3 syllables: E, mi, ssion. Stress on mi.
im-ISH-uhn
/ɪˈmɪʃən/
Emission is pronounced im-ISH-uhn (/ɪˈmɪʃən/). It has three syllables (E-mi-ssion), with the stress on "mi". Emission is the act or process of releasing something, such as light, gas, or signals, from a source. In science and industry it often refers to the discharge or radiating of energy or particles. The term can also describe a broadcast or transmission, especially of signals or information.
nounEmission is the act or process of releasing something, such as light, gas, or signals, from a source. In science and industry it often refers to the discharge or radiating of energy or particles. The term can also describe a broadcast or transmission, especially of signals or information.
How to Pronounce Emission
"The emission of greenhouse gases is a major environmental concern."
"Solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy, reducing the emission of pollutants."
"The car’s exhaust emission levels are regulated by law."
It is pronounced as /ˌɛm.ɪˈʃən/ in both US and UK English, with primary stress on the second syllable. The first syllable sounds like 'em' as in 'them,' the second syllable 'i' is a short /ɪ/ and the final 'sion' is pronounced /ʃən/ like 'shun.' You’ll hear the 'em' then a quick 'i' before the 'shən' ending. Audio references can be found on Pronounce or Cambridge audio pronunciations for confirmation.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying e-MIS-sion with wrong emphasis), pronouncing the 'ti' as /tɪ/ or /tʃən/ instead of /ʃən/, and failing to reduce the second syllable to a schwa-like /ɪ/ before /ʃən/. Correction: keep secondary stress on the first syllable as /ˌɛm.ɪˈʃən/ and ensure the 's' + 'i' cluster blends into /ɪ/ before the /ʃ/ sound, not a hard /s/ or /ts/.
In US/UK/AU, the main difference is vowel quality and rhoticity. US is non-rhotic in careful speech before consonants, but rhotic in some contexts; the /ɜː/ in 'em-' can be lighter in US. UK tends toward clear /ɪ/ and a slightly drier /ˈʃən/ ending; AU often mirrors UK but with Australian vowel shifts, the first syllable vowel may be broader /ˈɛm.ɪ/ and the final /ən/ can be a more centralized /ən/ or /ən/ with a slightly longer schwa. Overall the /ʃən/ ending remains stable across accents.
The challenge lies in the unstressed/strong-stress pattern and the /ʃən/ cluster after /ɪ/. The 'i' in the second syllable is short, and some speakers add a clear 'ɪ' before /ʃ/ or blend it into /ɪɪ/ in rapid speech. The 'mi' sequence requires smooth /m/ to /ɪ/ transition, and the /ʃ/ can be misarticulated as /s/ or /tʃ/. Practice with minimal pairs to solidify the /ɪ/ to /ʃ/ transition and stress placement: ˌɛm.ɪˈʃən.
A unique query might be: Does the 'ti' in 'emission' contribute a /t/ or a /ʃ/? In emission, the sequence is not /ti/ but /ʃən/, so the 'ti' is part of the /ʃ/ digraph in many dialects; the t is not pronounced as a separate consonant. The correct phonemic sequence is /ˌɛm.ɪˈʃən/. Understanding this keeps you from pronouncing it as /ˌɛm.ɪtʃˈən/ or /ˌɛm.ɪsˈiən/.
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Emission derives from the Latin emmittere, meaning 'to send out' (e, 'out' + mittere, 'to send'). The root mittere appears in many English words such as remit, transmit, and emit. In Latin, em- is a combining form meaning 'put forth' or 'out,' aligning with the sense of sending something outward. The term entered English via Old French as emission, retaining the sense of sending forth or discharge. Over time, it specialized in technical contexts: physics and chemistry describe radiation or discharge; meteorology and environmental science discuss emissions as pollutants or energy outputs; in communications, emission used to denote the broadcast of signals. The pronunciation and spelling stabilized in Early Modern English, with the 'ti' digraph often contributing to a /ʃ/ or /tʃ/ influenced sound in some historical variants, but modern usage maintains /ˈɛm.ɪ.ʃən/ in general American and British forms, with regional vowel shifts affecting the first syllable slightly.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Emission"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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