Pronunciation

How to pronounce “inflation

“inflation” is pronounced /ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/ (in-FLAY-shuhn) in American English and /ɪnfleɪʃən/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “lat”.
The sound

Say “inflation” in 3 beats

Say it like this

inflation

/ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/

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

3 beats
  1. infɪn
  2. latfleɪstress
  3. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/
IPA (British)
/ɪnfleɪʃən/
Respelling
in-FLAY-shuhn
Syllables
3 — inf-LAT-ion
Stress
Stress the second syllable: inf-LAT-ion. “lat” 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

/ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/

British

/ɪnfleɪʃən/

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

Meaning

What “inflation” means

  1. noun

    a general and progressive increase in prices

    in inflation everything gets more valuable except money

  2. noun

    (cosmology) a brief exponential expansion of the universe (faster than the speed of light) postulated to have occurred shortly after the big bang

  3. noun

    lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity

Say it in a sentence

Inflation has slowed, but rents are still climbing.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

inflation”, answered

How do you pronounce “inflation”?

“inflation” is pronounced /ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/ (in-FLAY-shuhn) in American English and /ɪnfleɪʃən/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “lat”. Build it as inf-LAT-ion, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “inflation” have?

3: inf · lat · ion. The beat lands on the second, “lat”.

Is “inflation” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən/ (in-FLAY-shuhn); British English says /ɪnfleɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “inflation” mean?

As a noun: a general and progressive increase in prices For example: “in inflation everything gets more valuable except money” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “inflation”?

Stress the second syllable: inf-LAT-ion. “lat” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “inflation” and see every sound

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