4 syllables: ab, er, ra, tion. Stress on ra.
ab-ur-AY-shuhn
/ˌæbɚˈeɪʃən/
aberration is pronounced ab-ur-AY-shuhn (/ˌæbɚˈeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (ab-er-ra-tion), with the stress on "ra". An aberration is a departure from what is typical or expected, often implying a deviation from a norm or standard. It can refer to an unusual or abnormal occurrence, behavior, or characteristic, sometimes suggesting error or flaw in a given context.
An aberration is a departure from what is typical or expected, often implying a deviation from a norm or standard. It can refer to an unusual or abnormal occurrence, behavior, or characteristic, sometimes suggesting error or flaw in a given context.
"The scientist noted an aberration in the data that required further investigation."
"Her calm demeanor in a crisis was an aberration from her usual reactive style."
"The painting’s colors appear to be an aberration, not matching the rest of the collection."
Pronounced äh-BE-RA-shən with stress on the second syllable: /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ in US and UK; Australian is similar: /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/. Start with /æ/ as in cat, then a schwa in the second syllable’s first segment, and finish with /ˈreɪ/ followed by /ʃən/. Visualize: ab-uh-RAY-shun. For confidence, note the primary stress on the third syllable of the word’s total four: ab-uh-REY-shn. Audio reference: [Cambridge/Dictionaries audio], [Forvo entry for aberration].
Common mistakes include unstressing or misplacing the stress on the first syllable (ə-BER-ray-shən) and truncating the final syllable to /ən/ or /ən/. Another pitfall is pronouncing the middle vowel as a full /eɪ/ sound throughout (/ˈæbərˈeɪrɪən/). Correct approach: keep /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ with clear /ˈreɪ/ and a light /ʃən/ at the end. Practice with slow, then normal pace to lock the rhythm. Listening to native models helps; focus on the sequence ab-uh-RAY-shun.
Across US/UK/AU, the core syllables remain /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/. In rhotic US, the /r/ is pronounced in the middle syllable, yielding a rhotic flavor, while non-rhotic UK accents may soften or link the /r/ to the following vowel, sounding like /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ with a slightly weaker /r/ in some regions. Australian tends toward a non-rhotic profile like the UK but with less vowel reduction in unstressed syllables; the /ə/ vowels are often reduced, and the /æ/ may be more open in some speakers. Overall, stress stays on the third syllable, but vowel quality subtly shifts with accent.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /ˌæb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ pattern where the second syllable is unstressed and the third carries strong stress. The sequence /əˈreɪ/ combines a schwa with a long a, which can cause a slurred or shortened vowel for non-native speakers. Additionally, the ending /ʃən/ can be challenging if you’re not used to linking /ʃ/ with a light, unstressed nasal. Practice with slow, isolated sounds before blending.
The answer: the prefix itself is not pronounced as a separate syllable beyond the initial /æ/ and schwa; the primary stress is on the third syllable -/ˈreɪ/-, so you pronounce ab-uh-REY-shən, with emphasis on 'ray' rather than the prefix alone. The pattern reflects its Latin origin and preserved stress in English lexicon.
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Aberration comes from the Latin aberratio, from the verb aberrare meaning to wander away, away from the track. The prefix ab- denotes away, while errare means to wander or err. The term entered English in the early modern period with a sense of ‘a wandering away from a standard or expectation.’ Over time, it acquired a more technical nuance in science and philosophy to indicate deviation from a norm, rule, or expected outcome. In psychology and medicine, aberration describes unusual or deviant behavior or features; in optics, it denotes deviations from ideal image formation. The word’s adoption into English was influenced by scholarly Latinization during the Renaissance and continued into modern scientific vocabulary, where it frequently signals a singular, singularized anomaly rather than a recurring pattern. First known use in English traces to the 16th or 17th century, aligning with other Latin-based scientific terms that entered European languages during humanist scholarship and the expansion of natural philosophy.
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Words that rhyme with "aberration"
-ion sounds
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