acknowledge and admit share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. acknowledge means “declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of”. admit means “declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of”. admit is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ækˈnɑlɪdʒ/
1.v.declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
“He admitted his errors”
2.v.report the receipt of
“The program committee acknowledged the submission of the authors of the paper”
3.v.express recognition of the presence or existence of, or acquaintance with
“He never acknowledges his colleagues when they run into him in the hallway”
| acknowledge | admit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ækˈnɑlɪdʒ/ | /ədˈmɪt/ |
| Said | ak-NAH-lij | uhd-MIT |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 11 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb |
| Senses | 6 | 8 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | admit | acknowledge |
Full entry for acknowledge · Full entry for admit · More comparisons
/ədˈmɪt/
1.v.declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
“He admitted his errors”
2.v.allow to enter; grant entry to
“We cannot admit non-members into our club building”
3.v.allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of
“admit someone to the profession”