How to pronounce “action”
Say “action” in 2 beats
action
/ˈækʃən/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /akʃən/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- acækstress
- tionʃən
- IPA (American)
- /ˈækʃən/
- IPA (British)
- /akʃən/
- Respelling
- AK-shuhn
- Syllables
- 2 — AC-tion
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: AC-tion. “ac” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈækʃən/
/akʃən/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “action” means
- noun
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
“there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions”
- noun
the state of being active
“his sphere of activity”
- noun
a military engagement
“he saw action in Korea”
Say it in a sentence
“The coach praised the team for their quick action on defense.”“action”, answered
How do you pronounce “action”?
“action” is pronounced /ˈækʃən/ (AK-shuhn) in American English and /akʃən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ac”. Build it as AC-tion, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “action” have?
2: ac · tion. The beat lands on the first, “ac”.
Is “action” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈækʃən/ (AK-shuhn); British English says /akʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “action” mean?
As a noun: something done (usually as opposed to something said) For example: “there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “action”?
Stress the first syllable: AC-tion. “ac” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “action” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.