Pronunciation

How to pronounce “institution

“institution” is pronounced /ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/ (in-sti-TOO-shuhn) in American English and /ɪnstɪtjuːʃən/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “ut”.
The sound

Say “institution” in 4 beats

Say it like this

institution

/ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/

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

4 beats
  1. insɪn
  2. titstɪ
  3. uttustress
  4. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/
IPA (British)
/ɪnstɪtjuːʃən/
Respelling
in-sti-TOO-shuhn
Syllables
4 — ins-tit-UT-ion
Stress
Stress the third syllable: ins-tit-UT-ion. “ut” 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

/ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/

British

/ɪnstɪtjuːʃən/

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

Meaning

What “institution” means

  1. noun

    an organization founded and united for a specific purpose

  2. noun

    an establishment consisting of a building or complex of buildings where an organization for the promotion of some cause is situated

  3. noun

    a custom that for a long time has been an important feature of some group or society

    the institution of marriage

Say it in a sentence

The little hospital is a much-loved institution in this town.
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

institution”, answered

How do you pronounce “institution”?

“institution” is pronounced /ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/ (in-sti-TOO-shuhn) in American English and /ɪnstɪtjuːʃən/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “ut”. Build it as ins-tit-UT-ion, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “institution” have?

4: ins · tit · ut · ion. The beat lands on the third, “ut”.

Is “institution” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən/ (in-sti-TOO-shuhn); British English says /ɪnstɪtjuːʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “institution” mean?

As a noun: an organization founded and united for a specific purpose For example: “The little hospital is a much-loved institution in this town.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “institution”?

Stress the third syllable: ins-tit-UT-ion. “ut” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “institution” 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.