Pronunciation

How to pronounce “specification

“specification” is pronounced /ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (spe-si-fi-KAY-shuhn) in American English and /spɛsɪfɪkeɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”.
The sound

Say “specification” in 5 beats

Say it like this

specification

/ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

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

5 beats
  1. specspɛ
  2. if
  3. ic
  4. atkeɪstress
  5. ionʃən
IPA (American)
/ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
IPA (British)
/spɛsɪfɪkeɪʃən/
Respelling
spe-si-fi-KAY-shuhn
Syllables
5 — spec-if-ic-AT-ion
Stress
Stress the fourth syllable: spec-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

/ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

British

/spɛsɪfɪkeɪʃən/

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

Meaning

What “specification” means

  1. noun

    a detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work

  2. noun

    naming explicitly

  3. noun

    (patent law) a document drawn up by the applicant for a patent of invention that provides an explicit and detailed description of the nature and use of an invention

Say it in a sentence

The specification changed twice after building had started.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

10 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

specification”, answered

How do you pronounce “specification”?

“specification” is pronounced /ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (spe-si-fi-KAY-shuhn) in American English and /spɛsɪfɪkeɪʃən/ in British English — 5 syllables, stressed on “at”. Build it as spec-if-ic-AT-ion, then run the fourth syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “specification” have?

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

Is “specification” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (spe-si-fi-KAY-shuhn); British English says /spɛsɪfɪkeɪʃən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “specification” mean?

As a noun: a detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work For example: “The specification changed twice after building had started.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “specification”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “specification” and see every sound

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