5 syllables: Ad, min, is, tra, tion. Stress on tra.
ad-min-is-TRAY-shuhn
/æˌdmɪnɪsˈtɹeɪʃən/
Administration is pronounced ad-min-is-TRAY-shuhn (/æˌdmɪnɪsˈtɹeɪʃən/). It has five syllables (Ad-min-is-tra-tion), with the stress on "tra". Administration (n.) refers to the act or process of managing and organizing the affairs of an institution, organization, or project. It also denotes the department or individuals responsible for executing internal operations. In broader use, it can mean the act of administering a substance, or the administration of justice. The term emphasizes coordination, oversight, and implementation of policy or procedure.
nounAdministration (n.) refers to the act or process of managing and organizing the affairs of an institution, organization, or project. It also denotes the department or individuals responsible for executing internal operations. In broader use, it can mean the act of administering a substance, or the administration of justice. The term emphasizes coordination, oversight, and implementation of policy or procedure.
"The university’s administration announced new campus-wide policy changes."
"Medical administration of the vaccine requires strict cold-chain handling."
"The software administration team handles system updates and access control."
Pronunciation: /ˌæd.mɪ.nɪˈstreɪ.ʃən/ (US/UK/AU). Primary stress falls on the third syllable: ad-MIN-is-TRAY-tion. Start with the low-back /æ/ vowel as in cat, then a quick /d/ after the first syllable, a short /ɪ/ in the second, and the long /eɪ/ in the third syllable before the /ʃən/ ending. Tip: keep the /t/ light and link the /streɪ/ with the preceding syllable. You’ll want a clear /str/ cluster before the /eɪ/. Audio reference: try listening to Pronounce or Forvo examples and mimic the rhythm: stress on -streɪ- and a fast release into -ʃən.
Common errors: 1) Flattening the second syllable to /ɪ/ like ad-MIN-uh-STRAY-shn; fix by keeping /mɪ/ as a light, clipped /mɪ/ before /ˈstreɪ/. 2) Misplacing primary stress on 'ad-' or 'min-' instead of '-stray-'; ensure correct stress on the /streɪ/ syllable. 3) Slurred /t/ in the cluster /tˈstreɪ/ leading to /tˈs/, keep a clean /t/ and lightly release into /str/; 4) Ending consonant ambiguity: ensure /-ʃən/ rather than /-ʃn/ or /-ən/; practice with minimal pairs.
Across accents, the core /ˌæd.mɪˈnɪstreɪ.ʃən/ shape remains, but vowel qualities differ. US English typically rhymes -streɪ- with a clear /eɪ/ and a rhotic /ɹ/ in related words, UK English often has more precise vowel length with non-rhotic /r/ (linking vowel may reduce), and Australian English tends to centralize or back vowels slightly, with similar /eɪ/ quality but broader, flatter vowels overall. Stress placement stays on the /streɪ/ syllable in all, though rapid speech in casual contexts may shift perceived emphasis.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /dˌmɪnɪˈstreɪ/ and the /ˈstreɪ/ sequence, plus two syllables after the stressed unit. The /ˌæd/ start may reduce quickly to two schwa-like sounds in fast speech, while the /streɪ/ requires a precise blend of /s t r eɪ/. The ending /-ʃən/ demands a timely, light /ʃ/ followed by a reduced /ən/. Mastery comes from practicing the mid syllables separately, ensuring the /d/ doesn’t blend with /m/, and keeping the /eɪ/ diphthong intact.
A unique detail is the primary stress on the /streɪ/ syllable within a long word, giving it a noticeable emphasis in speech: ad·mi·NIS·tra·tion in US/UK/AU alike. Additionally, the sequence /mɪˈnɪ/ can be softened in fluent speech to /məˈnɪ/ in connected speech, but you should maintain /mɪ/ before the /ˈstreɪ/ cluster. Practicing the transition from /d/ to /m/ can help prevent intrusive linking that muddles the /streɪ/ sound.
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Administration derives from the Latin word administratio, from administrare meaning to manage or to serve as an administrator. The root ad- means toward, and ministrare means to tend or to serve (related to administer). In Latin, administratio referred to the act of serving or directing, especially in public or ecclesiastical contexts. In English, the term entered medieval usage via Old French administration and Middle English, retaining the sense of directing, managing, and organizing tasks within an institution. Over time, it broadened to encompass governmental or organizational units that implement policy, as well as the act of giving a dose of medicine or administering justice. The word has acquired a formal, sometimes bureaucratic tone, often used in institutional or professional settings. First known use in English appears in the late 14th to early 15th century texts, with evolving meanings from service and management to the specific processes of governance, systems administration, and organizational oversight. Today, administration also appears in compound forms like administration building, administrative staff, and public administration, signaling its core sense of structured coordination and execution of duties.
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Words that rhyme with "Administration"
-ion sounds
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