How to pronounce accomplishments in American English
Americans pronounce accomplishments as uh-KAHM-pluhsh-muhnts (/əˈkɑmplɪʃmənts/). The T drops out of the cluster entirely in casual American speech. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.
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Why "accomplishments" sounds like uh·KAHM·pluhsh·muhnts.
In "accomplishments", the "t" is squeezed between other consonants and drops out — the surrounding consonants flow together without it — most natural in flowing, casual speech; in careful or formal speech, the T may be lightly present. This is called the Silent T in Clusters, and it's one of the defining features of casual American English. It comes out as uh·KAHM·pluhsh·muhnts.
Hear "accomplishments" in the wild.
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Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
Pronouncing the T in a consonant cluster.
In "accomplishments", the "t" is squeezed between other consonants and drops out — the surrounding consonants flow together without it — most natural in flowing, casual speech; in careful or formal speech, the T may be lightly present. /t/ is dropped entirely — the surrounding consonants flow together without the T.
Inserting a vowel before the syllabic consonant.
In "accomplishments", the short unstressed vowel before "" disappears — the schwa is absorbed and the "" becomes the syllable nucleus on its own. Schwa is absorbed — consonant becomes the syllable nucleus.
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch KAHM — keep everything else short and quick.
Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.
Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.
Questions people ask about this.
How is "accomplishments" stressed in American English?
Why does the first syllable in "accomplishments" reduce to "uh"?
Is the American pronunciation of "accomplishments" different from British English?
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