Somersaults are forward or backward flips in which the body rotates through an aerial, tucked or straight pose, landing on the feet. They are athletic movements often used in gymnastics or playful acrobatics, typically performed in a sequence. The plural form indicates multiple flips in a routine or activity.
"She taught her students a safe way to perform somersaults in the gym."
"During the break, the kids showed off their somersaults on the playground mat."
"The gymnast included multiple somersaults as part of her floor routine."
"We practiced somersaults over the foam pit until we got the hang of it."
The term somersault originates from the Old French mots sur — the expression se soulever and lever the body forward? The word is often thought to derive from the combination of the French phrase «somer sue»? However, the established etymology points to the Old French somersaut (or sombresaut) meaning 'overturn’ or 'a sudden movement turned over on the saddle’s back.' This then entered English as somersault with the sense of a gymnastic forward roll and later extended to the plural somersaults. The morpheme structure includes the prefix soma-, from Latin soma ‘body,’ and -saut from the French saut ‘leaping’ or ‘vault’. First known uses appear in late Middle English sources, with 16th–17th century gymnastics and literature referencing the move as a sensational feat. Over centuries, the term broadened from a single flip to a class of aerial rolls, with regional spelling variants and the modern plural form somersaults standard by the 18th–19th centuries. The word’s popularity surged alongside acrobatics and circus arts, embedding into sporting, educational, and popular culture vernacular. Today, somersault remains the canonical term for the body’s rotation through an arc during a flip, whether performed forward or backward, in gymnastic routines, parkour, and playful contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Somersaults"
-lts sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈsɒmərˌsɔːlts/ in US, UK, and AU with primary stress on the first syllable. Break it as SOM-er-saults; the ‘som’ has a short o as in ‘hot,’ ‘er’ is a schwa, and the final ‘saults’ rhymes with ‘vaults’ but starts with a consonant cluster /s/ + /ɔːl/ starting a diphthong-like sequence. Think: SOM-ər-sults with a light, quick ‘-saults’ ending. Audio resources: Cambridge/Oxford dicts provide native pronunciation; you can also listen on Forvo or YouGlish using ‘somersaults.’
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying som-ersaults with stress on the second syllable; (2) Muddling the final -saults, saying ‘-saut’ or ‘-salt’ instead of the /ɔːlts/ cluster. Correction: keep primary stress on SOM- and ensure the -aults part preserves the /ɔːlts/ sequence; (3) Compressing the sequence so it sounds like ‘somer-salts’ with a hard t; instead keep the full /ˈsɒmərˌsɔːlts/ ending by delivering a clear /ɔːl/ + /ts/ at the end. Practice with slow tempo then speed up, and use minimal pairs to lock in the ending.
In US: /ˈsɒmərˌsɔːlts/ with rhotic /r/ in the second syllable and the 'saults' pronounced /sɔːlts/. In UK/Non-rhotic variants: /ˈsɒməsɔːlts/ where the /r/ is not pronounced; the second syllable has a reduced vowel /ə/ in many dialects. Australian: typically /ˈsɒməsɔːlts/ with a clear /r/ not r-colored and similar to UK/AU rhyme, but some speakers show a slight rhoticity. The key differences: rhoticity on the /r/ in the US, vowel quality of /ɔː/ and the reduced second syllable vowel; and the final /lt/ often realized as a smooth cluster. Listen to native speakers for subtle intonation.
Difficult because of the vowel sequence in -saults and the /ˈsɔːlts/ ending that follows a lighter, unstressed /ər/ in the middle syllable. The crest of difficulty is the /ɔː/ and the final /ts/ cluster that can blur into /t/ or /s/ for some speakers. Also, the transition from a stressed first syllable to a quick, unaccented second syllable makes timing critical. Practice by isolating each part: SOM- (stressed), -er- (schwa), -saults (ɔːlts). Use slow drills, then blend.
The plural form adds an extra syllable and a final /s/ cluster, so you’ll pronounce /ˈsɒmərˌsɔːlts/ rather than /ˈsɒmərˌsɔːlt/. The stress pattern remains the same, but you must end with a visible /t/ or /ts/ sound rather than a silent or softened ending in some dialects. The plural also tends to be used in rapid, athletic descriptions; you’ll want crisp enunciation to avoid merging with words like ‘summersaults’ or ‘somber’ in fast speech.
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