4 syllables: com, pli, ca, tion. Stress on ca.
kahm-pluh-KAY-shuhn
/ˌkɑmpləˈkeɪʃən/
complication is pronounced kahm-pluh-KAY-shuhn (/ˌkɑmpləˈkeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (com-pli-ca-tion), with the stress on "ca". Complication refers to a new problem or difficulty that arises in a situation, often during treatment, analysis, or a process. It can also describe the act of complicating something by making it more intricate or less straightforward. The term typically conveys added complexity that can change outcomes or required actions.
Complication refers to a new problem or difficulty that arises in a situation, often during treatment, analysis, or a process. It can also describe the act of complicating something by making it more intricate or less straightforward. The term typically conveys added complexity that can change outcomes or required actions.
"The patient developed a serious complication after surgery that required additional care."
"A software update caused a complication with the existing plugin system."
"The plot took a dangerous turn, creating a complication that intensified the suspense."
You say /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ in US/UK. The primary stress is on the third syllable - 'keɪ'. It starts with /k/ plus /ɒ/ in British and American accents, followed by a light /m/ with a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable, and the final /ʃən/ as in 'shun'. Remember the three-syllable rhythm com-pli-ca-tion, with clear -ca- sounding as /keɪ/ before the final -tion. Audio references: Cambridge and Forvo entries provide native speakers pronouncing it as /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/.
Two frequent errors: 1) compressing the word to four syllables by reducing the middle syllable, which makes it sound like com-pli-ca-tion with weak /keɪ/; 2) misplacing the stress, saying com-PLI-ca-tion or com-pli-ka-tion. Correct by keeping three distinct syllables: com-PLI-ca-tion, with a clear /keɪ/ in the stressed syllable. Practice the /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ pattern and use an audio model from reputable dictionaries to lock in the rhythm.
In US/UK, the core is /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with similar three-syllable rhythm. US vowels may be slightly more lax in the /ɒ/ as in 'cot' depending on rhoticity; UK tends to a shorter /ɒ/ and more precise /ɪ/ in the second syllable; Australian often has wider vowel shifts in /ɒ/ and a more clipped /ˈkeɪ/; rhoticity in US influences the /ɒ/ vs /ɒ/ variants and vowel length before /ʃən/. Overall, the /keɪ/ syllable remains stressed and prominent in all three.
The challenge lies in the three-syllable structure with a strong, high front vowel sequence in /ɪˈkeɪ/ and the unstressed, reduced third syllable /-ʃən/. The transition from /plɪ/ to /ˈkeɪ/ requires precise tongue movement to avoid blending into /plɪˈkeɪ/ or /plɪkˈeɪ/; maintaining a crisp /ʃən/ at the end requires careful lip posture so the final 'tion' sounds like '-shun' rather than '-sion' or '-shen'. IPA guidance helps pinpoint the exact places to open and relax the jaw.
There are no silent letters in complication. The full syllabic sequence is pronounced: com-pli-ca-tion, with each segment carrying a clear vowel: /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. The complexity comes from the vowel quality in /ɒ/ vs /ɪ/ and the clean /ˈkeɪ/ mid-stress, not from silent letters. The key is to articulate each phoneme distinctly and avoid running the /m/ into the following /p/.
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Complication comes from the late Latin complicatio, from Latin complicare (to fold together, to entangle), formed from com- (together) + plicare (to fold). The root plic- is seen in words like duplicate, complicate, and replica, indicating a sense of folding or layering. The word entered English in the 15th century in law and medicine with the meaning of an allied or contingent circumstance that complicates a case. By the 17th–18th centuries it broadened to refer to any state of being intricate or involved. In modern usage, complication often implies a secondary issue that worsens a situation, frequently used in medical contexts (postoperative complications), project management (scope complications), or narrative plots (story complications). The nuanced sense of adding layers or twists to a problem has been stable since early modern English, with the core meaning of “a thing that makes something more difficult.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "complication" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "complication" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "complication"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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