suhb-MITS
/ˌsʌˈbmɪts/
submits is pronounced suhb-MITS (/ˌsʌˈbmɪts/). Submits is a verb meaning to present, offer, or yield something (such as a document or proposal) for consideration or decision. It often implies yielding authority to a higher power or authority. In common usage, it can also describe the act of submitting to someone’s request or authority, or presenting oneself for judgment or approval.
Submits is a verb meaning to present, offer, or yield something (such as a document or proposal) for consideration or decision. It often implies yielding authority to a higher power or authority. In common usage, it can also describe the act of submitting to someone’s request or authority, or presenting oneself for judgment or approval.
- Common challenges: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (SUB-mits) which sounds awkward; 2) Overemphasizing /s/ making the initial cluster too sibilant; 3) Not forming the final /ts/ as a single affricate, resulting in /t/ or /s/ only. How to fix: practice saying /səbˈmɪts/ slowly, exaggerate the second syllable, then gradually speed; focus on the release of /t/ into /ts/ by blending the tongue tip contact with the alveolar ridge into the /s/. - Self-check: record yourself saying the word in isolation, then in sentences to confirm rhythm and stress.
"The company submits its quarterly report to the regulators."
"She submits her application online before the deadline."
"During the meeting, he submits to the committee's questions with calm clarity."
Pronounced as /səbˈmɪts/. The first syllable is unstressed with a schwa /ə/, the second syllable carries primary stress /ˈmɪts/. Mouth positions: lips relaxed for /sə/ cluster, tongue tip near the alveolar ridge for /mɪts/, with a quick release into /ts/ at the end. Listen for the crisp final /ts/ sound after /ɪ/; avoid turning it into /t/ or /s/ alone. Audio reference: you can compare with standard dictionary pronunciations in Cambridge/Oxford or Forvo.
Common mistakes: 1) Placing primary stress on the first syllable (sub-mits) instead of second (sub-MITS). 2) Overpronouncing the /t/ leading to a /tɪts/ or /t/ without affrication. 3) Reducing the final /ts/ to /s/ or /t/; keep the two-face affricate /ts/. Correction tips: practice with minimal pairs like /səbˈmɪts/ vs /səbˈmɪt/; exaggerate the final affricate slowly, then glide to natural speed. Use a short vowel in /ə/ and ensure the tongue taps the alveolar ridge for the /m/ and /t/ transition.
US, UK, and AU share /səbˈmɪts/ as a base, but subtle differences exist: US tends to a slightly longer /ɪ/ and crisper /ts/. UK may have a marginally shorter /ɪ/ and a softer /t/, with less glottal influence. Australian typically has a clear /ɪ/ and a slightly more relaxed /ə/ in the first syllable, with non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; nevertheless, most educated Australian speakers still articulate the final /ts/. IPA guides: US /səˈmɪts/, UK /səˈmɪts/, AU /səˈmɪts/.
The difficulty centers on the two-stress pattern in a short word: the primary stress lands on the second syllable, which can cause a mis-stress or a clipped first syllable. The final /ts/ cluster requires precise DPS timing between /t/ release and affrication with /s/. The unstressed first syllable uses a reduced vowel /ə/ that can easily become /ɪ/ or /ɜ/. Mastery needs practice linking the /b/ and /m/ closures, and keeping the vowel in the first syllable weak while preserving the clarity of /mɪts/.
Yes: the transition from the nasal /m/ to the alveolar stop /t/ followed by a voiced/unvoiced touch with /s/ requires careful timing to avoid an overly aspirated or clipped ending. The stress on /ˈmɪts/ should feel natural and not be emphasized by a longer vowel; the start /sə/ should be reduced, not pronounced as /səˈmɪt/. If you’re listening to a native speaker, you’ll hear a crisp, fast delivery with a compact onset and a clean affricate at the end.
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- US: pronounce the initial /ə/ as a quick schwa, keep /mɪ/ bright but not overly long, end with crisp /ts/; UK: similar pattern, but often a lighter final consonant and less vowel reduction in the first syllable; AU: more open vowel in /ə/ and the /ɪ/ may be slightly higher; vowel qualities influence overall cadence; use IPA cues: /səˈmɪts/ in all. - Vowel detail: /ə/ vs /ɪ/ difference; final /ts/ requires alveolar stop release; keep lips neutral for /s/.
Submit derives from the Latin subscriptus, from sub- 'under' + scribere 'to write', originally meaning to write under an authority or seal, i.e., to place a document under someone’s control for approval. In Latin, subscriptus literally denotes something written underneath or under submission. The English adoption carries forward this sense of yielding, entrusting, or presenting something for consideration. By the 15th century, English usage expanded from documents and pleas to include the act of yielding to authority in general. The verb form submit underwent regular phonological changes in English, with the typical reduction of unstressed syllables, ultimately producing the modern form submit with stress on the second syllable in many varieties when used as a verb (sub-MITS). The related noun submission shares the same root, while the past tense and participle forms align with standard English inflection (submitted). The sense of “to yield, to comply” became common in legal, bureaucratic, and academic registers, retaining a formal tone even in everyday use.
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Words that rhyme with "submits"
-its sounds
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