How to pronounce “deterioration”
Deterioration is pronounced /dɪˈtɪriːərˌeɪʃən/. It has 6 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — tɪ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 6 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting tɪ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOooōo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“deterioration” sound by sound
“deterioration” is built out of 11 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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dSame tongue position as /t/ — tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth — but voice the sound and release it without aspiration.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
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ɪRelax the tongue slightly lower and further back than for /iː/, keep the lips neutral, and make it short and lax.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
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eɪStart at the /e/ position and glide upward and forward toward /ɪ/ — the jaw closes as you say it.
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ʃPull the tongue slightly back from the /s/ position, spread the blade wide behind the ridge, round the lips a little, and push air through with no voice.
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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
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nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
Questions people ask about “deterioration”
- How do you pronounce “deterioration”?
- “deterioration” is pronounced /dɪˈtɪriːərˌeɪʃən/, with the stress on the second syllable (tɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “deterioration”?
- “deterioration” has 6 syllables: dɪ · tɪ · riː · ər · eɪ · ʃən. The stress pattern is oOooōo.
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