Pronunciation

How to pronounce “probation

“probation” is pronounced /pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/ (proh-BAY-shuhn) in American English and /pɹəʊbeɪʃən/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “at”.
The sound

Say “probation” in 3 beats

Say it like this

probation

/pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/

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

3 beats
  1. probpɹoʊ
  2. atbeɪstress
  3. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/
IPA (British)
/pɹəʊbeɪʃən/
Respelling
proh-BAY-shuhn
Syllables
3 — prob-AT-ion
Stress
Stress the second syllable: prob-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

/pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/

British

/pɹəʊbeɪʃən/

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

Meaning

What “probation” means

  1. noun

    a trial period during which your character and abilities are tested to see whether you are suitable for work or for membership

  2. noun

    a trial period during which an offender has time to redeem himself or herself

  3. noun

    (law) a way of dealing with offenders without imprisoning them; a defendant found guilty of a crime is released by the court without imprisonment subject to conditions imposed by the court

    probation is part of the sentencing process

Say it in a sentence

The probation period lasts three months for every new starter.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

8 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

probation”, answered

How do you pronounce “probation”?

“probation” is pronounced /pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/ (proh-BAY-shuhn) in American English and /pɹəʊbeɪʃən/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “at”. Build it as prob-AT-ion, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “probation” have?

3: prob · at · ion. The beat lands on the second, “at”.

Is “probation” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/ (proh-BAY-shuhn); British English says /pɹəʊbeɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “probation” mean?

As a noun: a trial period during which your character and abilities are tested to see whether you are suitable for work or for membership For example: “The probation period lasts three months for every new starter.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “probation”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “probation” 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.