Pronunciation

How to pronounce “section

“section” is pronounced /ˈsɛkʃən/ (SEK-shuhn) in American English and /sɛkʃən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sec”.
The sound

Say “section” in 2 beats

Say it like this

section

/ˈsɛkʃən/

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

2 beats
  1. secsɛkstress
  2. tionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˈsɛkʃən/
IPA (British)
/sɛkʃən/
Respelling
SEK-shuhn
Syllables
2 — SEC-tion
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SEC-tion. “sec” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsɛkʃən/

British

/sɛkʃən/

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

Meaning

What “section” means

  1. noun

    a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

    he always turns first to the business section

  2. noun

    a very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope

    sections from the left ventricle showed diseased tissue

  3. noun

    a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people

    no section of the nation is more ardent than the South

Say it in a sentence

The middle section of the piece is hardest to play.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

section”, answered

How do you pronounce “section”?

“section” is pronounced /ˈsɛkʃən/ (SEK-shuhn) in American English and /sɛkʃən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sec”. Build it as SEC-tion, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “section” have?

2: sec · tion. The beat lands on the first, “sec”.

Is “section” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɛkʃən/ (SEK-shuhn); British English says /sɛkʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “section” mean?

As a noun: a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical) For example: “he always turns first to the business section” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “section”?

Stress the first syllable: SEC-tion. “sec” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “section” 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.