4 syllables: dis, tri, bu, tion. Stress on bu.
dis-truh-BYOO-shuhn
/ˌdɪstɹəˈbjuʃən/
distribution is pronounced dis-truh-BYOO-shuhn (/ˌdɪstɹəˈbjuʃən/). It has four syllables (dis-tri-bu-tion), with the stress on "bu". distribution (n.) is the act or process of dividing goods, services, or data among recipients or across a region. It also refers to the pattern or spread of something over a space or within a population, and to statistics representing how a variable is spread. The term is common in logistics, statistics, and data analysis.
distribution (n.) is the act or process of dividing goods, services, or data among recipients or across a region. It also refers to the pattern or spread of something over a space or within a population, and to statistics representing how a variable is spread. The term is common in logistics, statistics, and data analysis.
"The distribution of vaccines was prioritized by age and risk."
"They analyzed the distribution of income across the city."
"A normal distribution describes many natural phenomena."
Dis-trib-u-tion is stressed on the third syllable: dis-TRIB-u-tion. In US and UK accents the vowels are /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ and /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ respectively; Australian often mirrors /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/. Note the consonants: a clear /t/ before the final syllable, and a light, unstressed schwa in the last vowel. IPA: US/UK/AU: dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən.
Many learners misplace the stress, saying dis-TRI-bi-tion or di-STRIB-u-tion with weak secondary stress. Others merge /juː/ and /ʃən/ to /juːʃən/ or drop the /t/ sound in rapid speech, producing dis-rib-u-tion. Correct it by practicing the sequence /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ with clear /t/ and a full /juː/ before /ʃən/.
US tends to keep the /ɪ/ in the first syllable and the /juː/ in the third with a rhotic /r/ absent in 'bjuː' cluster; UK often aligns with /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ with non-rhotic r; AU is similar to UK but may have a slightly broader vowel in /ɪ/ and a flatter /ɪ/. The primary stress remains on the third syllable in most varieties: dis-tri-BU-tion.
Two main challenges: multi-syllabic rhythm and the /str/ cluster followed by /ɪ/ before /ˈbjuː/. The combination of /str/ and /ɪ/ can trip up learners who expect simpler syllable transitions, and the /juː/ in /bjuː/ may be misarticulated if you slide to /ju/ or /juː/ incorrectly. Practice crisp /strɪ-ˈbjuː/ with a distinct /t/.
The middle consonant cluster /tr/ in /strɪ/ interacts with the following /ɪ/ vowel and the /t/ being released before /juː/. Some speakers voice the /t/ softly as an alveolar tap in rapid speech, leading to dis-rɪˈbjuː. Focus on a full /t/ release before /juː/ for clarity and maintain the /-ʃən/ ending.
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US: rhotic spectrum; ensure /r/ sound only when present and crisp /juː/ before /ʃən/. UK: non-rhotic; /r/ not pronounced; keep /juː/ with less vowel length; AU: closer to UK, but vowels may be broader; maintain /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ with a slightly longer /ɪ/ in the first syllable. IPA references: US /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/, UK /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/, AU /dɪ.strɪˈbjuː.ʃən/.
distribution comes from Latin distributio, from dis- ‘apart, asunder’ + tribere ‘to assign, allot, pay, grant’. Early Latin usage referred to the act of dividing or allotting property or duties. In Medieval Latin the term expanded to include the distribution of weights, goods, or offices, reflecting a broader sense of allocation. In English, distribution appeared in the 15th century, with sense development into statistics and mathematics in the 18th–19th centuries (distribution of a variable, distribution curves). The word thus preserves its core notion of breaking into parts and allocating across a space or set, while adopting specialized senses in economics, probability, and data science. First known uses appear in legal and economic treatises discussing apportionment, then later in scientific texts addressing probability distributions and logistics planning.
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Words that rhyme with "distribution"
-ion sounds
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