Pronunciation

How to pronounce “satisfaction

“satisfaction” is pronounced /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/ (sa-tuh-SFAK-shuhn) in American English and /satɪsfakʃən/ in British English, and /ˌsætɪˈsfækʃən/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “fac”.
The sound

Say “satisfaction” in 4 beats

Say it like this

satisfaction

/ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

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

4 beats
  1. sat
  2. is
  3. facsfækstress
  4. tionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/
IPA (British)
/satɪsfakʃən/
Also accepted
/ˌsætɪˈsfækʃən/
Respelling
sa-tuh-SFAK-shuhn
Syllables
4 — sat-is-FAC-tion
Stress
Stress the third syllable: sat-is-FAC-tion. “fac” 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

/ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

British

/satɪsfakʃən/

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

Meaning

What “satisfaction” means

  1. noun

    the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

    the chef tasted the sauce with great satisfaction

  2. noun

    state of being gratified or satisfied

    dull repetitious work gives no gratification

  3. noun

    compensation for a wrong

    we were unable to get satisfaction from the local store

Say it in a sentence

There is real satisfaction in a hedge cut properly.
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

satisfaction”, answered

How do you pronounce “satisfaction”?

“satisfaction” is pronounced /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/ (sa-tuh-SFAK-shuhn) in American English and /satɪsfakʃən/ in British English, and /ˌsætɪˈsfækʃən/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “fac”. Build it as sat-is-FAC-tion, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “satisfaction” have?

4: sat · is · fac · tion. The beat lands on the third, “fac”.

Is “satisfaction” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/ (sa-tuh-SFAK-shuhn); British English says /satɪsfakʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “satisfaction” mean?

As a noun: the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation For example: “the chef tasted the sauce with great satisfaction” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “satisfaction”?

Stress the third syllable: sat-is-FAC-tion. “fac” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “satisfaction” 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.