If you are unsure whether to write acquit or aquit, the answer is straightforward: acquit is the correct spelling in standard English. Aquit is a misspelling when you are trying to write the English verb acquit.
The confusion is understandable. When people hear acquit, the word can sound as though it begins with “a-quit.” The c is not pronounced as a separate sound, so a writer may leave it out when spelling the word from memory. However, the standard written form includes the c:
a-c-q-u-i-t
The verb acquit is commonly used in legal situations. It means to officially decide that someone is not guilty of a crime or charge. For example:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
The word also has a more formal use in the expression acquit yourself, meaning to perform or behave in a particular way. For example:
She acquitted herself well during the interview.
Major dictionaries identify acquit as the standard English verb and give its pronunciation as /əˈkwɪt/. Its forms include acquits, acquitted, and acquitting.
By contrast, aquit does not function as an accepted alternative spelling of acquit in standard modern English. It is generally treated as a misspelling of acquit.
So, if you are writing an essay, legal document, news report, email, school assignment, or professional message, use acquit.
Quick Answer
Acquit is correct. Aquit is incorrect when you mean the English verb meaning “to declare someone not guilty.”
| Spelling | Correct? | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Acquit | Yes | To officially declare someone not guilty, or to perform/behave in a certain way |
| Aquit | No | A misspelling of acquit |
The correct spelling contains a c before quit:
ac + quit = acquit
For example:
- Correct: The jury voted to acquit him.
- Incorrect: The jury voted to aquit him.
The same spelling remains important when you use related forms:
- acquit
- acquits
- acquitted
- acquitting
- acquittal
The pronunciation does not give you a separate “c” sound, which is one reason the spelling can be easy to forget. Cambridge and Oxford both list the pronunciation as /əˈkwɪt/.
What Does Acquit Mean?
Acquit is a verb with two closely related standard uses.
The most common use appears in legal contexts. To acquit someone means to officially decide in court that the person is not guilty of the crime or charge for which they were tried.
For example:
The jury acquitted the defendant.
This means the jury decided that the defendant was not guilty.
The common construction is:
acquit someone of something
Examples include:
- The jury acquitted him of fraud.
- The court acquitted her of the charges.
- The defendant was acquitted of murder.
- The judge ordered that the accused be acquitted.
Oxford lists acquit somebody of something as the standard construction for the legal meaning.
The word can also be used in a more formal expression:
acquit yourself well
This means to perform, behave, or conduct yourself well in a particular situation.
For example:
Maya acquitted herself well during the presentation.
Here, acquit has nothing to do with a criminal trial. It describes someone’s performance or behavior.
Cambridge also recognizes this formal performance-related use, giving examples involving someone who performs well in a race or other demanding situation.
Legal Meaning
The legal meaning is the one most readers will recognize.
If someone is accused of a crime and later acquitted, a court has officially determined that the person is not guilty of that particular charge.
For example:
The jury acquitted the defendant after reviewing the evidence.
The noun related to this legal decision is acquittal.
The trial ended in an acquittal.
It is important not to confuse acquit with acquittal. Acquit is the verb, while acquittal is the noun referring to the result or decision. Oxford lists acquittal as a noun associated with the legal process.
Formal Performance Meaning
The second meaning is less common in everyday conversation but remains standard.
When someone acquits themselves well, they perform effectively or behave appropriately in a particular situation.
Examples:
The new manager acquitted herself well during the meeting.
He acquitted himself admirably under pressure.
The students acquitted themselves well in the competition.
This use is generally more formal than the ordinary legal use.
Why Is Aquit Incorrect?
The spelling aquit looks reasonable if you spell the word according to how it sounds.
The pronunciation of acquit is /əˈkwɪt/. The first syllable is unstressed, and the c does not produce an independent sound.
That means a learner might hear something close to the following structure:
uh-KWIT
and naturally write:
aquit
But standard English spelling requires the c:
acquit
This is an example of why English spelling cannot always be predicted directly from pronunciation.
The same basic issue appears in many English words where certain letters do not correspond neatly to a separate sound. In acquit, the spelling preserves the established written form even though you do not pronounce a separate /k/ sound for the c.
A simple way to remember it is:
acquit contains “quit” with “ac” in front of it.
