Five Hard Words Play today

Tier four of five

How to spell acquire

What it means

to obtain or gain

How it sounds

/əˈkwaɪər/

Why it catches people out

Ac + quire. A c precedes the q, as in acquaint and acquit.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

The firm hopes to acquire a smaller rival.

First appeared in

Puzzle #10 — August 3, 2026