How to pronounce “irrigation”
Irrigation is pronounced /ˌɪrəˈɡeɪʃən/. It has 4 syllables, and the beat falls on the third one — ɡeɪ. 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 4 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 ɡeɪ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“irrigation” sound by sound
“irrigation” is built out of 8 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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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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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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ɡBack of the tongue seals against the soft palate and releases while the voice is already on — no puff of air.
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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.
Words that rhyme with “irrigation”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “irrigation”
- How do you pronounce “irrigation”?
- “irrigation” is pronounced /ˌɪrəˈɡeɪʃən/, with the stress on the third syllable (ɡeɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “irrigation”?
- “irrigation” has 4 syllables: ɪ · rə · ɡeɪ · ʃən. The stress pattern is ōoOo.
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