Pronunciation

How to pronounce “determination

“determination” is pronounced /dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/ (di-tur-muh-NAY-shuhn) in American English and /dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”.
The sound

Say “determination” in 5 beats

Say it like this

determination

/dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

5 beats
  1. det
  2. er
  3. min
  4. atneɪstress
  5. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/
IPA (British)
/dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/
Respelling
di-tur-muh-NAY-shuhn
Syllables
5 — det-er-min-AT-ion
Stress
Stress the fourth syllable: det-er-min-AT-ion. “at” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/

British

/dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “determination” means

  1. noun

    the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation

    the determination of molecular structures

  2. noun

    the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose

    his determination showed in his every movement

  3. noun

    a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

    a decision unfavorable to the opposition

Say it in a sentence

Sheer determination got her through the final year.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

9 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

determination”, answered

How do you pronounce “determination”?

“determination” is pronounced /dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/ (di-tur-muh-NAY-shuhn) in American English and /dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”. Build it as det-er-min-AT-ion, then run the fourth syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “determination” have?

5: det · er · min · at · ion. The beat lands on the fourth, “at”.

Is “determination” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /dɪˌtɝməˈneɪʃən/ (di-tur-muh-NAY-shuhn); British English says /dɪtɜːmɪneɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “determination” mean?

As a noun: the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation For example: “the determination of molecular structures” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “determination”?

Stress the fourth syllable: det-er-min-AT-ion. “at” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “determination” and see every sound

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