4 syllables: con, ver, sa, tions. Stress on sa.
kahn-vur-SAY-shuhnz
/ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃənz/
conversations is pronounced kahn-vur-SAY-shuhnz (/ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃənz/). It has four syllables (con-ver-sa-tions), with the stress on "sa". Conversations refers to the exchanges of spoken ideas between people, typically informal and ongoing in nature. It denotes the act or instance of talking with one another and can imply a back-and-forth flow. The term covers everyday dialogue as well as structured discussions, highlighting social interaction and communicative exchange.
Conversations refers to the exchanges of spoken ideas between people, typically informal and ongoing in nature. It denotes the act or instance of talking with one another and can imply a back-and-forth flow. The term covers everyday dialogue as well as structured discussions, highlighting social interaction and communicative exchange.
"We had several lively conversations about travel and food."
"In the meeting, friendly conversations helped everyone feel at ease before the presentation."
"Her conversations with colleagues often reveal a thoughtful, curious mind."
Pronounce as /ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃənz/ in US/UK; Australian often shifts to /ˌkɒn.vəˈsiː.ʃənz/. The primary stress is on the third syllable: ve-SAY. Start with /kɒn/ (con) with a dark /ɡ/ no, use /k/; middle syllable is a schwa /ə/; the final content syllable is /ʃənz/ or /siː.ʃənz/ in AU. When you say it, keep the back of the tongue slightly raised for /ɒ/ and relax the jaw. Reference audio: Pronounce or Forvo entries can provide native pronunciations.
Common errors include misplacing stress on the wrong syllable (often stressing on the wrong middle syllable), mispronouncing the /ˈseɪ/ as /ˈsi/ or /ˈse/; and dropping the final /z/ or adding an extra syllable. Correct these by practicing the sequence: con - və - ˈseɪ - ʃənz, with the /ˈseɪ/ clearly formed like 'say' and the final /z/ lightly voiced. Ensure the second syllable is a weak schwa /ə/ and avoid tensing the jaw early.
US and UK share the /ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃənz/ pattern with rhoticity affecting /r/ absent here; AU often lengthens the final vowels, producing /ˌkɒn.vəˈsiː.ʃənz/ and a clearer /iː/ in the second-to-last syllable. Non-rhoticity means British speakers may have a shorter /ə/ in the second syllable; Americans often produce a slightly clearer /ə/ and a more rounded /ɒ/ in /kɒn/. In all, the central stress remains on the third syllable; vowel qualities vary subtly across locations.
The difficulty centers on the multisyllabic structure with a three-consonant cluster at the end and the transition between /və/ and /ˈseɪ/; the /-tions/ often becomes /-ʃənz/ with a clear /ʃ/ before the /ənz/. The mid-stress on /ˈseɪ/ requires vowel clarity in the tense /eɪ/ and smooth linking between syllables to avoid alternating sounds. Learners frequently misplace the stress or shorten the final -s, producing /ˌkɒn.vəˈsi.ən/ or /ˌkɒn.vɔˈseɪ.ʃənz/.
A distinctive feature is the contrast between the stressed /ˈseɪ/ vowel and the adjacent weak /ə/ in the second syllable; the /-tions/ ending yielding /-ʃənz/ in most dialects. You may notice optional vowel lengthening in some accents, particularly Australian, producing /ˌkɒn.vəˈsiː.ʃənz/. Practicing the shift from /ə/ to /eɪ/ in the “se-” portion helps anchor correct rhythm.
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US: rhotic, subtle r-coloring in surrounding vowels; UK: non-rhotic, shorter /ə/ in第二 syllable, /ɒ/ in /kɒn/; AU: non-rhotic but vowels may be more clipped and /siː/ in some contexts. Vowel shifts: /ɒ/ in US/UK; AU tends to /ɒ/ closer to /ɔ/. Consonants: /n/ and /v/ clearly produced; /ʃ/ before -ənz is a fixed feature. IPA reference: US/UK /ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃənz/, AU /ˌkɒn.vəˈsiː.ʃənz/. Tips: keep jaw relaxed, lip rounding for /ɒ/; ensure the /v/ is voiced with upper teeth on lower lip.
The word conversations comes from the Old French conversation, from Latin con-versatio ‘a turning about together, a living together’ from com- ‘together’ + vertere ‘to turn’. In Middle English, the sense broadened to ‘spoken discourse’ between people. The modern plural form conversations emerged as a figurative extension of “conversation,” used to describe multiple acts or instances of talking. The root vertere evolved in Romance languages conveying turning or turning toward someone in dialogue, reinforcing the social act of exchanging words. The earliest known English usage of conversation traces to the 13th-14th centuries, with connotations of behavior in social company rather than solitary oratory. Over time, emphasis shifted from mere talking to the quality and content of exchange, including topics, tone, and flow of dialogue. By the 18th–19th centuries, conversations were recognised as an essential feature of polite discourse in social and intellectual life, spanning informal chats to formal discussions.
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