Achieving

How to spell achieving

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce achieving

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does achieving mean?

1. verbSuccessfully reaching or accomplishing a goal, result, or standard through effort.

Achieving in a sentence

• She is committed to achieving a healthier work-life balance this year.

• The team is focused on achieving record sales before the quarter ends.

Where does achieving come from?

Language of origin: French

This word descends from the Old French verb achever, meaning 'to bring to a head' or 'to complete', which itself was built on the phrase venir a chief, literally 'to come to a head' or 'to come to an end'. The chief part traces back to the Latin caput, meaning 'head', the same root that gives us 'chief', 'chapter' and 'capital'. English borrowed achieve in the 1300s with the sense of finishing or accomplishing something successfully, and the present participle achieving simply adds the -ing ending to that verb. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the i comes before the e (following the familiar pattern after a soft 'ch' sound), and the silent connection to 'head' is long forgotten. Remembering that to achieve is to bring something to its 'chief' or final point can anchor the -chiev- spelling.

How the word is built

• a- (from Old French a-, to/toward)
• chiev (from chief: head, end)
• -ing (present participle suffix)