicing the preceding vowel.
US, UK, and AU differences: US often uses /ˌriːˈkɒm-pɛns/ or /ˌrɪˈkɒm-pɛns/ with a rhotic /r/ and a shorter /ɒ/; UK typically /ˌriːˈkɒm-pɛns/ with non-rhotic accent, dropping post-vocalic r. Australian often closer to US but with broader /æ/ or /e/ in some speakers, and a slightly longer vowel in /ɒ/. The final /s/ tends to be crisp in all, but consonant aspiration can vary: US often a softer /s/, UK slightly sharper. Listen to dictionary audio for exact variant in your desired region.
The difficulty comes from the unstressed mid syllable and the consonant cluster /mp/ followed by /p/ and /n/ before the final /s/. The vowel in the second syllable can vary (/ɒ/ vs /ɒː/), and speakers often misplace stress toward the first syllable. Also, many learners substitute /r/ or mispronounce /k/ after the vowel. Focus on the envelope of the syllables: re- (unstressed), com- (secondary), pense (main stress). Practice with slow, precise articulation of /k/ and /mp/ without adding extra vowel sounds.
There are no silent letters in recompense, but the sequence -mpen- requires careful articulation to avoid confusion with similar words like compensate. The /k/ and /m/ share a rapid transition, and the final /s/ is a crisp voiceless alveolar sibilant. Unique to this word is maintaining the final -ense as a single syllable segment with an /s/ rather than a separate sound like -s pronounced as z. IPA guidance helps ensure exact articulation.
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