How to pronounce “duration”
Duration is pronounced /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — dʊ. 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 3 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 dʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern OOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “duration”
✗ Often said: /ˈdɜːrætɪɑːn/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/
Why the two come apart: the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “duration” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“duration” sound by sound
“duration” is built out of 7 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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ʊPull the tongue high and back but keep it lax, with light, loose lip rounding — short and relaxed.
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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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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 “duration”
- How do you pronounce “duration”?
- “duration” is pronounced /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/, with the stress on the first syllable (dʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “duration”?
- “duration” has 3 syllables: dʊ · reɪ · ʃən. The stress pattern is OOo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “duration”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈdɜːrætɪɑːn/, but it is actually /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/, because the unstressed vowels flatten all the way down to /ə/ — English swallows them, so they never sound the way they are written.
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