5 syllables: An, ti, ci, pa, tion. Stress on pa.
an-tis-uh-PAY-shuhn
/æˌntɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
Anticipation is pronounced an-tis-uh-PAY-shuhn (/æˌntɪsəˈpeɪʃən/). It has five syllables (An-ti-ci-pa-tion), with the stress on "pa". Anticipation is a noun referring to the act of looking forward to or expecting something, often with a feeling of excitement or anxiety. It involves imagining future events and preparing mentally or physically. The term can also describe the probability or expectation of a future event, shaping present emotions or actions.
nounAnticipation is a noun referring to the act of looking forward to or expecting something, often with a feeling of excitement or anxiety. It involves imagining future events and preparing mentally or physically. The term can also describe the probability or expectation of a future event, shaping present emotions or actions.
"She felt anticipation before the big presentation."
"There was a sense of anticipation in the crowd as the concert began."
"The bookkeeper’s anticipation of the audit led to careful record-keeping."
Pronounce as /ˌæn.tɪ.sɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/. Start with a soft /æ/ in 'an', then /n/; follow with a short /ɪ/ in 'ti', a quick /sɪ/ sound, and stress the /ˈpeɪ/ syllable (the 'pay' sound). End with /ʃən/. Break-syllable flow: an-ti-ci-pa-tion with primary stress on the 'pay' portion. Audio references can guide you to the precise vowel lengths and the /t/ vs /d/ feel in rapid speech.
Common errors: misplacing stress (treating the word as a flat four-syllable sequence), elongating the first vowel (pronouncing ‘an’ as /æː/), and softening the /t/ into a flapped /ɾ/ in American casual speech. Correction: emphasize the /ˈpeɪ/ as the peak stress, keep /t/ a clear voiceless stop, and ensure the final /ʃən/ is clean, not merged with preceding vowels. Practice slow, then normal pace to solidify the correct rhythm.
US: rhotic /r/ is typically not present in this word; the /ˌæntɪsɪˈpeɪʃən/ differs mainly in vowel quality and t- and t-aspiration. UK: similar, but final vowels can be slightly crisper and more elongated vowels in some regions; AU: a tendency for slightly broader vowels and more syllable-timed rhythm, with similar stress on 'pa-'. Overall, rhoticity isn’t a major factor here, but vowel height and length can vary.
Three main challenges: the-tandem cluster of staccato consonants around /t/ and /s/ can blur in fast speech, the three-syllable rhythm with a stressed mid-to-late syllable, and the sequence /ˌæntɪsɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/ includes a long /eɪ/ diphthong and a final /ʃən/ that requires precise tongue blade positioning. Mastering the rhythm and keeping the vowels distinct helps prevent muddled pronunciation.
The word contains no silent letters, but the stress pattern is secondary on the first three syllables and primary on the fourth (an-ti-si-PA-tion). This distribution can surprise learners who expect primary stress to fall earlier. Training to feel the rise in volume and voicing through /ˈpeɪ/ helps anchor the rhythm and avoids flattening the stress. IPA: /ˌæn.tɪ.sɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/.
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Anticipation comes from the Latin anticipatio, from anticipare meaning to take beforehand, from ante- ‘before’ + capere ‘to take’. In Latin, anticipare described the act of taking hold or grasping before others, figuratively extending to foreseeing outcomes. The word entered English through Old French anticipacion, retaining the sense of foreknowledge and expectation. By Middle English, anticipation carried both the sense of awaiting something and preparing in advance. In modern usage, it narrowed primarily to the psychological state of looking forward with expectancy, sometimes accompanied by preparatory actions. First known use in English appears in the late 14th to early 15th centuries, with early texts emphasizing both mental expectation and preemptive planning. Over the centuries, anticipation has become a staple in everyday language across psychology, literature, and rhetoric, often paired with verbs like feel, experience, build, or avoid, to convey timing and emotional tone.
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Words that rhyme with "Anticipation"
-ion sounds
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