3 syllables: Ci, ta, tion. Stress on ta.
seye-TAY-shuhn
/saɪˈteɪʃən/
Citation is pronounced seye-TAY-shuhn (/saɪˈteɪʃən/). It has three syllables (Ci-ta-tion), with the stress on "ta". Citation (n.) a formal reference to a source or authority, or a brief note documenting such a reference. In law, a citation can also be a notice of a violation or a command to appear in court. The term is commonly used in academic writing, journalism, and legal contexts to attribute information or indicate credibility.
nounCitation (n.) a formal reference to a source or authority, or a brief note documenting such a reference. In law, a citation can also be a notice of a violation or a command to appear in court. The term is commonly used in academic writing, journalism, and legal contexts to attribute information or indicate credibility.
- Common phonetic challenges for citation include correctly producing the /ˈteɪ/ diphthong and maintaining the secondary stress on the second syllable while not reducing the first syllable too much. - If you over-sibilate or add an extra syllable, you risk sounding overly formal or robotic; aim for a natural, concise delivery. - Another frequent error is blending the final /ən/ into an overly pronounced /ən/ or /n/; keep a light, quick final schwa and an unreleased /n/.
How to Pronounce Citation
"The paper included a proper citation for every quote."
"He received a court citation for speeding."
"The researcher checked multiple citations before writing her literature review."
You pronounce it as /saɪˈteɪʃən/. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: ci-TA-tion. Note the long i in the first syllable and the second syllable’s 'tay' sound, followed by a schwa in the final syllable. Keep the final 'n' light but clear. Practicing with slow tempo helps solidify the stress and vowel qualities.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress (sigh-TA-tion vs. SI-TA-tion) and reducing the second syllable to a quick 'ta' without the 'tay' vowel. Correct by emphasizing the 'teɪ' portion and keeping the final syllable with a light, unstressed schwa: /saɪˈteɪʃən/. Practice with the word in phrases to feel the rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the phonetic core /saɪˈteɪʃən/ stays similar, but rhotic pronunciation can add a light rhoticity in some US speakers, affecting the /ɹ/ in connected speech. Vowel quality of /eɪ/ can be more diphthongal in American speech and slightly clipped in some UK varieties. Australian speech tends toward a centralized quality in unstressed vowels; keep the primary stress on /ˈteɪ/ across regions.
The challenge lies in the two-stress pattern and the /teɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable, which can be reduced in fast speech. Learners often flip the stress or shorten /eɪ/ to /ə/ or /ɪ/. Focus on the strong secondary element in the second syllable and maintain the clear /ɪ/ in the first syllable's onset, then glide through /teɪ/ before the final /ʃən/.
Is the initial 'ci-' pronounced with a hard 'c' as in 'see' or a soft 's' like 'sigh'? For citation, the initial cluster is the hard /s/ sound due to written 'ci' in this word, so it begins with /s/ followed by the long /aɪ/ as in 'sigh'. The sequence is /saɪˈteɪʃən/ with no silent letters.
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Citation comes from the Latin verb citare meaning to summon, quote, or call. The noun form emerged in English in the late 14th century, initially meaning a quotation or reference in a document. Over time, it broadened to include formal references to authorities, legal notices, and even notices to appear before a court. The concept of citing sources as evidence or authority dates back to classical rhetoric and scholastic methods, but the modern, formal sense of citing sources in academic writing solidified in the 17th–19th centuries with the growth of scholarly publishing and standardized citation practices. The word travels through French citation as well, retaining the core sense of calling attention to a source. First known use in English appears in medieval legal and scholarly texts, evolving into the bibliographic and legal senses we rely on today. In contemporary use, citation is central to academic integrity and legal procedure, signaling traceability of information and compliance with citation standards across styles like APA, MLA, Chicago, and OSCOLA. The spelling reflects its Latin root and the suffix -tion, common to many abstract nouns formed from verbs, indicating the action or result of citing. The term remains adaptable as new citation formats and digital sourcing evolve, yet its essence—documenting authority—remains unchanged.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Citation" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Citation" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Citation"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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