3 syllables: e, mo, tion. Stress on mo.
/ɪˈmoʊʃən/
Say it backEmotion refers to a complex, subjective feeling state that arises in response to stimuli or thoughts. It encompasses affective experiences such as happiness, sadness, anger, or fear, often accompanied by physiological changes and expressive behaviors. In everyday use, it also describes the intensity or mood of a person, scene, or piece of writing. (2–4 sentences, concise and core-focused.)
"Her emotion was evident in her trembling voice during the speech."
"The film's emotional climax left the audience in tears."
"He kept his emotions in check, but his eyes gave him away."
Pronounce as /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃən/ in US English, with primary stress on the second syllable. The first syllable sounds like “ih,” the second is a long “moe” syllable, and the final is a soft “shun.” Lip rounding is modest; the /oʊ/V is a diphthong. You’ll want a clean /ʃ/ in the third syllable before a schwa. IPA guide: ɪ-MOʊ-ʃən. You can listen to models on Pronounce or Forvo to hear natural US pronunciation.
Two frequent errors: (1) stressing the first syllable instead of the second, turning it into e-MO-tion; (2) conflating /moʊ/ with a quick /moʊ/ off the 2nd syllable or adding an extra syllable. Correct by placing primary stress on /ˈmoʊ/ and practicing a crisp /ʃən/ ending. Use a short, unstressed final schwa to avoid extra vowel length.
In US English, you’ll hear /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃən/, rhotic with clear /r/ no; in many UK accents, /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ with a non-rhotic /r/ (often silent) and a longer /əʊ/; Australian typically aligns with UK patterns but with a more centralized final vowel and slight vowel shortening in rapid speech. Pay attention to vowel quality and rhoticity when listening to examples in each region.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with the secondary (/ˈ) stress) pattern and the central consonant cluster /ʃən/ at the end. The /oʊ/ diphthong in American speech and the /əʊ/ in British speech require precise tongue height and lip rounding. Also, the unstressed first syllable should be reduced to a quick /ɪ/ before the strong /ˈmoʊ/ to avoid a staccato onset.
Yes—emphasis on the second syllable /ˈmoʊ/. Some speakers reduce the first vowel to a short /ɪ/; the best practice is maintaining a clear, short /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ depending on accent, but you should sustain a clear /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ in the second syllable and a smooth /ʃən/ at the end. This word often trips learners on the /t/ to /ʃ/ transition if speed increases.
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Emotion comes from the Latin word emovere, meaning to move or excite. Emovere is formed from the prefix e- (out) and movere (to move). The sense evolved in Middle French as emotion, then into English by the 15th century, originally indicating agitation or stirring of the mind. Early uses leaned toward physical movement coupled with feeling; by the 17th–18th centuries, it broadened to denote inner mental states and passions rather than mere bodily motion. Over time, “emotion” solidified as a noun for interior affect, while related terms like emotional and emotionally shifted into modern descriptive language, expanding the lexicon around affect, expression, and mood. First known English uses appeared in early modern writing, aligning with Renaissance interest in psychology, rhetoric, and human experience, and the term gradually entered common discourse across literature and social science. (200–300 words)
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "emotion" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "emotion"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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