4 syllables: Com, bi, na, tion. Stress on na.
kahm-buh-NAY-shuhn
/ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən/
Combination is pronounced kahm-buh-NAY-shuhn (/ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Com-bi-na-tion), with the stress on "na". As a noun, a noun meaning a result obtained by mixing two or more elements. Often refers to the outcome of selecting items from different categories or combining ingredients, steps, or ideas. In linguistics or mathematics, it denotes an arrangement or product of combined parts; in everyday use, it can describe a blended set or arrangement.
nounA noun meaning a result obtained by mixing two or more elements. Often refers to the outcome of selecting items from different categories or combining ingredients, steps, or ideas. In linguistics or mathematics, it denotes an arrangement or product of combined parts; in everyday use, it can describe a blended set or arrangement.
"The chef created a delicious combination of herbs and spices."
"Her outfit was a bold combination of colors that somehow worked."
"The test included a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions."
Pronunciation is kuhm-buh-NAY-shuhn with the primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-shən/ (US/UK typically: /ˌkɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ UK, /ˌkɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/). Start with /k/ + schwa or reduced /ə/ in the second syllable, then a clear /neɪ/ in the third, and finish with /ʃən/. Mouth: keep the jaw relaxed, tongue neutral for the first /k/ and /bə/, raise the tip of the tongue toward the alveolar ridge for /n/ and /ʃ/ sequence. Audio reference: you can compare to pronounced examples on Pronounce or YouGlish using “combination.”
Common errors: 1) stressing the wrong syllable (emphasizing -ban- or -tion); fix by keeping primary stress on -nā- (third syllable). 2) Mispronouncing the /k/ as a hard /g/ or blending /kəm/ into /kɒm/; practice initial cluster with a clean /k/ followed by a reduced /ə/; 3) Rendering final /ʃən/ as /sən/ or /ən/ without the /ʃ/; ensure the /ʃ/ is released before the final schwa. Practice with slow repetition and mouth-position checks: keep lips rounded slightly for /neɪ/ and ensure a nasal /n/ before the /ʃ/.
US: /ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-shən/ with reduced first syllable and secondary stress; the /o/ in /käm/ often more open because of spelling; UK: /ˌkɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and clearer /ɪ/ in the second syllable; AU: /ˌkɒm.bəˈneɪ.ʃən/ similar to UK but with Australian vowel qualities and non-rhoticity; all share the /neɪ/ long vowel before /ʃən/ but vowel quality can subtly drift in each accent. Emphasize the -nā- as the primary target in careful articulation across accents.
Difficulties stem from the multi-syllable structure and vowel contrasts: a) the sequence -bin- has a short /ɪ/ or /ə/ depending on stress; b) the long /neɪ/ vowel in the third syllable contrasts with the preceding schwa; c) the final /ʃən/ cluster requires smooth transition from /ʃ/ to a voiced or reduced /ən/. Rapid speech can turn it into /ˌkɒm.bɪnˈeɪʃən/ or awkwardly segment the syllables. Practicing slow, deliberate enunciation helps stabilise rhythm and reduces mis-stressing.
A key feature is the internal stress pattern where the main functional emphasis is on -nā-, with secondary stress that may be perceived on -bin- in fast speech. The blend of a mid-to-high front vowel in /neɪ/ with the alveolar nasal /n/ and the voiceless-voiced transition into /ʃən/ demands controlled air flow and precise tongue positioning. Listen for the smooth /n/ to /ʃ/ transition; this is the characteristic cue of this word in fluent speech.
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US: rhotic accent maintains /ɹ/ in carrier phrases; UK: non-rhotic, /r/ omitted; AU: non-rhotic with vowel shifts; Behaviors: US tends to a softer /ə/ in the second syllable, UK keeps a slightly tenser /ɪ/ in /bɪ/; Australian often features a broader /ɒ/ in /kɒm/ and a more centralized /ə/ in /bə/; IPA guides: US /ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-ʃən/ vs UK /ˌkɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ vs AU /ˌkɒm.bəˈneɪˈʃən/; Practice tips: practice with minimal pairs like “combination” vs “commentation” to keep vowel differences crisp.
Combination comes from the late 14th century from Old French combinaison, meaning ‘a putting together, uniting, or bringing together of different things’. It derives from Late Latin combinatio, from com- ‘together’ + binare ‘to divide, to cut into two’, from the root bi- ‘two’. The sense evolved from the act of pairing or uniting different parts to the more general sense of a resulting product or arrangement. In English, the word shifted from a literal act of combining in seam or form to a broad metaphor for any amalgam or composite. The prefix com- signals together, while the root bin- is linked to binary or two-part structures, reflecting historical concerns with pairing and combination. First known use appears in Middle English with semantic ties to “putting together” or “combining” disparate elements, gradually acquiring its current abstract sense in modern usage across science, mathematics, cooking, fashion, and everyday language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Combination" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Combination"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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