4 syllables: ap, pre, hen, sions. Stress on hen.
ap-rih-EN-shuhnz
/ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnʃənz/
apprehensions is pronounced ap-rih-EN-shuhnz (/ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnʃənz/). It has four syllables (ap-pre-hen-sions), with the stress on "hen". Apprehensions refers to feelings of anxiety or fear about possible future events or outcomes. It can also denote suspicions or concerns about a situation. In psychology or everyday language, it captures a sense of foreboding or worry that something negative might occur, often accompanied by a cautious or hesitant attitude.
Apprehensions refers to feelings of anxiety or fear about possible future events or outcomes. It can also denote suspicions or concerns about a situation. In psychology or everyday language, it captures a sense of foreboding or worry that something negative might occur, often accompanied by a cautious or hesitant attitude.
- You often place primary stress on the wrong syllable, causing the word to sound choppy. Correct by retracing the natural rhythm: a-ppre-hen-sions with emphasis on hen- and -shənz. - You may drop or soft-pedal the /t/ in the middle or mispronounce /ʃ/ as /ʃt/; practice by isolating the middle cluster: /pr/ + /hɛn/ + /ʃən/; ensure the /t/ is released clearly or the cluster is handled as /t/ or /d/ depending on speaker’s enunciation. - Final /z/ can be devoiced in loud speech, making it sound like /s/; keep your vocal folds engaged to voice the ending /z/ consistently. - Weak first syllable: the beginning “a-” tends to reduce; keep it as a light schwa and give more weight to the -hen- syllable for rhythm.
"Her apprehensions about the new project faded once she had a clear plan and timeline."
"There are serious apprehensions among investors after the market downturn."
"She spoke with apprehension, not wanting to reveal too much in front of others."
Pronunciation: /əˌprɛhɛnˈʃənz/ (US), /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃənz/ (UK). Stress pattern: two primary beats fall on the third syllable (hen) and the fourth syllable (shən), with a light secondary stress on the initial a-; mouth positions follow: schwa in first syllable, short e in second, and /ɛn/ in third. IPA guide: ə-prɛ-hɛn-ʃənz. Useful tip: keep the /ʃ/ sound clear and ensure the /nz/ at the end is not reduced to /n/. Audio reference: consult Forvo or Cambridge audio examples while focusing on the /pr/ cluster and /ʃ/.
Common mistakes include: 1) De-emphasizing or misplacing stress on the wrong syllable, which weakens the word’s natural rhythm; 2) Slurring the /pr/ into a single sound or dropping the /t/ sound in the middle leading to /əˌprehɛnʃənz/ or mispronouncing the /ʃ/; 3) Incorrect final cluster /-ənz/ being pronounced as a simple /ən/ or /ɒn/. Correction: break the word into syllables: a-ppre-hen-sions. Practice the /pr/ blend clearly, articulate the /t/ or maintain /ʃ/ before /ənz/, and finish with a clear /z/.
US: /əˌprɛhɛnˈʃənz/ with rhotic r, the secondary stress lean toward /ˌpr/. UK: /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃənz/ with shorter first vowel and less pronounced rhotics; AU: /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃənz/ similar to UK but with a slightly flatter intonation and non-rhotic tendencies in broad speech. Key differences: vowel quality in the first unstressed syllable, the /æ/ vs /ə/ in the starting syllable, and the placement/magnitude of stress across syllables. The /ʃ/ remains steady, while the final /z/ is voiceless or voiceless-voiced depending on context.
Difficult because it combines a three-consonant cluster at the start (pr) with an /ɪ/ to /ɛ/ vowel shift and a final /-ənz/ cluster that can shorten in fast speech. The /pr/ blend, the exact tongue position for /ɛn/, and the post-alveolar /ʃ/ before the final /ənz/ require precise articulation. Additionally, the sequence of alternating stressed syllables can challenge listeners’ expectations, making it easy to misplace stress or run the sounds together. Practicing each segment separately helps—then blend while maintaining the final /z/ voicing.
A distinctive feature is the /ɛ/ vowel in the second stressed syllable and the mid-high backness of the /ɛn/ before the /ʃ/ sound, which can be mispronounced as /eɪ/ or /eə/ by non-native speakers. Focus on keeping the /ɛn/ core short and crisp, and ensure the /ʃ/ is light but audible, not replaced by /s/ or omitted. The final /-ənz/ should retain a voiced zv-like ending, especially in careful speech, to avoid a clipped ending.
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- US: rhotic r, clearer /r/ where applicable, prefer /əˌprɛhɛnˈʃənz/ with stronger rhotics in surrounding words. - UK: often non-rhotic; slight reduction in /ə/ and /ɪ/ in first syllable, stress on /hen/; /æ/ vs /ə/ difference; - AU: tends to be close to UK, with flatter intonation, sometimes a weaker /ʃ/ and slightly elongated vowels; watch for broader Australian vowel quality changes and reduced diphthongs. All share a clear /ʃ/ and final /z/. Reference IPA: US əˌprɛhɛnˈʃənz, UK æprɪˈhɛnʃənz, AU æprɪˈhɛnʃənz.
Apprehensions comes from the late Middle English apprehension, from Old French apprehension, and ultimately from Latin apprehensione, from apprehendere ‘to seize, grasp’ (ad- ‘toward’ + prendere ‘to seize’). The core sense evolved from the literal act of grasping or catching (seizing) something to a figurative grasp of a situation or danger. In English, the shift from physical seizing to mental grasping and concern occurred by the 16th century, with “apprehend” meaning to arrest or seize, and by extension to understand or apprehend a concept. By the 18th–19th centuries, apprehension broadened to denote anxiety about the future or fear of possible events. First known uses appear in early modern English legal and philosophical texts, with “apprehension” used for seizure (arrest) and later for a mental grasp of a concept, eventually meaning anxiety as the dominant usage in common language.
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Words that rhyme with "apprehensions"
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