Proper Pronunciation Guide

adjutant

[æd̚ ʤə tənt]

Tips:

  • Pronounce this word as three syllables, stressing the first one.
  • Pronounce the first syllable like the word “add”—except stop-but-do-not-explode the letter “d”—/d̚ /— since it is followed by another consonant.
  • Pronounce the letter “j” as
    /ʤ/—as that letter is always pronounced in English.
  • Pronounce the vowels in both the second and third syllables—spelled “u” and “a” respectively—as the weak schwa vowel
    /ə/.

Practice Sentence:

 "I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle." (The opening of Abraham Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby of Boston, Massachusetts, dated November 21, 1864.)

Definition:

  • (noun) In the military an assistant to the commanding officer, who is responsible for administrative matters.

Notes:

The letter to Mrs. Bixby quoted above is considered to be “a model of purest English, rarely, if ever, surpassed” and serves as the motivation for the commanding general in the film “Saving Private Ryan” to expend great resources to find the private who is missing. See assuage.

  • Past Week’s Words

    Pronunciation Key for phonetic symbols

    sign up for Spoken Word Power which will have all the Words of the Day since 2004.

    Private Instruction from Brian