Know your English – The Hindu

What is the distinction between “maintenance charges” and “maintainance charges’? (B. Sundari, Chennai)

The word “maintainance” doesn’t exist. What you pay to the society for the maintenance of your constructing or house are “maintenance charges”. The stress is on the primary syllable “main”. The “e” within the second syllable and the “a” within the third are pronounced just like the “a” in “china”, “about”, and “amount”.