3 syllables: Re, qui, site. Stress on Re.
REK-wuh-zuht
/ˈɹɛkwəzət/
Requisite is pronounced REK-wuh-zuht (/ˈɹɛkwəzət/). It has three syllables (Re-qui-site), with the stress on "Re". Requisite is an adjective meaning morally or legally required; essential or needed to satisfy a condition. It is often used to describe a prerequisite or something necessary for attainment or compliance. In usage, it labels a standard or requirement that must be met in a given context.
adjectiveRequisite is an adjective meaning morally or legally required; essential or needed to satisfy a condition. It is often used to describe a prerequisite or something necessary for attainment or compliance. In usage, it labels a standard or requirement that must be met in a given context.
"A valid passport is a requisite for international travel."
"Financial stability is a requisite prerequisite for starting the project."
"The team met all the requisite qualifications for the job."
Pronounce it as /ˈrɛkwɪzɪt/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: REK-wi-zit. Break it into four sounds: /ˈr/ as in red, /ɛ/ like e in bed, /k/ as in cat, and a quick /wɪz/ followed by /ɪt/. In fluent speech, the middle syllables blend, but keep the first syllable clearly stressed. Listen for the subtle /kw/ cluster after the initial /r/ and ensure the /z/ is voiced. Audio resources: Pronounce or Cambridge dictionary audio can help you hear the exact sequence.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress on the second syllable (re-KWIZ-it) and softening the /kw/ into /k/ or /gw/ blends. Another error is pronouncing /r/ as a rolled or tapped variant in careful contexts, or mispronouncing the final -t as a silent letter. Correct by practicing the four-syllable, stress-on-first pattern: /ˈrɛkwɪzɪt/, ensure the /kw/ remains a single consonant cluster, and finish with a crisp /t/ without voicing the final vowel. Use minimal pairs to reinforce the correct rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the primary stress remains on the first syllable: REK-wi-zit. The vowel /e/ in the first syllable tends toward a short e in most accents. Differences show in rhoticity and vowel length: US is rhotic, so /r/ is clearly pronounced; UK may have a shorter /ɪ/ in the third syllable and can be less rounded in /ə/ colors. Australian tends to be non-rhotic in careful speech with a slightly flatter /ɪ/ and a more centralized /ə/. Overall, the core four-syllable rhythm stays, but vowel quality and r-coloring vary.
The difficulty comes from the /ˈrɛkwɪzɪt/ cluster: the /kw/ immediately after the /r/ and the mid word transition from /ε/ to /ɪ/ in quick speech. The two unstressed syllables can blur, making it easy to reduce or misplace the stress. Also, the final /t/ can be devoiced or flapped in rapid speech, altering perceived ending. Practice by isolating the four phonemes, maintaining crisp /t/ and a precise /kw/ blend, then gradually speed up while preserving the confident first-stress pattern.
Is the ‘re-’ prefix here a true re- as in again, or simply a linking syllable forming the root? In Requisite, the prefix functions as a root-building element rather than the iterative ‘again’ sense in other words. The essential element is the main root -sequ- from Latin requisitus, but in English adaptation, the prefix acts as an attached modifier creating a means of indicating necessity. This affects pronunciation only in that the initial /r/ remains a strong onset and the following vowel reduces, not elongates, making REK-wi-zit a stable four-syllable unit.
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Requisite traces to the Latin requisitus, past participle of requirere ‘to seek, request, require.’ The prefix re- (again) + quis- (to seek, ask) conveyed ‘to seek back’ in medieval Latin, evolving into ‘needed, demanded’ in Old French as requisit (noun) and requisitus. English borrowed requisitus as a noun meaning ‘a thing required’ and later adjectival form requisite to describe something that is required. The sense of something being indispensable in a particular circumstance solidified in the 17th–18th centuries as formal vocabulary in law, education, and formal discourse. The word has retained a precise, criterion-based connotation, with usage pivoting between “essential” and “required by rule or necessity.” First known use in English appears in the early 17th century with legal and administrative contexts, and by the 18th century it broadened to general usage describing prerequisites and conditions. The term remains common in formal writing, policy documents, and professional speech, often paired with nouns describing standards, qualifications, or conditions that must be met.
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Words that rhyme with "Requisite"
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