3 syllables: con, stric, tion. Stress on stric.
kuhn-STRIK-shuhn
/kənsˈtɹɪkʃən/
constriction is pronounced kuhn-STRIK-shuhn (/kənsˈtɹɪkʃən/). It has three syllables (con-stric-tion), with the stress on "stric". Constriction is the act or process of making something narrower or tighter, often by pressing or squeezing. In anatomy or physiology, it describes the narrowing of a passage or vessel; in general use, it refers to a tightened or restricted state. The term combines the sense of binding or confining with a physical or metaphorical constraint, frequently implying deliberate or automatic tightening.
Constriction is the act or process of making something narrower or tighter, often by pressing or squeezing. In anatomy or physiology, it describes the narrowing of a passage or vessel; in general use, it refers to a tightened or restricted state. The term combines the sense of binding or confining with a physical or metaphorical constraint, frequently implying deliberate or automatic tightening.
"The constriction of the blood vessel reduced the flow of blood to the area."
"Muscles around the airway can cause constriction during an allergic reaction."
"A belt constriction around the waist can be uncomfortable after meals."
Pronounce it as /kənˈstrɪk.ʃən/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: con-STRIC-tion. Start with a weak schwa in the first syllable, then /ˈstrɪk/ with a short, clipped i, followed by /-ʃən/ as a reduced syllable. Tip: keep the tongue high and forward for /strɪk/ and gloss the /t/ into an aspirated but gentle release before /ʃ/.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing the primary stress, saying con-STRIC-tion with the stress on the first or third syllable. (2) Slurring the /t/ into /d/ or making /str/ too airy, leading to /kənˈdrɪk.ʃən/ or /kənˈstrɪk.ən/. Correction: clearly articulate /str/ cluster by a brief consonant release and keep /ɪ/ crisp before /k/; pronounce /t/ as a light, aspirated stop before /ʃ/ rather than a flap.
All three accents share /kənˈstrɪk.ʃən/ but US rhotics influence preceding vowels slightly: /kənˈstrɪk.ʃən/ with an r-like vowel quality is not in the word itself; UK and AU maintain non-rhoticity in many contexts, but /ɪ/ and /ʃ/ are consistent. AU may feature slightly more rounded /ɔ/ in adjacent vowels in rapid speech, though not in this word. The primary stress remains on /ˈstrɪk/ across accents.
The difficulty stems from the /str/ cluster after a schwa followed by a tense /ɪ/ before /k/. The sequence /nˈstrɪk/ requires precise tongue placement: the alveolar /t/ is released into the /r/ constriction, followed by /ʃ/ via the /t/+/i/+/ən/ flow. Keeping the /ɪ/ sound crisp while not letting the /t/ elide into a flap is challenging. Mastery comes from controlled lung release, crisp /t/, and keeping the /ʃən/ syllable light.
The word uniquely integrates the strong /str/ consonant cluster with a post-alveolar /tʃ/ quality in /-tɪk.ʃən/ due to affricate-like transition: the /t/ leads into /r/ and then into /ʃ/ before the final /ən/. This combination—alveolar stop plus /r/ and /ʃ/—demands precise timing and a clean release into the /ʃən/ ending. Focus on sustaining a tight /ɪ/ before the /k/ and ensuring the /ʃ/ remains soft.
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Constriction traces to Latin concrescere meaning “to grow together, to press closely.” The prefix con- (“together”) plus stringere, meaning “to bind tight” or “to draw tight,” evolved in English through Old French and Latin influences. The form constriction appears in Middle English with medical and general senses by the 15th century. Its usage broadened from literal physical tightening to figurative senses of restriction and compulsion. The term is closely related to “constrict,” which shares the same Latin roots. Over time, constriction has been used in physiology (blood vessels, airways), in mechanical contexts (pipes, ducts), and in abstract senses (economic/psychological constraints). The word’s first known uses appear in medical texts that described pathological narrowing, then later in literature to denote any form of binding or narrowing. The evolution reflects a consistent core meaning of drawing tighter or narrowing a conduit, whether anatomical, mechanical, or figurative.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "constriction" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "constriction"
-ion sounds
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