3 syllables: Con, cus, sion. Stress on cus.
kuhn-KUHSH-uhn
/kəˈnkʌʃən/
Concussion is pronounced kuhn-KUHSH-uhn (/kəˈnkʌʃən/). It has three syllables (Con-cus-sion), with the stress on "cus". Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by an impact or jolt to the head or body that shakes the brain. It can disrupt brain function temporarily, leading to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, confusion, or memory problems. Proper diagnosis and rest are important, as symptoms can evolve over hours to days.
nounConcussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by an impact or jolt to the head or body that shakes the brain. It can disrupt brain function temporarily, leading to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, confusion, or memory problems. Proper diagnosis and rest are important, as symptoms can evolve over hours to days.
"The football player suffered a concussion after colliding with another player."
"After the fall, she reported headache and dizziness consistent with a concussion."
"The doctor ordered rest and a gradual return-to-play plan following the concussion."
Phonetically it is /kənˈkəʊʃən/ in many varieties, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with an unstressed 'con' /kən/, then the stressed /ˈkəʊ/ (like ‘co’ in ‘coat’), and finish with /ʃən/ (the ‘shun’ sound). Keep the tongue close to the palate for the /ʃ/; the lips stay relaxed. You’ll hear this pattern in standard American and British speech. Practice by saying ‘cun’-‘COSH’-‘un’ smoothly, linking the syllables. Audio reference: [pronunciation tool or dictionary link].
Common errors include misplacing the stress on the first syllable (con-CUS-sion) or pronouncing /kəˈnʃən/ by dropping the /ɔː/ quality in the second syllable. Another frequent slip is mispronouncing /kəʊ/ as /koʊ/ or merging the /ʃ/ into a /s/ or /t/ sound. Correction: keep the /ˈkəʊ/ vowel nucleus clear and ensure the /ʃ/ is a distinct palato-alveolar fricative. Practice with minimal pairs: ‘co’ vs ‘cogn’ doesn’t apply; instead, emphasize /ˈkəʊ/ followed by /ʃən/.
In US and UK accents the second syllable carries primary stress: /kənˈkəʊʃən/ (US often /kənˈkɜːʃən/ as well depending on speaker). In Australian English the /ɔː/ diphthong in /kəʊ/ often shifts toward /ɒ/ or /əʊ/ with a more centered vowel, producing /kənˈkɒʃən/ or /kənˈkoːʃən/. Rhoticity is generally non-contrastive here; the /r/ is not pronounced. Across accents, the critical features are the /k/ onset, the stress on the second syllable, the /ʃ/ fricative, and the final /ən/.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the two-syllable rhythm with stress on the second syllable and the palato-alveolar /ʃ/ cluster immediately after a front vowel. Some speakers merge /kəˈkoʊ/ into /koʊ/ or substitute /ʃ/ with /s/ or /t/. Also, the /ən/ ending can be devoiced to /ən̩/ or reduced if spoken quickly. Focus on keeping the /ˈkoʊ/ nucleus clear and articulating /ʃ/ cleanly between the second and third consonants.
Concussion features a strong secondary onset of /kən-/. The nucleus of stress is the long diphthong in /ˈkəʊ/ (or /ˈkoʊ/ in some accents) leading into the /ʃ/ cluster. The tricky transition is from /ə/ to /ʊ/ (or /ɔː/ depending on accent) before /ʃən/. Practicing with syllable-tominated rhythm helps—“con-CUS-sion” with a palpable lift on the second syllable and a clear /ʃ/ sound.
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Concussion comes from the Latin concussionem, meaning a shaking or loud blow. The root concussionem derives from concuss- (to shake violently) combined with the -ion suffix. In Old French and later English, concussion referred to a physical shaking impact, especially to the head. Over time, the medical definition narrowed to describe a mild traumatic brain injury caused by an impact that temporarily disrupts brain function, without necessarily causing structural damage. First known uses appear in medical literature in the 19th century as clinicians sought terms to describe transient neurological disturbance after blows to the head. In modern usage, concussion xrefers to clinical criteria emphasizing functional disturbance rather than gross pathology, with concerns about return-to-activity safety. The word has also entered common usage to describe any shaken, bewildered state after a blow, though medical context remains specific to brain injury and associated neurological symptoms.
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Words that rhyme with "Concussion"
-ion sounds
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