How to pronounce “explanation”
Say “explanation” in 4 beats
explanation
/ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛksplɐneɪʃən/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- expɛk
- lansplə
- atneɪstress
- ionʃən
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/
- IPA (British)
- /ɛksplɐneɪʃən/
- Respelling
- ek-spluh-NAY-shuhn
- Syllables
- 4 — exp-lan-AT-ion
- Stress
- Stress the third syllable: exp-lan-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
American and British are not the same here
/ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/
/ɛksplɐneɪʃən/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “explanation” means
- noun
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
“the explanation was very simple”
- noun
thought that makes something comprehensible
- noun
the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible
“I heard his explanation of the accident”
Say it in a sentence
“His explanation made sense only on the second hearing.”“explanation”, answered
How do you pronounce “explanation”?
“explanation” is pronounced /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ (ek-spluh-NAY-shuhn) in American English and /ɛksplɐneɪʃən/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “at”. Build it as exp-lan-AT-ion, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “explanation” have?
4: exp · lan · at · ion. The beat lands on the third, “at”.
Is “explanation” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ (ek-spluh-NAY-shuhn); British English says /ɛksplɐneɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “explanation” mean?
As a noun: a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc. For example: “the explanation was very simple” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “explanation”?
Stress the third syllable: exp-lan-AT-ion. “at” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “explanation” 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.