English learners are not always sure how to pronounce the word ‘pronunciation’. They often pronounce the first syllable with an ‘o’ sound because of the spelling. And some are also influenced by the pronunciation of a word related to ‘pronunciation’: ‘pronounce’.
But ‘pronunciation’ is pronounced as follows: pruh-nuhn-see-ei-sh’n
[IPA: pɹəˌnʌn.si.ˈeɪ.ʃən]
- pruh
Start with a P sound and move to an R, as in the word ‘price’, and then close this syllable with a schwa sound. - nuhn
This syllable begins and ends with an N sound. In between, use the vowel /ʌ/, as in the word ‘cup’. - see
Start with an S sound and shift to a tense ‘ee’ sound as in the word ‘sheep’. - ei
This syllable contains only one sound – the ‘ei’ diphthong, which is a changing vowel from ‘e’ as in ‘bed’ to ‘i’ as in ‘sit’. - sh’n
Start with a SH sound and then move directly to an N sound. In between there’ll be a very short schwa sound.
Watch my video tutorial on how to pronounce ‘pronunciation’:
If you want to learn more about the schwa sound, watch this episode about The best sound in English.
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