4 syllables: com, pu, ta, tion. Stress on ta.
kahm-pyuh-TAY-shuhn
/ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən/
computation is pronounced kahm-pyuh-TAY-shuhn (/ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən/). It has four syllables (com-pu-ta-tion), with the stress on "ta". Computation refers to the act or process of mathematical calculation or of using a computer to perform calculations. It encompasses both manual and automated procedures for solving problems, often involving algorithms, data processing, and numerical reasoning. In academic and technical contexts, it denotes the systematic execution of computations to derive results or drive computational models.
Computation refers to the act or process of mathematical calculation or of using a computer to perform calculations. It encompasses both manual and automated procedures for solving problems, often involving algorithms, data processing, and numerical reasoning. In academic and technical contexts, it denotes the systematic execution of computations to derive results or drive computational models.
- Sound the word as com-pu-TA-tion with even pacing, but many learners place primary stress on the first syllable or the second. Correct by re-adjusting to the third syllable as the nucleus; practice saying com-pyu-TA-tion with the /pj/ glide connected to the /ɪ/ in 'ta' if you’re attempting a different rhythm. - The /pj/ cluster may sound like /p/ and /j/ separately. Train the glide by saying /mpj/ quickly as one motion, then move to /pj/ while keeping the lips semi-rounded for /ju/. - The final /ʃn/ or /ʃn/? In computation, the ending is /ʃn/ as in ‘tion’ pronounced /ʃn/. Don’t over-emphasize the /n/; keep it light and clipped to avoid a trailing vowel sound. Practice saying ‘com-pju-TEYN-shn’ to lock the /t/ and /ʃn/ sequence.
"The team developed a new algorithm to speed up computation on large data sets."
"Researchers debated the limits of computation in solving complex optimization problems."
"In computer science, a Turing machine is a theoretical model that can perform any computation."
Pronounce as /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/ (US) or /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/ (UK/AU). Break it into co-mpu-ta-tion with primary stress on the third syllable: com-PU-ta-tion; actually, the main stress is on the third syllable ‘ta’, yielding /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/. The /k/ is hard, the /pj/ sequence blends the p with a y-like glide, and the final syllable ends with /n/. Practice by linking /m/ to /p/ through a small lip closure, then glide into /ju/ before /ˈteɪ/.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing primary stress on the first or second syllable rather than the third), mispronouncing the /pj/ cluster as /p/ or /j/ separately, and weakening the final /n/ so it sounds like an ‘m’. Correction: hold the /pj/ sequence tightly as a single glide after /m/, then clearly articulate /ˈteɪʃn/ with a crisp /t/ and final /n/.
In US English, the sequence is often /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/ with a clear /ju/ after /mp/. UK/AU tends to preserve the /pj/ blend similarly but may have a slightly shorter /ju/ and broader vowel quality in /ɒ/ and /eɪ/. Rhoticity affects rhotic vowels only in stressed contexts; here /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic variants, but the main vowel qualities remain close to /ɒ/ and /eɪ/.
Two main challenges: the /pj/ sequence after /m/ and the secondary stress pattern that makes the /ˌkɒmpju/ portion feel quick and fused. The 'ta' syllable carries the primary stress, so you must maintain loudness and clarity through the /t/ before /eɪ/ and ensure the final consonant /n/ lands crisply. Tongue-width control helps; keep the lips rounded briefly for /ju/ and then relax for /ˈteɪʃn/.
Remember the syllable pattern com-pu-TA-tion with the third syllable stressed; the pivot is the /ju/ glide into /teɪ/. Keep the /m/ closed before the /p/ by maintaining lip closure, then switch to a light /j/ within the same movement, so the transition to /teɪ/ is smooth and not choppy.
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- US: The /ɒ/ in /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/ tends to be a slightly rounded back vowel; keep jaw relatively relaxed, lips neutral to slight rounding for the /ju/ glide. UK/AU: Similar sequences, but you may hear a slightly shorter /ju/ and a more open /ɒ/ in some speakers. Always aim for the /pj/ bridge after /m/ by curling the tongue toward the palate; keep the /t/ crisp and the final /ʃn/ tightly closed to avoid a vowel leakage. IPA references: /ˌkɒmpjuˈteɪʃn/ (US), /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn/ (UK), /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn/ (AU).
The word computation comes from Latin computatio, from computare ‘to reckon, calculate, think together.’ Computare is a composite of com- ‘together’ and putare ‘to prune, settle, think’ (in the sense of reckonings, settlement of accounts). The Latin term entered English through scholarly and mathematical discourse in the late Middle Ages as arithmetic and astronomy developed computational methods. Early English use typically referred to the act of counting and calculation; with the rise of computer science in the 20th century, computation broadened to include machine-based processing and algorithmic manipulation of data. The suffix -tion marks a process or action, so computation denotes the process of computing. Across history, the concept evolved from manual tallying to symbolic manipulation and eventually to programmable digital computation, paralleling shifts in numeracy, logic, and information theory. First known use in English appears in scientific and mathematical texts of the 17th–18th centuries, with broader adoption in 19th–20th centuries as formalized notation and computational theories emerged. The term now spans mathematics, computer science, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind as a fundamental notion of systematic calculation and information processing.
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Words that rhyme with "computation"
-ion sounds
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