/ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənt/
Say it backA noun meaning something that is required or obligatory. It can also refer to a qualification or condition that must be met. In business and software contexts, it denotes a specified criterion or mandate that an outcome or product must satisfy.
- You: 2-3 bullet list of common mistakes with corrections • Misplacing stress on the first syllable; correct to stress the second syllable: re-QUI-ment vs re-QUIRE-ment • Vowel quality in /kwaɪ/ or /kwaɪə/; ensure diphthong is clear and not reduced to a schwa • Final /t/ timing; avoid a heavy release; keep it light in fluent speech - Practice tip: Record and compare to native speakers.
"The project failed because it did not meet the client’s security requirement."
"Our hiring process includes a degree requirement for the role."
"There’s a minimum income requirement to apply for the loan."
Pronounce it reˈkwaɪərmənt, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /rɪˈkwaɪər.mənt/, UK /rɪˈkwaɪə.mənt/, AU /riˈkwaɪəmənt/. Start with a short, unstressed re- then a strong /kwaɪər/ nucleus, finishing with /mənt/. Lip rounding for /ɔɪ/ is minimal; keep the tongue high-mid for /kwaɪər/ and close with /mənt/. Audio reference: listen to native speakers saying “requirement” in formal contexts.
Common errors: 1) Not stressing the second syllable, producing /ˌrɪˈkwɜːr.mənt/ or /ˈriːkwɪəmənt/. 2) Slurring /ɪə/ as a diphthong or misplacing /kw/ creating /ɹiˈkwɔːˈment/. 3) Mispronouncing /ər/ as /ɜːr/ or reducing /mənt/ to /mən/. Correction: emphasize /kwaɪər/ with a crisp /ɪə/ to /əˈr/ and keep /mənt/ as a light, unstressed ending. Practice slow, then natural tempo to stabilize the /r/ and /ɪər/ sequence.
US: rɪˈkwaɪər.mənt with rhotic /r/ and a clear /ˈkwaɪ/ diphthong. UK: rɪˈkwaɪə.mənt, slightly less rhotic in some varieties and a shorter /ə/ in the second syllable. AU: riˈkwaɪəmənt with broader vowel length in /i/ and a flatter /ə/ in the second syllable; often a more centralized /ə/ in rapid speech. Across accents, the primary stress remains on the second syllable; the nucleus of /kwaɪər/ is the main difference in vowel quality and rhotic presence.
It challenges non-native speakers due to the /ɪ/ vs /iː/ distinction in unstressed syllables, the /kwaɪər/ cluster, and the /r/ plus /ər/ sequence. The sequence /kwaɪər/ combines a high-front vowel with a mid-central vowel and a rhotic approximant, which can be tricky for learners unfamiliar with rhotic accents. Mastery requires clear articulation of the /r/ sound, correct vowel quality in /kwaɪə/ or /kwaɪər/, and stable syllable-timed rhythm.
In standard pronunciations, the final /t/ is pronounced as a light, unreleased or lightly aspirated consonant in careful speech: /ˈrɪˈkwaɪər.mənt/. In rapid, connected speech, some speakers may devoce or soften the final /t/ to a glottal stop or a very light tap, but generally you should articulate /t/ clearly in careful speech, especially in professional contexts.
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Requirement comes from the Middle English word requeirement, borrowed from Old French requeriment, and ultimately from the Latin requirere, meaning to seek, to obtain, or to demand. The root re- indicates “again” or “back,” with quatere or quaerere relating to asking or seeking. In medieval times, requerirent evolved to signify a formal demand or claim, and by the 15th century English began using it to denote a condition that must be satisfied or an essential prerequisite. Through the Renaissance and into modern English, the word broadened from a legal or formal demand to encompass any necessary condition or criterion. The modern spelling settled in the 18th and 19th centuries, aligning with other French-derived terms such as requirement and requisition. The pronunciation tone shifted subtly over time, with primary stress consistently on the second syllable in contemporary usage (reQUIREment), reflecting the typical English noun-formation pattern from verbs of the same root. First known use in English literature appears in legal or scholastic contexts during the 1400s, with broader adoption in technical and corporate vocabularies by the 19th and 20th centuries as organizations formalized requirements engineering, specifications, and compliance standards.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "requirement" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "requirement" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "requirement"
-ent sounds
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