So write:
ac + quit = acquit
not:
a + quit = aquit
The latter may look simpler, but it is not the standard spelling of the English verb.
Pronunciation of Acquit
The standard pronunciation of acquit is:
/əˈkwɪt/
The stress falls on the second syllable. The word has two syllables.
The pronunciation is essentially the same in standard American and British English, so pronunciation does not create a US-versus-UK spelling distinction here. Cambridge gives /əˈkwɪt/ for both its UK and US entries, while Oxford’s American dictionary gives the same pronunciation.
The important spelling lesson is that the c is written but not pronounced as a separate sound.
This is why someone who has heard the word many times but rarely seen it written may mistakenly write aquit.
If you are learning the word for writing purposes, remember its visual form rather than trying to spell it entirely from sound:
ACQUIT
Acquit vs Aquit: The Main Difference
The difference is not one of meaning.
There are not two standard English words where acquit means one thing and aquit means something else. Instead, the issue is simply correctness of spelling.
| Feature | Acquit | Aquit |
|---|---|---|
| Standard English spelling | Yes | No |
| Standard verb | Yes | No |
| Legal meaning | Yes | No |
| Meaning “declare not guilty” | Yes | No |
| Formal “acquit yourself” use | Yes | No |
| Pronunciation | /əˈkwɪt/ | Not the standard spelling of this word |
| Recommended in US English | Yes | No |
The key point is simple: do not treat “aquit” as a second spelling choice.
If you mean the standard English verb, choose acquit.
Common Mistakes With Acquit
The most common mistake is dropping the c.
Mistake 1: Writing Aquit
Incorrect:
The jury decided to aquit the defendant.
Correct:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
The missing c changes the word from the standard spelling to a misspelling.
Mistake 2: Writing Acquited
Another common mistake happens when forming the past tense.
Incorrect:
The defendant was acquited.
Correct:
The defendant was acquitted.
The past tense and past participle are spelled acquitted, with a doubled t.
Oxford lists these forms as:
- present: acquit
- third-person singular: acquits
- past: acquitted
- past participle: acquitted
- -ing form: acquitting
Mistake 3: Writing Acquiting
Incorrect:
The jury is acquiting him.
Correct:
The jury is acquitting him.
The spelling is acquitting, with the final consonant doubled before -ing.
Mistake 4: Confusing Acquit With Acquittal
Incorrect:
The court announced an acquit.
Correct:
The court announced an acquittal.
Acquit is a verb. Acquittal is the noun.
Compare:
The jury will acquit the defendant.
with:
The jury returned an acquittal.
Mistake 5: Using Acquit Without “Of” in the Legal Construction
The usual legal pattern is:
acquit someone of a crime or charge
Examples:
The jury acquitted him of the charges.
She was acquitted of fraud.
The defendant was acquitted of all charges.
This construction makes the sentence clearer and follows common dictionary usage.
Word Forms of Acquit
Knowing the related forms makes the spelling easier to remember.
Acquit
Acquit is the base form.
The jury may acquit the defendant.
Acquits
Acquits is the third-person singular present form.
The court acquits the defendant if the evidence does not establish guilt.
This form ends in -s.
Acquitted
Acquitted is both the simple past and past participle.
The jury acquitted him.
He was acquitted of the charges.
Notice the doubled t:
acquitted
not:
acquited
Acquitting
Acquitting is the present participle or gerund form.
The jury is acquitting the defendant.
Again, notice the doubled t:
acquitting
Acquittal
Acquittal is the related noun.
The acquittal came after several days of testimony.
An acquittal is the legal result of being acquitted. Oxford provides acquittal as a related legal noun.
Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples showing how acquit is used in modern American English.
Legal Examples
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
The judge said the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction.
The defendant was acquitted of all charges.
The jury acquitted her of fraud.
He was acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove the charge.
The court later acquitted the two defendants.
The defense attorney asked the jury to acquit his client.
The defendant was acquitted on the most serious charge.
These examples use acquit in its legal sense.
Performance Examples
The word also appears in the formal expression acquit yourself.
She acquitted herself well during the interview.
He acquitted himself admirably in the competition.
The team acquitted itself well against a much stronger opponent.
The student acquitted herself confidently during the presentation.
