4 syllables: Ex, cla, ma, tion. Stress on ma.
eks-kluh-MAY-shuhn
/ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃən/
Exclamation is pronounced eks-kluh-MAY-shuhn (/ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Ex-cla-ma-tion), with the stress on "ma". Exclamation is a noun referring to a sudden cry or remark expressing strong feeling, or a mark such as.
nounExclamation is a noun referring to a sudden cry or remark expressing strong feeling, or a mark such as
How to Pronounce Exclamation
"She raised her hand and shouted in exclamation, 'Hooray!'"
"The sentence ends with an exclamation mark to convey excitement or emphasis."
"In her keynote, she punctuated key moments with exclamations to keep the audience engaged."
You say /ˌɛk.skləˈmeɪ.ʃən/. The primary stress lands on the third syllable -klin. First syllable has secondary light stress in careful speech. Lip rounding is minimal, with the /ɪ/ reduced to schwa in fast speech: ex-sklə-MAY-shən becomes eks-klə-MAY-shən. Practice by isolating the strong syllable: meɪ.ʃən, then connect with surrounding sounds.
Common mistakes include flattening the /ɪ/ into a clear /ɪ/ or too-strong enunciation of every consonant, making it sound choppy. Some speakers misplace the primary stress on the first or second syllable (EXS-kluh-MAY-shən). Correct by targeting the strong third syllable: eks-klə-MAY-shən, with a quick, lighter initial cluster /ɛk/ and a reduced /lə/ mid-syllable.
In US English, expect /ˌɛk.skləˈmeɪ.ʃən/ with rhoticity and clear /sk/ cluster; UK often reduces the second syllable lightly and may realize /sklə/ as /ˈskləˌmeɪ.ʃən/, while AU tends toward a slightly broader vowel in /əˈmeɪ/ and similar rhotic quality to US. All share primary stress on the third syllable; the preceding syllables are lighter and faster in casual speech.
Three main challenges: the multi-syllabic rhythm with a defined primary stress on the third syllable; the unstressed, reduced middle syllable /lə/ which often shifts toward /lə/ or /lə/ depending on pace; and the /skl/ cluster after the first syllable, which can be tricky for learners who mute or misplace the blend. Focus on the sequence eks-klə-MAY-shən andpractice the transition between /kl/ and /lə/ and the heavy third syllable.
No, Exclamation has no silent letters in standard pronunciations. Every letter contributes to the syllables /ˌɛk.skləˈmeɪ.ʃən/: ek - sklə - MAY - shən. The tricky aspects are the schwa reductions and consonant cluster /skl/ and the stress on the third syllable.
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US: rhotic /r/ is not a factor here; the /æ/ becomes /eɪ/ in MAY; UK/AU keep a similar pattern but may reduce the /ə/ to a softer schwa. Vowel quality: /ɛ/ in eks; /sklə/ uses reduced schwa; /meɪ/ is a strong diphthong; final /ən/ is a reduced schwa plus n. Practice with IPA guides: US /ˌɛk.skləˈmeɪ.ʃən/, UK /ˌekskləˈmeɪ.ʃən/, AU /ˌekskləˈmeɪ.ʃən/. - US: try a slightly stronger /ɹ/ influence on surrounding words; /r/ is not attached here, but intonation interacts with following words. - UK: flatter vowels in non-rhotic position; maintain short clipped /t/ or /d/ in connected speech. - AU: more open vowel in /æ/ and /ə/ reductions around clusters; maintain the same primary stress pattern.
Exclamation comes from the Latin exclamare, formed from ex- ‘out’ plus clamare ‘to cry out’ (from clam, ‘cry’). The term entered Middle English via Old French exclamation around the 14th century, originally describing a sudden cry or utterance. By the 15th–16th centuries, it broadened to refer to a punctuated remark— particularly the exclamation mark used to express emphasis. In rhetoric, exclamatory expressions were often marked in manuscripts, signaling heightened emotion or emphasis. The modern sense of “an exclamatory sentence” emerged as standardized punctuation and sentence structure evolved, especially in English grammar texts from the 17th to 19th centuries. Today, exclamation denotes both the act of crying out and the typographic symbol that marks emphatic or emotional content in writing.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Exclamation" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Exclamation"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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