Pronunciation

How to pronounce “qualification

“qualification” is pronounced /ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/ (kwah-luh-fuh-KAY-shuhn) in American English and /kwɒlɪfɪkeɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”.
The sound

Say “qualification” in 5 beats

Say it like this

qualification

/ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/

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

5 beats
  1. qualkwɑ
  2. if
  3. ic
  4. atkeɪstress
  5. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/
IPA (British)
/kwɒlɪfɪkeɪʃən/
Respelling
kwah-luh-fuh-KAY-shuhn
Syllables
5 — qual-if-ic-AT-ion
Stress
Stress the fourth syllable: qual-if-ic-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

/ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/

British

/kwɒlɪfɪkeɪʃən/

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

Meaning

What “qualification” means

  1. noun

    an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something

    her qualifications for the job are excellent

  2. noun

    the act of modifying or changing the strength of some idea

    his new position involves a qualification of his party's platform

  3. noun

    a statement that limits or restricts some claim

    he recommended her without any reservations

Say it in a sentence

The course leads to a qualification recognised across Europe.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

9 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

qualification”, answered

How do you pronounce “qualification”?

“qualification” is pronounced /ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/ (kwah-luh-fuh-KAY-shuhn) in American English and /kwɒlɪfɪkeɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”. Build it as qual-if-ic-AT-ion, then run the fourth syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “qualification” have?

5: qual · if · ic · at · ion. The beat lands on the fourth, “at”.

Is “qualification” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌkwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən/ (kwah-luh-fuh-KAY-shuhn); British English says /kwɒlɪfɪkeɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “qualification” mean?

As a noun: an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something For example: “her qualifications for the job are excellent” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “qualification”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “qualification” and see every sound

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