4 syllables: con, di, tion, al. Stress on di.
kuhn-DISH-uh-nuhl
/kəˈndɪʃənəl/
conditional is pronounced kuhn-DISH-uh-nuhl (/kəˈndɪʃənəl/). It has four syllables (con-di-tion-al), with the stress on "di". Conditional is an adjective and conjunction relating to or dependent on a condition. In grammar, it introduces hypothetical or contingent situations, often forming if-clauses. It also describes something dependent on certain terms or factors, potentially implying stipulations. The word emphasizes dependency rather than certainty, and is used across formal and technical discourse.
Conditional is an adjective and conjunction relating to or dependent on a condition. In grammar, it introduces hypothetical or contingent situations, often forming if-clauses. It also describes something dependent on certain terms or factors, potentially implying stipulations. The word emphasizes dependency rather than certainty, and is used across formal and technical discourse.
- Common mispronunciation: dropping the middle /d/ or turning /dɪʃ/ into /dɪʃ/ with a weak /d/; fix by holding crisp contact for /d/ before /ɪ/ and then glide into /ʃ/. - Another: stressing the first syllable con- instead of DI- in /ˈdɪ/; practice by clapping on the second syllable to reinforce rhythm. - Final /əl/ reduced to /əl/ or /l/ too strongly; aim for a light, quick /əl/ with the tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge. - Practice with minimal pairs to lock in the rhythm: con-DI-tion-al vs con-DISH-on-al to feel the difference. - Focus on linking: when followed by a word starting with a vowel, practice liaising to avoid breaking the /l/ at the end and keep flow in sentences.
"The project's success is conditional on securing funding."
"In a conditional sentence, the action in the main clause depends on the if-clause."
"Her attendance is conditional upon receiving prior approval."
Say /kənˈdɪʃənəl/. The stress falls on the second syllable: con-DI-tion-al. Start with a unstressed schwa in the first syllable, then a clear /ˈdɪ/ vowel, then /ʃən/ and end with /əl/. Tip: keep the /dʒ/ sound from joining the /ɪ/ to avoid a choppy rhythm. Listen to native speech examples to internalize the rhythm and pacing.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress (putting it on the first syllable con-), and mispronouncing the /ʃ/ as /tʃ/ or /s/. Correct these by stressing the second syllable: con-DI-tion-al, and keeping /ʃ/ as the 'sh' sound rather than a hard 't' or 's' when linking to the next word.
In US, UK, and Australian English, the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality. All share /kənˈdɪʃənəl/, but US may have a slightly closer /ə/ in the first syllable and a darker /ɹ/ in connected speech; UK tends to crisper /t/ in /tɪ/ and less rhoticity in fast speech; AU often has more centralized vowels and a tendency toward clearer /ə/ vowels in slower speech. Overall, the nucleus remains /ˈdɪ/ and the final /əl/ tendency to reduce in rapid speech.
Three challenges: the sequence /dɪʃ/ combines /d/ with a post-alveolar fricative /ʃ/ may be tricky in rapid speech; the multi-syllable load with stress on the second syllable; and the final /əl/ can reduce to a light, almost syllabic /l/ in casual speech. Practicing slow, then normal tempo, will help you keep the /ˈdɪ/ stable and avoid truncating the middle consonant cluster.
There are no silent letters in conditional. It is pronounced with all letters contributing: /kənˈdɪʃənəl/. The spelling reflects the etymology but pronunciation keeps each phoneme. Paying attention to the unstressed first syllable (schwa) and the prominent /ˈdɪ/ helps you anchor pronunciation in connected speech.
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- US: reduce final syllable a touch, keep rhotics clear in connected speech; /kənˈdɪʃənəl/ with a slightly stronger /ɚ/ in rhotic contexts. - UK: more clipped consonants; maintain /ˈdɪ/ as a clear nucleus, and short /ə/ in the final syllable. - AU: vowel quality tends to a centralized neutral sound; keep /ɪ/ distinct in the second syllable and avoid over-drawn /ə/ in the first syllable. - IPA notes: /k/ initial, /ən/ unstressed, /ˈdɪ/ stressed, /ʃə/ or /ʃən/ depending on pace, /əl/ final. - Tips: slow practice pairing with a non-rhotic accent; in connected speech, you might hear /kənˈdɪʃənl/ with a lighter final /l/.
The word conditional comes from Latin conditionālis, from condiciō (agreement, stipulation, provision), related to condere (to put together, compose) and com- (together) with dicere (to say). The Latin phrase conditionālis described pertaining to a condition or conditionally operative. In Old French, condicionel evolved to describe terms or stipulations; in Middle English, it adopted a sense of dependence on prerequisites. The modern English form conditioned the sense of “subject to a condition” used in legal and philosophical contexts as early as the 15th century. By the 16th–17th centuries, conditional was widely used in grammar to describe verb moods and clauses that express hypothetical outcomes depending on a condition. The word broadened into general usage in philosophy, law, and everyday language, retaining its core meaning of dependency on a specified condition. The prefix con- (together, with) and the root diction/dic- (to say) combine to convey ‘stipulated terms that are agreed upon and said’. The suffix -al marks an adjective forming, while its noun form appearance follows from the same root in other derivatives.” ,
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "conditional" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "conditional"
-ial sounds
-nal sounds
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