Acquire vs. Aquire: Which Spelling Is Correct? is a common English spelling confusion because the two forms look almost identical. Acquire is the correct way to write the word, and it means to get or obtain something. Aquire is the incorrect spelling because of the missing letter “c.” This common mistake is easy to overlook, especially when typing quickly in school papers, emails, business documents, or online posts.
As an English teacher since 2003, Ms. Marshall explains this spelling difficulty through a simple lesson and tutorial. Her site uses hand-draw illustrations, reflecting her work as an artist. If you’ve ever typed a word, looked at it, and suddenly wondered if it looks right, remember the “c” in acquire. This helps you spot the error at a glance and makes distinguishing the forms easier.
This guide covers word choice, related forms, synonyms, examples, common mistakes, workplace situations, and frequently asked questions. Today, this new addition to the list of tricky English words focuses on the interplay between spelling and meaning, making the difference easier to remember.
Acquire vs. Aquire: Quick Answer
The difference between these two spellings is simple:
| Spelling | Correct? | Meaning |
| Acquire | Yes | To obtain, gain, develop, or come to possess something |
| Aquire | No | Misspelling of acquire |
For example:
- Correct: She hopes to acquire new skills.
- Incorrect: She hopes to aquire new skills.
- Correct: The company plans to acquire a smaller business.
- Incorrect: The company plans to aquire a smaller business.
The important detail is the c between the first a and q. The correct spelling is:
A-C-Q-U-I-R-E
Not:
A-Q-U-I-R-E
A quick way to remember it is AC + QUIRE.
What Does Acquire Mean?
Acquire means to get or obtain something. However, the word has a broader range of meaning than the everyday verb get. Depending on the sentence, it can describe obtaining an object, developing a skill, gaining knowledge, receiving a characteristic, or taking ownership of a business.
For example:
She acquired several valuable books from her grandfather.
Here, acquired means she came to possess the books.
Now consider:
He acquired excellent communication skills through years of practice.
In this sentence, the person didn’t simply receive a physical object. He developed or gained a skill over time.
The word can therefore describe both physical and intangible things.
Acquire Definition
As a verb, acquire commonly means:
- To obtain something.
- To gain something through effort or experience.
- To develop a skill, habit, quality, or characteristic.
- To come into possession of something.
- To purchase or take control of a company or asset.
The surrounding words usually tell you which meaning applies.
| Context | Example | Meaning of Acquire |
| Possession | She acquired a new laptop. | Obtained |
| Education | He acquired new knowledge. | Gained |
| Skills | She acquired programming skills. | Developed |
| Habits | He acquired the habit of reading. | Developed |
| Business | The company acquired a competitor. | Purchased or took control |
| Property | They acquired the land in 2024. | Obtained ownership |
This flexibility makes acquire useful in both everyday and formal English.
Acquire in Different Contexts
One reason learners encounter acquire so often is that it works across many areas of life.
Acquire in Everyday English
In ordinary conversation, acquire can describe getting something, although get is often more natural in casual speech.
For example:
I acquired a few books during my trip.
This sentence is grammatically correct, but:
I got a few books during my trip.
sounds more casual and conversational.
The choice depends on tone. Acquire often sounds more deliberate, formal, or specific than get.
Acquire Knowledge and Skills
English speakers frequently use acquire with things that develop over time.
Common combinations include:
- acquire knowledge
- acquire skills
- acquire experience
- acquire expertise
- acquire information
- acquire proficiency
For example:
Students acquire knowledge through reading, practice, and discussion.
Here, acquire emphasizes the process of gaining knowledge rather than simply receiving it.
Similarly:
She acquired valuable experience during her first year at work.
The sentence suggests that experience accumulated through actual participation.
Acquire Habits and Characteristics
You can also acquire habits, tastes, behaviors, accents, or characteristics.
For example:
He acquired the habit of checking his email every morning.
Or:
After living abroad for several years, she acquired a different accent.
In these examples, acquire suggests that something became part of a person’s behavior or characteristics over time.
Acquire in Business
Business writing uses acquire especially often.
When one company buys another company or obtains control of it, business reports commonly use the verb acquire.
For example:
The technology company acquired a smaller software firm.
