What does commence mean?
Word: Commence
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Commence means to begin, used mostly in formal or official language.
Synonyms: begin, start
How do you spell commence?
Syllables: com - mence
Tricky part: The m is doubled. Students who say the word quickly hear only one m and write comence.
Watch out for: comence, commance
Memory tip: Commence starts the same way as command and committee, with a double m to get things going.
Commence in a sentence
Example 1: The ceremony will commence as soon as the guest of honour arrives.
Example 2: Work on the new school library is set to commence next month.
Example 3: Please switch off your phones before the show commences.
Fun Fact
In the USA, a graduation ceremony is often called commencement, because it marks the start of a new stage of life rather than the end of school.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
The inter-house debate will commense in the main hall, and every student must be seated before the bell rings.
a) only debate
b) only commense
c) commense and seated
d) debate and rings
Show answer
b) only commense. Commence ends in nce, so commense is wrong; the rest of the sentence is fine.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with commence?
a) intense
b) distance
c) immense
d) suspense
Show answer
b) distance. Distance is stressed on its first part; the other three are stressed at the end and rhyme with fence.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. commence 2. expand 3. reveal a. shrink b. conclude c. conceal
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. Commence is the opposite of conclude, expand of shrink and reveal of conceal.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. comment 2. commerce 3. commence 4. commend
a) 4312
b) 3412
c) 3142
d) 3421
Show answer
b) 3412. All four start with comme; n comes before r, and then c, d and t sort the n words.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you expect to read the word commence?
a) in a chat with friends
b) in an official notice
c) on a sweet wrapper
d) in a nursery rhyme
Show answer
b) in an official notice
2. If a match is due to commence at 4 p.m., what happens at 4 p.m.?
a) it gets under way
b) it finishes
c) it is called off
d) it reaches half-time
Show answer
a) it gets under way
