3 syllables: Ex, em, ption. Stress on em.
ig-ZEMP-shuhn
/ɪˈɡzɛmpʃən/
Exemption is pronounced ig-ZEMP-shuhn (/ɪˈɡzɛmpʃən/). It has three syllables (Ex-em-ption), with the stress on "em". Exemption is a formal excuse or release from a rule, duty, or obligation. It denotes a specific allowance granted by authority, not a general exemption from all responsibility. The term often appears in legal, tax, or institutional contexts to indicate permission to be free from a requirement under defined circumstances.
nounExemption is a formal excuse or release from a rule, duty, or obligation. It denotes a specific allowance granted by authority, not a general exemption from all responsibility. The term often appears in legal, tax, or institutional contexts to indicate permission to be free from a requirement under defined circumstances.
"The student received an exemption from the final exam due to documented illness."
"Tax exemptions reduce the amount of income on which you must pay tax."
"She obtained an exemption from jury duty after serving in the armed forces."
Pronounce it as /ɪɡˈzɛm(p)ʃən/. The syllable stress is on the second syllable: ex-EMP-tion. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ as in 'sit', then /ɡ/ followed by a clear /ˈzɛm/ with a voiced z. The middle is a light /m/ and /p/ cluster before /ʃən/. Final /ən/ is a relaxed schwa plus nasal. Tip: keep the /z/ crisp and avoid a heavy 'ex-'. Audio references include standard dictionaries and pronunciation videos.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying ex-EMP-tion with primary stress on the first syllable), pronouncing the middle as /sɛm/ without the /z/ voice, or slurring the /t/ into /ʃ/ making /ʃən/ Mongol-like. To correct: ensure clear /z/ before the /ɛm/ and release the /t/ crisply to form /tʃ/? actually /t/ followed by /ʃən/, so practice as two transitions: /zɛm/ then /p/ + /ʃən/. Focus on keeping a light, short /ɪ/ in the first syllable and not elongating the vowel.
US/UK/AU share /ɪɡˈzɛm(p)ʃən/ with stress on the second syllable. Minor differences: US tends to a more pronounced /ɡ/ before /ˈz/ and a stronger final /ən/. UK often smooths the /p/ before /ʃən/ and may have a slightly shorter /ɪ/ in the first syllable. Australian tends to a slightly more centralized vowel quality in the first syllable and a flapped or tapped /ɾ/? not relevant; but may have less reduction in the final syllable. Overall, rhoticity does not drastically alter it, but US tends to a fuller, sharper /ɡ/ and UK/AU slightly more vowel-reduced in fast speech.
The difficulty lies in the cluster transition from /z/ to /ɛm/ and the /t/ before /ʃən/, which requires precise timing to avoid a rushed /z/ or a slurred /tʃ/ effect. The mid syllable carries a voiced consonant cluster (/zɛm(p)/) that can blur in fast speech, and the final /ən/ is a light, unstressed schwa that can be swallowed. Practicing slow, segmented syllables helps, then blending to natural speed with consistent /z/ voicing and a crisp /t/ release before /ʃən/ will reduce interference from similar words like “exception.”
In Exemption, the 'ex-' prefix is not silent; it contributes the /ɡz/ sound cluster /ɡˈz/ when followed by a vowel, producing the common 'gz' transition as in 'examine'. The first two phonemes are often heard as a quick /ɪɡ/ rather than a long /ek-/ due to English phonotactics. So there is no silent letter here; the 'ex-' drives the /ɡz/ onset to the stressed /ˈzɛm/ portion, which is critical for correct rhythm and pressure placement in the word.
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Exemption comes from the Old French exemption, from Latin exemptio, from ex- ‘out of, away from’ + emptionem (nominative exemptio), from emere ‘to take, acquire’. The root em- (as in take, obtain) evolves through Latin to denote removal or release from a burden or rule. In English, exemption first appeared in the late 14th century in religious or feudal contexts to indicate a liberation from service, taxation, or obligation. Through centuries, the legal and administrative senses broadened as governments codified exemptions in statutes and regulations. The word retained the core sense of “taking away a burden by authority,” but the domains expanded from ecclesiastical exemptions to modern civil and tax exemptions. The semantic trajectory shows increasing formalism and institutional codification, making exemption a technical, legally loaded noun in contemporary use. The pronunciation stabilized as /ɪɡˈzɛm(p)ʃən/ in American English, with small variations in syllable stress placement in rapid speech across dialects; the spelling preserves the underlying Latin-derived morphemes “ex-” and “-emption.”
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Words that rhyme with "Exemption"
-ion sounds
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