3 syllables: cor, rupt, ion. Stress on rupt.
/kəˈrʌp.ʃən/
Say it backCorruption refers to the act or process of causing something to become dishonest or morally compromised, or the decay of integrity and lawfulness within a system. It can also denote physical decay or rot in organic matter. In social and political contexts, it describes the abusing of entrusted power for private gain. The term emphasizes deviation from accepted norms and the deterioration of ethical standards.
"The investigation uncovered widespread corruption in the city government."
"Environmental corruption can occur when a company hides pollution data to protect profits."
"Rumors of corruption unsettled voters ahead of the election."
Pronounce it as kə-ˈrəp-shən, with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU kəˈrʌp.ʃən. Start with a short, lax ‘k’ followed by a schwa /ə/, then a strong secondary syllable with /ˈrʌp/ and a final /ʃən/ sound; the /ʌ/ is a central, open-mid vowel. Mouth position: lips neutral, tongue neutral for /k/ and schwa, then a raised, curled tip for /r/, then the curved tongue for /ʃ/. Audio reference: listen to native speech samples in reputable dictionaries or Forvo.”,
Common errors include misplacing the accent: saying ko-ROOP-tion or ko-rupp-tion with incorrect stress; substituting /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ for /ʌ/ in the second syllable; and overemphasizing the /r/ or flattening the /ʃ/ into /s/. Correction tips: keep primary stress on the second syllable: kəˈrʌp.ʃən; ensure the /ʌ/ is a tentative, mid-back vowel; produce /ʃ/ clearly as a soft she sound, not an /s/ or /tʃ/ blend; practice with minimal pairs like corruption vs coruscation to feel the difference in stress and vowel quality.
In US English, you’ll hear /kəˈrɑːp.tʃən/ for some speakers with a darker /ɑː/ in the second syllable; in many US varieties, the /ɜː/ or /əˈ/ pattern may shift; rhoticity is strong, so /r/ is pronounced. In UK English, you’ll get /kəˈrʌp.tɪən/ or /kəˈrʌp.ʃən/ depending on speaker, with shorter /ɒ/ or /ʌ/ in the second syllable and a clearer /ʃ/ cluster. Australian English tends to blend US and UK traits; you might hear /kəˈɹʌp.tʃən/ with a less rhotic /r/ and precise /tʃ/ or /tɪən/ endings. Cross-dialect practice with IPA helps you set expected targets.
Difficulties stem from the two-consonant cluster at the end of the first stressed syllable (/ˈrʌp/), followed by the /tʃ/ or /ʃ/ onset of the final syllable. The /r/ in stressed position can be tricky for non-rhotic dialects, and the /ʌ/ vowel may be reduced or shifted in connected speech. The sequence /pʃ/ or /tʃ/ requires careful timing to avoid blending into /pɪən/ or /pən/. Practice with slow, syllable-by-syllable articulation helps you maintain crisp consonants and accurate syllable boundaries.
The subtle contrast between /ˈrʌp/ and the following /ʃən/ can be elusive in fast speech. The /p/ and /tʃ/ transition requires precise timing; listeners may merge /p/ and /tʃ/ into a single bleated sound if you hurry. Emphasize the clean onset of /ʃ/ in the final syllable and keep the /r/ clearly voiced in the second syllable to prevent a flat, vowel-centered pronunciation. Listening to and mimicking native samples in dictionaries or Forvo will sharpen this subtle auditory cue.
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Corruption comes from Middle English corruption, from Old French corruption, and Latin corruptio, corruptionis, from corrumpere ‘to spoil, ruin, break faith.’ The root comprises com- ‘together, with’ and rumpere ‘to break.’ The sense shift from physical spoilage to moral degradation occurred in late Latin and Old French, with English adoption by the 13th century. Early use framed corruption as physical rot or moral decay; by the 15th–16th centuries it commonly referred to political or ecclesiastical malfeasance. Over time, the word broadened to encompass systemic decay and corruption of institutions, not just individuals, while retaining its core idea of breaking integrity or contaminating a system. The 18th–19th centuries saw professional and legal lexicons adopting corruption to describe bribe-taking, graft, and dishonest practices in governance, law, and business. Today, corruption is a standard term in political science, economics, and sociology, encapsulating both overt illegal acts and subtler erosion of ethical norms. First known uses in English appear in translations of Latin texts and medieval legislative contexts, with documentation in legal and philosophical writings that discuss the decay of virtue and the breakdown of societal trust during periods of political turbulence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "corruption" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "corruption"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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