6 syllables: a, ci, di, fi, ca, tion. Stress on ca.
uh-sid-uh-fuh-KAY-shuhn
/əˌsɪdəfəˈkeɪʃən/
acidification is pronounced uh-sid-uh-fuh-KAY-shuhn (/əˌsɪdəfəˈkeɪʃən/). It has six syllables (a-ci-di-fi-ca-tion), with the stress on "ca". Acidification is the process of making a substance more acidic, typically by increasing hydrogen ion concentration (lowering pH). It is a chemical or environmental change that shifts neutral or basic materials toward acidity. The term is commonly used in chemistry, environmental science, and biology to describe processes that alter acidity levels in solutions, soils, or ecosystems.
Acidification is the process of making a substance more acidic, typically by increasing hydrogen ion concentration (lowering pH). It is a chemical or environmental change that shifts neutral or basic materials toward acidity. The term is commonly used in chemistry, environmental science, and biology to describe processes that alter acidity levels in solutions, soils, or ecosystems.
"The acidification of the ocean threatens many marine organisms with calcium carbonate shells."
"Industrial emissions contribute to the acidification of rain, which lowers soil pH over time."
"Monitoring acidification in lakes helps researchers understand ecological stressors."
You pronounce it as /ˌæsɪdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. The stress falls on the third syllable: a-SID-i-fi-CA-tion, with a secondary stress on the first three syllables? Not exactly: the primary stress is on the fourth syllable “keɪ,” giving aci-di-fi-CA-tion, but the standard isˌæsɪdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən. Start with /ˌæs/ (a as in cat), then /ɪ/ (ih), /dɪ/ (di), /fɪ/ (fi), /ˈkeɪ/ (kay), /ʃən/ (shun). You’ll hear a gentle pause before the final suffix. Listen to a pronunciation guide and mirror the mouth shape: lips slightly spread, tongue high-mid for /eɪ/, soft palate engaged.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (often placing primary stress on the ‘fi’ or ‘ka’ parts) and blending /d/ and /f/ sounds too strongly, creating a muddled /df/ cluster. Another frequent pitfall is shortening the final -tion to /ən/ instead of /ʃən/. Correct by marking the strong /ˈkeɪ/ and ensuring the /d/, /f/ are distinct; practice the sequence a-SID-i-fi-KAY-ʃən with a light, clear /ʃ/ followed by a schwa.
In US/UK/AU, the initial syllables remain /ˌæsɪdɪfɪ/; the main variation is the final -cation: US speakers often have a clearer /ˈkeɪʃən/ with a mid-to-high back vowel in /eɪ/ and a sharper /ʃ/; UK speakers may produce a slightly rounded /eɪ/ and a crisper /t/ or /ʃ/ before the schwa, yielding /-keɪʃn/. Australian English tends to be vowel-timed with a broader /æ/ and a softer /ɪ/; the final /ʃən/ remains, but with a more centralized vowel. Overall rhythm and vowel length are similar; the key is keeping /ˈkeɪ/ prominent while not tensing the alveolar region.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllabic length, the mid-word /d/ + /f/ sequence, and the final /-ɪˈkeɪʃən/ suffix which can blur into /-iˈkeɪʃən/ if not careful. The primary stress is not on the initial or the last syllable, but near the root ‘keɪ,’ so you must sequence phonemes smoothly with minimal vowel reduction before the stressed syllable. Practicing the /d/ + /f/ cluster and the /ˈkeɪ/ vowel in a controlled tempo helps maintain clarity.
A unique aspect is the vowel pair in the stressed syllable: /keɪ/ contains a long, tense diphthong that requires a gradual glide from /e/ to /ɪ/. Keeping the glide smooth while separating the /d/ from the following /ɪ/ is essential. Also, the suffix /-ʃən/ is a soft, palato-alveolar CH-like sound; ensure your tongue tip lightly contacts the alveolar ridge before the /ʃ/.
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The word acidification derives from acid (from the Latin acidus, meaning sour or sharp) combined with the participial suffix -ification, which forms nouns indicating a process or action. The sense of making something more acidic developed in the scientific vocabulary as chemistry, geology, and environmental science advanced. Early uses appear in 19th-century chemistry texts to describe reactions that increase hydrogen ion activity in solutions. The term gradually broadened to environmental contexts, where researchers describe ocean acidification and soil acidification as discrete processes driven by acid-forming emissions and natural processes. The root acid has Latin antecedents in acidus, with cognates across Romance languages; the suffix -ification is from Latin -ificare, meaning to make or do, fused later in English. First known uses cite “acidification” in scientific discourse as early as the 1800s, with more specialized adoption in the 20th century as concerns about atmospheric CO2 and acid-base chemistry grew. Today, acidification is a standard term in chemistry, ecology, and environmental policy, indicating deliberate or incidental development of acidity levels beyond a baseline.
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Words that rhyme with "acidification"
-ion sounds
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