This use is less conversational than simply saying performed well, but it is still standard English. Cambridge and Oxford both recognize the performance-related construction.
Incorrect Examples
The following sentences show the common misspelling:
The jury decided to aquit the defendant.
She was aquit of the charges.
He aquit himself well.
The defendant was acquited.
The jury was acquiting him.
Each sentence contains a spelling problem.
The corrected versions are:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
She was acquitted of the charges.
He acquitted himself well.
The defendant was acquitted.
The jury was acquitting him.
Acquit in American English
Acquit is a standard word in American English.
It appears in American dictionaries and American-English learner references with the legal meaning of officially deciding that someone is not guilty. Cambridge’s American Dictionary entry lists acquit as a verb and gives the US pronunciation /əˈkwɪt/.
Oxford’s Advanced American Dictionary also lists acquit as a standard North American English verb.
There is therefore no reason for an American writer to use aquit.
If you are writing:
- a school paper,
- a college assignment,
- a legal document,
- a news article,
- a business report,
- an email,
- a website,
- or a professional document,
use acquit when this is the word you need.
Is Acquit British or American?
Acquit is used in both American and British English.
This is not a case like color/colour, where the spelling differs by region.
American English uses:
acquit
British English also uses:
acquit
The pronunciation is also essentially the same in the major dictionary entries.
Therefore, you should not think of aquit as a British alternative or an American alternative.
It is not a US-versus-UK spelling choice.
For standard English, the correct form is acquit.
Is Aquit Ever Correct?
If your intended word is the English verb acquit, then aquit is not the correct spelling.
Some online dictionaries or language references may contain unusual forms from other languages, historical material, or entries that are explicitly identified as misspellings. For example, Wiktionary identifies the English aquit as a misspelling of acquit.
That does not make aquit an acceptable spelling of the standard English verb.
For ordinary English writing, the practical rule is:
Use acquit. Do not use aquit.
A Simple Memory Trick
One easy way to remember the spelling is to break the word visually into two parts:
AC + QUIT
That gives:
ACQUIT
You can also connect it with the related forms:
- acquit
- acquits
- acquitted
- acquitting
- acquittal
All of these retain the c after the initial a.
A useful mental check is:
“Does this word contain the letters acq?”
If you mean acquit, the answer is yes.
So:
acquit ✓
aquit ✗
This simple visual reminder can prevent the most common spelling error.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
Acquit: A standard verb meaning to officially decide that someone is not guilty of a crime or charge. It can also be used in the formal expression acquit yourself, meaning to perform or behave in a particular way.
Example:
The jury acquitted the defendant of the charge.
Aquit: Not the standard spelling of the English verb acquit. It should not be used in standard American English writing.
The principal verb forms are:
- acquit
- acquits
- acquitted
- acquitting
Noun
Acquit: The word itself is a verb, not a noun.
The related noun is acquittal.
Example:
The acquittal ended the long trial.
Aquit: No standard English noun corresponding to the intended verb acquit is formed by simply removing the c.
If you need the noun, use acquittal, not aquit.
Synonyms
For the legal sense of acquit, useful close alternatives include:
- exonerate
- clear
- absolve
- vindicate
These words are not identical in every context, so they should not automatically replace acquit. For example, a court can acquit a defendant, while exonerate can have a broader sense of clearing someone from blame or responsibility.
The clearest opposite in the legal context is:
convict
For example:
The jury acquitted the defendant.
versus:
The jury convicted the defendant.
Aquit has no separate synonym or antonym because it is not the standard spelling of a distinct English word in this comparison.
Example Sentences
Acquit:
The jury voted to acquit the defendant.
She was acquitted of all charges.
The court acquitted him after reviewing the evidence.
The defense hoped the jury would acquit its client.
He acquitted himself well during the competition.
She acquitted herself admirably during the interview.
Aquit:
“Aquit” is incorrect when the intended word is acquit.
The correct sentence is:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
Not:
The jury decided to aquit the defendant.
Word History
The history of acquit helps explain why the spelling contains the unusual sequence acqu-.
Oxford traces the word to Middle English and identifies an earlier French source, ultimately connected with a medieval Latin form associated with paying a debt or discharging a liability.