The related noun is acquisition:
The acquisition expanded the company’s presence in the European market.
This distinction matters because an acquisition is the act or transaction of acquiring something, while acquire is the verb describing the action.
Why Is “Aquire” Incorrect?
The spelling aquire is incorrect in standard English because it leaves out the c found in acquire.
The correct sequence is:
ac + quire = acquire
Many spelling mistakes happen because English spelling doesn’t always match pronunciation perfectly. When you pronounce acquire, the c doesn’t sound as noticeable as the letters might suggest.
That’s why someone may write:
aquire
instead of:
acquire
The mistake doesn’t create a different standard English word. Aquire is simply a misspelling.
The Missing “C” in Aquire
Look closely at these two forms:
ACQUIRE
AQUIRE
The only difference is the C.
That tiny letter completely determines whether the spelling is standard.
A useful visual trick is to remember:
AC + QUIRE = ACQUIRE
Once you remember AC at the beginning, the rest becomes easier.
How Do You Spell Acquire?
The correct spelling is:
A-C-Q-U-I-R-E
You can break it into two parts:
AC + QUIRE
This is particularly useful because the word acquire belongs to a group of words that contain the -quire pattern.
Examples include:
- acquire
- acquired
- acquiring
- acquisition
- acquisitive
The related forms don’t all preserve exactly the same ending, but they share the important acqui- spelling pattern.
Acquire Spelling in Different Forms
The verb changes depending on tense and grammatical use.
| Form | Example |
| Acquire | They want to acquire new customers. |
| Acquires | The company acquires smaller firms regularly. |
| Acquired | She acquired the property last year. |
| Acquiring | The business is acquiring new equipment. |
Notice that acquire becomes acquired rather than acquireed.
Likewise, the e disappears before the -ing ending:
acquire → acquiring
This follows a common English spelling pattern in which a final silent e is dropped before a suffix beginning with a vowel.
Acquire Pronunciation
In US English, acquire is commonly pronounced approximately:
uh-KWYR
The stress falls on the second syllable.
Its IPA pronunciation is:
/əˈkwaɪr/
The pronunciation helps explain one reason the spelling causes trouble. The c doesn’t stand out as a separate sound. Instead, the letters c and q work together within the qu sound.
For learners, saying the word slowly can help:
uh + C + quire
Then connect it:
acquire
However, spelling the word by sound alone isn’t always reliable. English contains many words whose written forms aren’t perfectly predictable from pronunciation.
Acquire vs. Get vs. Obtain
Although acquire, get, and obtain overlap in meaning, they aren’t interchangeable in every situation.
Acquire vs. Get
Get is one of the most common and flexible verbs in English.
You might say:
I got a new phone.
In everyday conversation, that sounds completely natural.
You could also write:
I acquired a new phone.
That’s grammatically correct, but it sounds more formal and may imply that obtaining the phone is relevant to the discussion.
Compare:
She got a new skill.
with:
She acquired a new skill.
The second sentence sounds more natural because acquire commonly describes the gradual development of knowledge or ability.
Acquire vs. Obtain
Obtain usually emphasizes successfully getting something that you wanted, needed, requested, or sought.
For example:
You must obtain permission before entering the building.
Acquire has a wider range of uses:
She acquired extensive knowledge of ancient history.
You can acquire knowledge, but obtain knowledge can sound more formal or less natural depending on the context.
Acquire vs. Gain
Gain often focuses on an increase or advantage.
For example:
The company gained market share.
You might also say:
The company acquired another business.
These sentences describe different actions. Gain focuses on obtaining an advantage or increase, while acquire can describe taking possession or control of something.
The same distinction appears with skills:
He gained confidence.
He acquired new technical skills.
Both are natural, but the nouns they accompany influence which verb sounds best.
Common Mistakes With Acquire
The spelling aquire is only one of several mistakes that can occur with this word.
Writing Aquire Instead of Acquire
This is the most obvious error.
Incorrect:
The company plans to aquire new equipment.
Correct:
The company plans to acquire new equipment.
The fix is simple: don’t forget the c.
Confusing Acquire With Acquisition
The words acquire and acquisition are related, but they serve different grammatical roles.
Acquire is a verb:
The company will acquire the property.
