3 syllables: Dis, per, sion. Stress on per.
dis-PUR-zhuhn
/dɪˈspɝʒən/
Dispersion is pronounced dis-PUR-zhuhn (/dɪˈspɝʒən/). It has three syllables (Dis-per-sion), with the stress on "per". Dispersion refers to the process of distributing something more or less evenly over a range or area, often resulting in a spread or scattering. In science, it describes how objects, particles, or waves spread out from a source, while in statistics it denotes the degree to which data points differ from each other. The term can also indicate variation in colors or frequencies, such as light dispersing into a spectrum.
nounDispersion refers to the process of distributing something more or less evenly over a range or area, often resulting in a spread or scattering. In science, it describes how objects, particles, or waves spread out from a source, while in statistics it denotes the degree to which data points differ from each other. The term can also indicate variation in colors or frequencies, such as light dispersing into a spectrum.
"The dispersion of seeds by the wind helped plants colonize new areas."
"Color dispersion in prisms creates a rainbow from white light."
"The market dispersion of investors reduced overall risk in the portfolio."
Dispersion is pronounced /dɪˈspɜːrʒən/ in US English, with stress on the second syllable. The initial /dɪ/ is a short, light vowel; /ˈspɜːr/ features a stressed mid-central vowel with a rhotic r; the final /-ʒən/ sounds like 'zhun' where the 's' becomes a /ʒ/ sound before -ion. For UK and AU, /ɜː/ may be realized as a longer mid vowel, but the /ˈspɜːr/ and /ʒən/ segments remain, and the second syllable receives primary stress. Use a brief pause before the stressed syllable to keep the rhythm natural.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress on the first syllable (dis-PER-sion) instead of second; pronouncing /ɜː/ as a lax /ə/ in the stressed syllable; and substituting /ʒ/ with /s/ or /z/ in the final syllable. To correct: place primary stress on the second syllable as /ˈspɜːr/ with a clear /ɜː/ or /ɜ˞/ quality, keep the /ʒ/ sound (as in 'measure'), and finish with a light, unstressed /ən/. Practice slow, then speed up.
In US English, dispersion is /dɪˈspɜːrʒən/ with rhotic r and a clear /ɜːr/ in the stressed syllable. In UK English, it’s /dɪˈspɜːʒən/ with a longer /ɜː/ and non-rhotic r influence on the final syllable. Australian English typically mirrors UK but with a flatter intonation and slightly shorter /ɜː/ vowels. Across all, the final -sion remains /-ʒən/, but the vowel length and rhoticity of /r/ vary. IPA references: US /dɪˈspɜːrʒən/, UK /dɪˈspɜːʒən/, AU /dɪˈspɜːʃən/ depending on speaker.
It's challenging due to the mid-central vowel /ɜː/ in the stressed syllable, the /ʒ/ sound in -sion which isn’t common in many languages, and the light, trailing /ən/ ending. Learners often misplace stress on the first syllable or replace /ʒ/ with /ʃ/ or /s/. Focus on the /ɜː/ quality with a crisp /r/ (US) or a softer /ɜː/ (UK/AU), and ensure the /-sion/ ending isn’t reduced to /-sen/ or /-sən/.
Dispersion has no silent letters. Every letter contributes to the pronunciation: the 'd' starts the word; the 'sp' cluster begins the stressed syllable; the 'i' influences the /ɜː/ quality; the 's' in -sion linked with the /ʒ/ sound; and the final 'n' is pronounced. Keep all phonemes audible, with the emphasis on the 'spɜː' sequence for natural rhythm.
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Dispersion comes from the Latin dispersio, from dispergere meaning to scatter or separate. The root dis- intensifies the verb spargere, to scatter. In Middle English, dispersion appeared in contexts of distribution and scattering, and by the 17th century it broadened to scientific uses, including optics and physics, where it denoted separation into components. The word extended into statistics in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe variability within a dataset, and into chemistry and physics to describe the spread of particles, signals, or wavelengths. First known use in English traces to early modern scientific writings, with the term becoming common in academic discourse across disciplines as theories of distribution, variance, and spreading phenomena developed. Today, dispersion remains a core concept in optics (rainbow dispersion), physics (particle dispersion), statistics (measure of spread), and environmental science (pollutant dispersion).
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Words that rhyme with "Dispersion"
-ion sounds
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