4 syllables: De, nu, da, tion. Stress on da.
din-oo-DAY-shuhn
/dɪˌnuːˈdeɪʃən/
Denudation is pronounced din-oo-DAY-shuhn (/dɪˌnuːˈdeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (De-nu-da-tion), with the stress on "da". Denudation is a process of stripping away the outer layers of something, often soil or rock, exposing the underlying material. It is used in geology, geography, and biology to describe erosion or removal of surface cover. The term can also refer to figurative stripping of layers, such as regulatory or social constraints. It denotes a comprehensive, ongoing removal rather than a single event.
nounDenudation is a process of stripping away the outer layers of something, often soil or rock, exposing the underlying material. It is used in geology, geography, and biology to describe erosion or removal of surface cover. The term can also refer to figurative stripping of layers, such as regulatory or social constraints. It denotes a comprehensive, ongoing removal rather than a single event.
- Misplacing stress: You might say dɪˈnuːˈdeɪ.ʃən or diˈnuː.ˈdeɪ.ʃən. The fix is to keep primary stress on the /nuː/ syllable, pronouncing it with a clear, longer vowel and a stable onset for /deɪ/. - Vowel conflation: Treating /ˈnuː/ as a simple /nu/ or shortening /deɪ/. Practice by elongating the /uː/ and keeping the /eɪ/ at the correct glide; use auditory models and minimal pairs to remember the diphthongs. - Ending reduction: Slurring /ən/ to a quick /n/ or /n̩/ reduces clarity. Maintain a light, full vowel /ən/ at the end, not a bare nasal. Use slow, deliberate enunciations first, then speed up.
"The denudation of the coastline accelerated after the storm."
"Geologists studied rapid denudation rates in the upland valley."
"The denudation of ancient rocks revealed new mineral structures."
Pronounce it as dɪˈnjuː.deɪ.ʃən in US/UK practice, with primary stress on the second syllable: di-NOO-day-tion. Place your tongue high and back for the /juː/ vowel, and finish with a soft schwa /ə/ in the final syllable. For listening practice, think of the sequence di-NOO-day-shun and relate it to denude + -ation. You can also reference editions of dictionaries with audio examples to verify the /juː/ and /eɪ/ sounds.
Common errors include diluting the primary stress, saying /dɪˈnuːˌdeɪ.ʃən/ with the second syllable mis-stressed, and mispronouncing /juː/ as a short /ʊ/ or /u/ sound. Another frequent issue is misplacing the /eɪ/ as a pure /e/ instead of /eɪ/. To correct: emphasize the second syllable with a longer vowel in /ˈnuː/ and keep the /deɪ/ as the diphthong /deɪ/. Practice by saying di-NOO-day-shun slowly, then speed up while maintaining the two primary strong vowels: /juː/ and /eɪ/.
In US English, the r-less quality is less pronounced, with a clearer /ˈnuː/ and the final /ən/ as a schwa-like ending. In UK English, you’ll hear a crisp /ɪˈnjuː.deɪ.ʃən/ with non-rhoticity; the /ɜː/ quality is not involved here, the /juː/ remains a rounded, high back vowel. Australian tends to be similar to UK but with slightly clearer vowels and a broader /eɪ/ in the /deɪ/ syllable. Across all, the stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel quality shifts reflect rhoticity and vowel merging differences.
The difficulty lies in the two long vowels and the cluster /njuː/ transitioning smoothly into /deɪ/. The /juː/ is a high back rounded vowel requiring lip rounding; the /deɪ/ contains a diphthong that can be mispronounced as /diː/ or /de/ without the /ɪ/ glide. Additionally, the final /ən/ can reduce to /ən/ or /n/ in fast speech, blurring the ending. Focus on the sequence di-NOO-day-shun with a clean schwa or reduced vowel at the end.
The critical factor is the strong, secondary-to-primary stress shift: you must place primary stress on the second syllable (nu) and maintain the long /ː/ in /ˈnuː/. Also, avoid conflating the /ɡ/ with /d/ endings: ensure you clearly voice the /d/ and /ʃ/ in /ʃən/. In practice, say di-NOO-day-shun with a crisp /ʃ/ for the final onset and a non-reduced final /ən/. Listening to native pronunciations will help you align the subtle vowel lengths and transitions.
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- US: Rhotic? No direct effect on denudation; focus on the /njuː/ cluster and the /eɪ/ in /deɪ/. Vowel lengths can be longer in careful speech; the /ˈnuː/ may feel more elongated. - UK: Non-rhotic; stress remains on the second syllable; ensure the /juː/ remains rounded, with a clear /d/ transition to /eɪ/. - AU: Similar to UK but with slightly broader vowels; the /ɪ/ in the first syllable can be less reduced in connected speech; keep the /juː/ stable and avoid merging /juː/ with /jə/ sounds. IPA references: /dɪˈnjuː.deɪ.ʃən/ (US/UK), /dɪˈnjuː.deɪ.ʃən/ (AU).
Denudation comes from the Latin denudare, meaning to strip or bare, from de- (off) + nudare (to make bare), with the noun-forming suffix -ation. The root nud- relates to nudus, meaning naked. Early scientific use expanded in geology and geography in the 18th–19th centuries to describe the removal of surface materials. Over time, denudation has acquired nuanced meanings across disciplines: in geology it primarily denotes processes like weathering, erosion, and mass wasting that result in exposure of underlying rock; in environmental science it can refer to the removal of vegetative cover and soil, influencing hydrology and landscape evolution. The term is now common in discussions of geomorphology, landscape change, and in some contexts, metaphorical “denudation” of institutions or practices. First known uses appear in Latin-rooted scientific writings of the 17th–18th centuries, with English adoption intensifying in the 19th century as field studies gained precision and the vocabulary of earth sciences matured.
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Words that rhyme with "Denudation"
-ion sounds
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