Acquisition is a noun:
The acquisition was completed in June.
A useful way to remember the relationship is:
acquire → acquisition
The first describes the action. The second names the process, event, or result.
Incorrect Verb Forms
Another common mistake involves adding endings incorrectly.
These forms are correct:
- acquire
- acquires
- acquired
- acquiring
These forms are not standard:
- aquire
- acquireed
- acquireing
For example:
She is acquiring valuable experience.
Not:
She is acquireing valuable experience.
The final e drops before -ing.
How to Remember the Spelling of Acquire
A small memory trick can save you from repeatedly making the same mistake.
Remember “AC Before QUIRE”
Think of the word as:
AC + QUIRE
The first three letters are:
A-C-Q
Not:
A-Q
So when you’re unsure, mentally say:
“AC before QUIRE.”
Then write:
ACQUIRE
This trick is particularly useful because the incorrect form aquire looks believable at first glance.
Connect Acquire With Acquisition
Another useful strategy involves the related noun acquisition.
Look at the beginning of both words:
ACQUIRE
ACQUISITION
Both begin with:
ACQUI-
That shared spelling gives you a second way to remember the missing c.
If you know how to spell acquisition, you can use it as a reminder when writing acquire.
Acquire in Related Words
The word acquire belongs to a broader word family.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning |
| acquire | Verb | To obtain or gain something |
| acquires | Verb | Third-person singular form of acquire |
| acquired | Verb/adjective | Obtained or gained |
| acquiring | Verb | Present participle of acquire |
| acquisition | Noun | The act or process of acquiring |
| acquisitive | Adjective | Eager to acquire or possess things |
Understanding this family can improve both spelling and vocabulary.
For example, if you see acquisition frequently in business writing, its spelling can reinforce the spelling of acquire.
Real-World Examples of Acquire
Seeing the word in different contexts makes its meaning easier to understand.
Education
Students acquire new vocabulary by reading widely.
Here, acquire means to gradually gain knowledge.
Employment
New employees acquire practical experience through training and daily work.
The experience develops as employees participate and practice.
Business
The company acquired a regional competitor after months of negotiations.
Here, acquired refers to obtaining ownership or control of another business.
Property
The organization acquired the building in 2025.
The sentence indicates that the organization obtained ownership of the property.
Personal Development
She acquired strong public-speaking skills through repeated practice.
The skill developed over time rather than appearing instantly.
Habits
He acquired the habit of taking notes during meetings.
The habit became established through repeated behavior.
Read More: Other Ways to Say “This Quote Shows” (With Examples)
A Practical Case Study: Acquire in Business Writing
Consider a fictional business report that says:
“The company plans to aquire a smaller software firm.”
The meaning is easy to understand, but the spelling is wrong.
Correcting the sentence gives:
“The company plans to acquire a smaller software firm.”
Now consider the related noun:
“The acquisition is expected to expand the company’s software portfolio.”
The two sentences demonstrate the relationship clearly:
acquire = the action
acquisition = the noun describing that action or transaction
This distinction appears frequently in corporate announcements, financial reporting, business journalism, and company documents.
FAQs:
1. Is “acquire” or “aquire” correct?
Acquire is the correct spelling. Aquire is an incorrect spelling because it is missing the letter c.
2. What does “acquire” mean?
Acquire means to get or obtain something. For example, you can acquire new skills, knowledge, or experience.
3. Why is “aquire” a common spelling mistake?
Aquire looks very similar to acquire, so the missing c can be easy to overlook, especially when typing quickly.
4. How can I remember the spelling of acquire?
Remember that acquire contains “c” after the first a. Breaking the word into smaller parts can also help you remember the correct form.
5. Is “aquire” a word in English?
No. Aquire is not the standard English spelling. When you mean to get or obtain something, use acquire.
Conclusion:
Acquire is the correct spelling, while aquire is an incorrect form. The easiest way to avoid this common mistake is to remember the c in acquire. Once you notice this small spelling difference, it becomes much easier to recognize the correct word.
Whether you’re writing school papers, emails, business documents, or online posts, using acquire will keep your writing accurate and clear. A little attention to this one letter can help you avoid a surprisingly common spelling error.
