How to pronounce “criterion”
Say “criterion” in 4 beats
criterion
/kɹaɪˈtɪɹiən/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɹaɪtiəɹɪən/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- kɹaɪkɹaɪ
- tɪtɪstress
- ɹiɹi
- ənən
- IPA (American)
- /kɹaɪˈtɪɹiən/
- IPA (British)
- /kɹaɪtiəɹɪən/
- Respelling
- kry-TI-ree-uhn
- Syllables
- 4 — kɹaɪ-TꞮ-ɹi-ən
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: kɹaɪ-TꞮ-ɹi-ən. “tɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/kɹaɪˈtɪɹiən/
/kɹaɪtiəɹɪən/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “criterion” means
- noun
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
“the schools comply with federal standards”
- noun
the ideal in terms of which something can be judged
“they live by the standards of their community”
Say it in a sentence
“Price was the only criterion anybody seemed to apply.”“criterion”, answered
How do you pronounce “criterion”?
“criterion” is pronounced /kɹaɪˈtɪɹiən/ (kry-TI-ree-uhn) in American English and /kɹaɪtiəɹɪən/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “tɪ”. Build it as kɹaɪ-TꞮ-ɹi-ən, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “criterion” have?
4: kɹaɪ · tɪ · ɹi · ən. The beat lands on the second, “tɪ”.
Is “criterion” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /kɹaɪˈtɪɹiən/ (kry-TI-ree-uhn); British English says /kɹaɪtiəɹɪən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “criterion” mean?
As a noun: a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated For example: “the schools comply with federal standards” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “criterion”?
Stress the second syllable: kɹaɪ-TꞮ-ɹi-ən. “tɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “criterion” 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.