How to pronounce “option”
Say “option” in 2 beats
option
/ˈɑpʃən/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɒpʃən/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- opɑpstress
- tionʃən
- IPA (American)
- /ˈɑpʃən/
- IPA (British)
- /ɒpʃən/
- Also accepted
- /ˈɔpʃən/
- Respelling
- AHP-shuhn
- Syllables
- 2 — OP-tion
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: OP-tion. “op” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈɑpʃən/
/ɒpʃən/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “option” means
- noun
the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited
- noun
one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
“what option did I have?”
- noun
the act of choosing or selecting
“your choice of colors was unfortunate”
Say it in a sentence
“The safest option is to leave before the tide turns.”“option”, answered
How do you pronounce “option”?
“option” is pronounced /ˈɑpʃən/ (AHP-shuhn) in American English and /ɒpʃən/ in British English, and /ˈɔpʃən/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “op”. Build it as OP-tion, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “option” have?
2: op · tion. The beat lands on the first, “op”.
Is “option” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈɑpʃən/ (AHP-shuhn); British English says /ɒpʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “option” mean?
As a noun: the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited For example: “The safest option is to leave before the tide turns.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “option”?
Stress the first syllable: OP-tion. “op” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “option” 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.