Attention refers to the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on a discrete stimulus while ignoring other perceivable information. It also denotes consideration or notice given to someone or something. In everyday use, it spans focus in tasks, messages, and social interactions, and can imply careful heed or emphasis in communication.
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"Please pay close attention to the safety instructions."
"The manager drew attention to the error in the report."
"She wore a necklace that drew everyone's attention at the gala."
"In class, students were asked to direct their attention to the lecturer's explanation."
Attention’s etymology traces to the Latin attentio, from attentus the past participle of attendere, meaning to stretch toward, attend to, or apply one’s mind to. The word entered English via Old French atencion in the late Middle Ages, aligning with a sense of mental direction and notice. The core notion fused two ideas: directing cognitive resources and the act of drawing notice to something. In early modern English, attention frequently appeared in philosophical and rhetorical contexts, reflecting debates about perception and intentional focus. Over time, its usage broadened beyond strict mental processes to everyday talk about priority, care, and consideration. Today, attention spans cultural attention—how people focus in a busy environment—and is central to domains like education, marketing, and neuroscience. First published uses appear in late 15th to 16th centuries in scholastic and legal texts, with gradual uptake in general prose. The dual sense of mental focus and consideration persists, with modern senses covering attention-grabbing signals, selective attention in psychology, and the act of attending to someone or something in social contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "attention" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "attention" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "attention"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Phonetic guide: /əˈtɛn.ʃən/ in US/UK; primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa /ə/ then a clear /ˈtɛn/ (t-e-n with a released t), followed by /ʃən/ (the /ʃ/ like 'sh' and a soft, unstressed final /ən/). Tip: keep the /t/ laryngeal-aspirated before /ɛn/ and avoid a clipped first syllable. IPA: US /əˈtɛn.ʃən/, UK /əˈten.ʃən/, AU /əˈten.ʃən/.
Common errors: (1) Placing equal stress on all syllables, which flattens rhythm; (2) Skipping the /t/ release, making it sound like /ˈaːˌten/; (3) Mispronouncing /ʃ/ as /s/ or /tʃ/; corrections: emphasize the second syllable with clear /tɛn/ and ensure the /t/ is a released stop before /ɛn/, then produce /ʃən/ with a rounded lips position for /ʃ/ and a reduced final /ən/.
In US English, stress on the second syllable with a clear /ˈtɛn/ and a rhotic quality in connected speech may color vowels. UK English avoids strong rhoticity, so /əˈten.ʃən/ with less rhotic vowel influence; AU English aligns with non-rhotic tendencies, with a crisp /ˈten.ʃən/ and a slightly flatter /ə/ initial vowel. Overall, vowel quality in the /e/ vs /eɪ/ region is similar, but the /ɹ/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic accents.
Two subtle challenges: first, the cluster /tɛn/ followed by /ʃən/ requires a smooth transition from a dental-alveolar stop to the alveolo-palatal /ʃ/. Second, the unstressed final syllable /ən/ tends to reduce in connected speech, making it easy to swallow or shift to a schwa-like vowel; maintain crisp /ʃ/ and a clearly reduced ending to avoid muffling the word’s cadence.
There are no silent letters in attention, but the combination /tɛn.ʃən/ can bite at the tongue due to the /t/ release immediately before /ɪ/ in some pronunciations; practice with a short release on /t/ to prevent a staccato feel. Also ensure the /ən/ at the end remains light and unstressed rather than becoming a full syllable.
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