Over time, the word developed its modern legal and broader formal uses. Today, its most familiar meaning is the legal one: to officially find someone not guilty.
The spelling acquit is therefore an established form with a long history in English. There is no need to invent a separate spelling tradition for aquit. In modern standard English, aquit is treated as a misspelling rather than a competing standard form.
Phrases Containing
Common phrases and constructions containing acquit include:
acquit someone of a crime
The jury acquitted him of the crime.
acquit someone of a charge
The court acquitted her of the charge.
be acquitted
The defendant was acquitted.
be acquitted of
He was acquitted of all charges.
acquit yourself well
She acquitted herself well during the interview.
acquit yourself admirably
He acquitted himself admirably under pressure.
The most common legal construction is acquit someone of something.
FAQs
Is Acquit or Aquit Correct?
Acquit is correct. Aquit is a misspelling when you mean the standard English verb.
How Do You Spell Acquit?
The correct spelling is:
A-C-Q-U-I-T
The easiest visual form to remember is ac + quit.
Is Aquit a Word?
In standard English usage, aquit is not an accepted alternative spelling of acquit. It is commonly identified as a misspelling of acquit.
What Does Acquit Mean?
Acquit most commonly means to officially decide that someone is not guilty of a crime or charge.
The jury acquitted the defendant.
It can also appear in the formal expression acquit yourself, meaning to perform or behave in a particular way.
What Is the Past Tense of Acquit?
The past tense is acquitted.
The jury acquitted him.
Be careful not to write acquited.
Is Acquitted Spelled With Two Ts?
Yes.
The correct spelling is:
acquitted
The same doubled t appears in acquitting.
What Is the Noun Form of Acquit?
The noun is acquittal.
The defendant’s acquittal surprised the public.
How Is Acquit Pronounced?
The standard pronunciation is /əˈkwɪt/. The main stress falls on the second syllable.
Is Acquit Used in American English?
Yes. Acquit is a standard American English verb and is listed in American dictionary references.
Is Acquit Also Used in British English?
Yes. Acquit is also standard British English. There is no standard US/UK spelling difference between acquit and aquit.
Why Do People Spell Acquit as Aquit?
The most likely practical reason is pronunciation. The c in acquit is not pronounced as a separate sound, so someone who has mainly heard the word may spell it according to its sound.
That does not make aquit an accepted spelling.
Is Acquit a Verb or Noun?
Acquit is a verb.
The related noun is acquittal.
What Is the Opposite of Acquit?
In a legal context, the clearest opposite is convict.
For example:
The jury acquitted the defendant.
The jury convicted the defendant.
These words describe opposite legal outcomes.
What Is the Difference Between Acquit and Acquittal?
Acquit is the verb.
Acquittal is the noun.
For example:
The jury decided to acquit him.
His acquittal came after a long trial.
Can You Say “Acquit Yourself”?
Yes. Acquit yourself is a formal expression meaning to perform or behave in a particular way.
For example:
She acquitted herself well during the presentation.
This use is recognized by major learner dictionaries.
Final Spelling Check
Before you publish or submit your writing, use this quick check:
Correct:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
Incorrect:
The jury decided to aquit the defendant.
Correct:
He was acquitted of the charges.
Incorrect:
He was acquited of the charges.
Correct:
She acquitted herself well.
Incorrect:
She aquited herself well.
Remember the three important spellings:
acquit → acquitted → acquitting
And remember the related noun:
acquittal
Conclusion
When choosing between acquit and aquit, there is no real spelling dilemma in standard English. Acquit is the correct spelling, while aquit is a misspelling when you mean the standard English verb.
Use acquit when you mean to officially declare someone not guilty of a crime or charge. The word is also used in the formal expression acquit yourself, meaning to perform or behave in a particular way.
The spelling is:
A-C-Q-U-I-T
The standard pronunciation is /əˈkwɪt/, and the word is used in both American and British English.
Its main forms are:
- acquit
- acquits
- acquitted
- acquitting
- acquittal
The easiest way to remember the spelling is to keep the c:
AC + QUIT = ACQUIT
So if you are writing a sentence such as “The jury decided to ___ the defendant,” the answer is always:
The jury decided to acquit the defendant.
Not aquit.
For standard American English, professional writing, academic work, and everyday communication, acquit is the form to use.
