3 syllables: Ad, di, tion. Stress on di.
uh-DISH-uhn
/əˈdɪʃən/
Addition is pronounced uh-DISH-uhn (/əˈdɪʃən/). It has three syllables (Ad-di-tion), with the stress on "di". Addition (n.) is the act or process of combining two or more numbers, amounts, or elements to obtain a total. It can also refer to something extra or supplementary added to a cause, argument, or collection. In mathematics, it specifically denotes the operation that aggregates values, producing a sum.
nounAddition (n.) is the act or process of combining two or more numbers, amounts, or elements to obtain a total. It can also refer to something extra or supplementary added to a cause, argument, or collection. In mathematics, it specifically denotes the operation that aggregates values, producing a sum.
How to Pronounce Addition
"The addition of 3 and 5 equals 8."
"You’ll hear a brief audio clip demonstrating the word’s pronunciation in the tutorial."
"The addition to the plan made it more effective, but also more complex."
You pronounce it as /əˈdɪʃ.ən/. The stress is on the second syllable: a-DIH-shun. Begin with a schwa + d, then the vowel /ɪ/ as in kit, followed by /ʃ/ as in shirt, and end with a soft /ən/ (a quick, unstressed 'uh-n'). Think “uh-DIH-shun.” IPA: /əˈdɪʃən/ (US/UK/AU share the same core pronunciation). Audio reference: listen to the sequence in standard dictionaries or pronunciation tutorials to hear the /ˈdɪʃ/ cluster clearly.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable (ADD-i-tion) rather than the second, and mispronouncing the /ɪ/ as /iː/ (like ‘deeshun’). Another frequent slip is merging the /d/ and /ɪ/ into a dull /dɪɕən/ with an overly soft /ʃ/ in some accents. Correction: maintain secondary stress on the second syllable, open the mouth for /ɪ/ without turning it into /iː/, and keep /ʃ/ clear before /ən/ to avoid blending into a plain /ən/.
Across US, UK, and AU, the nucleus remains /ɪ/ in the second syllable. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel coloration: US and AU accents are rhotic with r-colored schwa less prominent in some contexts; UK is typically non-rhotic, so the ending may be crisper and the /ə/ softer. The stress pattern stays the same (second syllable). In fast speech, many encroach on the final /ən/ to /ən/ or /ən/ with a reduced vowel; still, the /ʃ/ remains distinct. Overall, the articulation of /d/ and /ʃ/ is consistent, but the vowel quality and linked r can subtly shift.
Two main challenges: the /dɪʃ/ cluster can blur if you don’t separate the /d/ and /ɪ/; and the unstressed final /ən/ can reduce to a weak schwa that’s hard to hear in fast speech. Practice with deliberate articulation of /d/ followed by a crisp /ɪ/ then an immediate /ʃ/ to ensure the sequence is audible, then finish with a light /ən/. Pay attention to the transition from stressed syllable to unstressed ending; keep rhythm steady so it doesn’t collapse into ‘ad-i-shun’.
The word has a stress shift that’s crucial: the primary stress sits on the second syllable (a-DI-tion). There are no silent letters in standard pronunciation, but the final -tion often reduces to a light -shən sound in connected speech. The /d/ and /ʃ/ sequence can be challenging because it requires a clean transition from a stop to a fricative immediately before the palato-alveolar /ʃ/. Keeping the mouth shaped for /ɪ/ and then quickly relaxing into /ʃən/ helps maintain accuracy.
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Addition comes from the Latin adiō, which is related to ad- ‘toward’ and -dīre ‘to give’. The form derives from Latin additio, from addere ‘to bring to, add, attach’, itself from ad- ‘toward’ + dare ‘to give’. In Late Latin, additio referred to an enumeration or sum; by the Middle English period, addition broadened to denote arithmetic operation and a supplementary thing. The term thus tracks a semantic shift from the act of placing toward a total to the mathematical operation that yields a sum. First known use in English dates to the 15th century, with early contexts in scholastic glossaries and arithmetic treatises, and by the 16th–17th centuries it appears as a standard mathematical term and general synonym for something added. Over time, “addition” also came to signify appendage or accessory items in various disciplines, reinforcing the core idea of bringing something extra into an existing set.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Addition" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Addition" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Addition"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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