correspond

/ˌkɔːɹəsˈpɒnd/kaw-ruh-SPOND

/ˌkɔɹəsˈpɑnd/kaw-ruh-SPAHND

Meaningto answer back together

Common meaning: to match

Other meanings: to exchange letters

corwith, together (form of con-)
reagain; back
spondto pledge, promiseLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1745 · scan

‘with, together (form of con-)’ + ‘again’ + ‘to pledge, promise’ → correspond

Journey through time

Latinspondeō, spopondī, spōnsum‘to pledge, promise’
Englishcorrespond‘to match’ · today

cor- also in: correct corrosive corrugated corroborate

re- also in: react rebel relax repel reply

spond also in: respond sponsor response responsive responsible

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin spondeō ‘to pledge, promise’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry spondeō, p. 1745 · dictionary scan

Roots

spondeō, spopondī, spōnsum Latin “to pledge, promise”

Related words

respond response responsible responsive sponsor

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