Audition refers to a trial hearing by which a performer or applicant is assessed for suitability or selection. It can also mean the act of hearing something, especially to evaluate or judge it. In professional contexts, an audition is a formal, time-limited performance designed to determine if the participant obtains a role or opportunity.
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"She booked a summer audition for the theater company after months of preparation."
"The film audition required a cold reading and a quick song snippet."
"He practiced his monologue nightly in preparation for the audition."
"The agency invited her to a second audition after a strong first impression."
Audition derives from the Latin audire, meaning to hear. The root aud- appears in audio, audience, audible, and audition itself. The word was borrowed into English via Old French audition, originating in medieval vernaculars that used the term to denote hearing or listening for judgment. In its earliest uses, audition referred broadly to the act of hearing something to determine quality or suitability. By the 17th–18th centuries, the term specialized in performance contexts, signifying a formal hearing before a panel to determine a performer’s eligibility for a role or position. The modern sense remains anchored in the listening-and-judging process, often with a public or semi-public element, such as a staged performance or song. First known use in English was attested in the 16th or 17th century, evolving through the 18th and 19th centuries as stage and screen industries demanded standardized audition processes. The word’s meaning broadened in contemporary usage to include non-performing contexts where a person’s suitability is evaluated on demonstration. The semantic shift reflects social valuation of visible competence assessed through careful listening and observation. Historically, the concept corresponds to Latin roots but the English term crystallized into a distinct, professionalized practice in entertainment and performing arts, while retaining its core sense of “hearing” as the basis for judgment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "audition" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "audition"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronunciation is /ɔːˈdɪʃən/ in US/UK variants, with the primary stress on the third syllable: au-di-tion. The first syllable begins with an open back vowel /ɔː/ similar to 'law' in British English; /ˈdɪ/ uses a short, crisp /ɪ/ in the second syllable; the final /ʃən/ combines the /ʃ/ sound with a schwa. In American usage, you might hear a slightly reduced /ɔː/ to /ɑː/ and a nearly unstressed second vowel in rapid speech, but the stressed nal syllable remains clear. Listen for the “sh” before -n, not a hard “s” sound. IPA: US/UK: /ɔːˈdɪʃən/; AU: /ɔːˈdɪʃən/.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (often saying /ˈɔː.djuː/ or placing primary stress on the first syllable), pronouncing the middle vowel as /iː/ or creating an extra syllable, and misarticulating the /ʃ/ as /ʃg/ or /dʒ/. To correct: keep primary stress on the third syllable (di-tion), use a crisp /ɪ/ in the second syllable, and produce a clear /ʃ/ before the final /ən/. Practice with minimal pairs like audition vs. adoption to feel the boundary of -di- vs -dɪ- placement.
In US English, /ɔːˈdɪʃən/ with a broad /ɔː/ and a strong /ɹ/ absence; the second syllable is light, and /ʃən/ is crisp. UK English tends to maintain a longer /ɔː/ and slightly tighter /dɪ/ with non-rhoticity affecting surrounding vowels in connected speech. Australian English often features a clear, slightly flatter /ɔː/ and a less pronounced /ɪ/; the /t/ can approach a soft /d/ in rapid speech, but in careful speech /t/ remains. Overall, stress remains on the final syllable; rhoticity is not present in UK/AU variants. IPA references: US/UK /ɔːˈdɪʃən/, AU /ɔːˈdɪʃən/ .
The difficulty lies in the sequence of vowels and the 'dʒ'–like onset of the second syllable, plus maintaining a clean /ʃ/ before the final /ən/ without blending with the preceding vowel. The primary stress lands on the final syllable, which can be challenging if you’re used to stress-on-first-syllable words. Also, the /ɔː/ vowel can be challenging if your native language lacks a long open back vowel. Focus on a crisp transition from /ɔː/ to /ˈdɪ/ and then to /ʃən/ with controlled jaw movement.
Audition carries both a noun and verb-in-progress sense, but here we consider the noun/adjacent form for the phrase. The key pronunciation cue is the ’tion’ cluster /ʃən/ that must stay compact and not be realized as /tʃən/ or /ʒən/. Ensure the /d/ is cleanly released before /ɪ/ and not elided. The most user-searched nuance is where to place primary stress and whether the middle vowel is /ɪ/ or /ɪə/. The answer: use /ɔːˈdɪʃən/ with primary stress on the last two syllables and a crisp /dɪ/.
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