Fill in the blanks with the appropriate pair of homonyms:
His _________ up the corporate ladder is weirdly attributed to his American _________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → ascent, accent
Ascent and accent sound alike but differ in meaning:
- Ascent means a climb or rise to a higher position. One's rise "up the corporate ladder" (to higher posts in a company) is an ascent, so it fills the first blank.
Example: His rapid ascent to the post of manager surprised everyone. - Accent means a way of pronouncing words that shows where a person comes from. "His American accent" fills the second blank.
Example: She speaks English with a strong Scottish accent. - Extent means size or degree and does not fit the second blank; "exend" is not an English word.
- Complete sentence: His ascent up the corporate ladder is weirdly attributed to his American accent.