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onset vs. outset

[on-set, awn-] / ˈɒnˌsɛt, ˈɔn- /

noun

  1. a beginning or start.

    the onset of winter.

  2. an assault or attack.

    an onset of the enemy.

  3. Phonetics. the segment of a syllable preceding the nucleus, as the gr in great.

[out-set] / ˈaʊtˌsɛt /

noun

  1. the beginning or start.

    I wanted to explain the situation at the outset.

  2. outsert.