Words with double consonants are often misspelled in English. But what is the correct spelling of “accompanied/acompanied?” And what does it mean? Read on for definitions, examples, and spelling tips to avoid errors in your writing.
What Does “Accompanied” Mean?
“Accompanied” is the past tense of the verb “to accompany.” Just like other verbs that end in a consonant followed by a “y,” the past tense and past participle of “accompany” are formed by removing the “y” and adding “-ied.” “To accompany” has a number of related meanings.
As a transitive verb, it means:
- To go along with as a companion:
He accompanied me to the theater.
Can I accompany you to your front door?
- To be or exist in company with something (note that in these cases the verb is followed with by or with):
This magazine is accompanied with a CD.
The flu is often accompanied by body aches.
The soup is accompanied by fresh bread.
- To perform a musical accompaniment to or for:
Melanie is accompanying the choir on the piano.
As an intransitive verb, it means:
- To supply a musical accompaniment:
Jose was playing the solo, and Marie accompanied yesterday.
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The root of the word “accompany” is the Old French verb accompaignier, which comes from à (meaning “to” or “toward”) and compaign, our word for “companion.”
The Error: Acompanied
As seen above, the correct spelling of this word is “accompanied.” However, it is often misspelled as “acompanied,” with a single “c.”
✘ Dad acompanied me to the meeting.
✔ Dad accompanied me to the meeting.
✘ The bottle of champagne was acompanied with a bouquet of roses.
✔ The bottle of champagne was accompanied with a bouquet of roses.
One way to remember the correct spelling is to think of the root meaning of the word, “company,” and precede it with the prefix “ac-,” meaning “to” or “toward.”
Summary: Accompanied or Acompanied?
“Accompanied” is the past tense of the verb “to accompany,” which derives its meaning from the words “companion” and “company.” It means to go with, to exist in association with, or to perform a musical accompaniment for. The correct spelling of this word is with a double “c,” but some people omit the second “c,” which is a mistake. So be careful not to use this spelling in your writing!
To help you avoid errors, think of the word “company” and add the prefix “ac-.”
And for more help with your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice, be sure to contact Proofed. We offer a free trial of our proofreading and editing services to new clients.