4 syllables: ex, hi, bi, tions. Stress on bi.
ek-suh-BISH-uhnz
/ˌɛksəˈbɪʃənz/
exhibitions is pronounced ek-suh-BISH-uhnz (/ˌɛksəˈbɪʃənz/). It has four syllables (ex-hi-bi-tions), with the stress on "bi". Exhibitions refers to public displays or events organized to showcase or promote something, often art, products, or ideas. It can also mean the act of displaying or presenting. The term emphasizes organized, public viewing and presentation, typically in galleries, museums, or trade-show settings.
Exhibitions refers to public displays or events organized to showcase or promote something, often art, products, or ideas. It can also mean the act of displaying or presenting. The term emphasizes organized, public viewing and presentation, typically in galleries, museums, or trade-show settings.
- You will often mispronounce the second syllable; practice with minimal pairs: exhibitions vs expositions. - Keep the 'z' at the end voiced; avoid devoicing to 's'. - The 'b' in the middle should be short and not slide into the following 'ɪ'.- Correction tips: 1) pause after ɡˈzɪ before ɪb, to maintain stress clarity, 2) practice ex-hi-bi-tions separately before combining, 3) record and compare with a native.
"The city plans several new exhibitions this season, featuring contemporary photography."
"Her paintings will be on exhibitions at the downtown gallery next month."
"Industry news highlighted three major technology exhibitions around the world."
Pronounce as ɪgˈzɪbɪʃənz in US and UK; stress on the second syllable (zɪb). The initial vowel is short i as in 'sit', followed by g as in 'give'. The 'sh' sound is the voiceless palato-alveolar fricative. Ending is 'ənz' with a voiced z. Tip: break into ex-hi-bi-tions, then blend: ɪg-zɪ-BIH-shənz with careful assimilation before the z. Audio reference: listen to native phoneme models on Pronounce or Forvo.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying ex-ˈhibi-tions; (2) Slurring the 't' into the 'i' making 'exhib-ations' or 'exhĩ-bitions'; (3) Not voicing the final z; ensure the final z is clear and not devoiced. Correction: rehearse as ɪgˈzɪ-bɪ-ʃənz, with stable tʃus before the final z, and emphasize the second syllable with a crisp z.
US: clearer r-less rhotic? Actually US rhotic: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃənz/ with r-coloring absent; UK: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃ(ə)nz/ often with a schwa in the second to last syllable; AU: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃənz/ similar to UK, but with softer vowels and less pronounced final syllable; overall, stress on second syllable; vowel quality differences are subtle and influenced by intonation patterns.
Two main challenges: (1) the cluster -xb-; after a stressed sibilant, the sequence 'zɪb' is quick and can cause the 'z' to blend; (2) the final -tions vs -ʃənz; many speakers converge the -tʃənz into -tions or devoice the final z. Focus on isolating the -bɪʃ- sequence and keeping the final -ənz clear with a short preconsonantal pause.
No silent letters in exhibitionS. Every letter contributes to the pronunciation: ex- (eɡs-), hib- (hɪb-), -i- (ɪ), -tions (t͡ʃənz or ʃənz depending on accent). The 'ti' produces the -ʃə/ʃən sound before final z. Pay attention to the /tʃ/ or /ʃ/ sequence before the -ənz.
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- US: emphasize the second syllable with a clear z sound; the final z should be audible; avoid vowel lengthening in the middle. - UK: softer vowel qualities, less rhotic emphasis, 'ə' in the penultimate syllable; maintain crisp -ʃənz. - AU: similar to UK but with more centralized vowels and a flatter intonation; ensure final z is voiced without harshness. IPA references: US ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃənz, UK ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃ(ə)nz, AU ɪɡˈzɪbɪʃənz.
Exhibitions derives from the verb exhibit, from the Latin exhibere, meaning to hold out or display. The prefix ex- (out) combined with hibere (to hold, to have) led to exhibit, meaning to hold up before others. The noun exhibition emerged in English in the 15th–16th centuries, initially in contexts of displaying artifacts, manuscripts, or curiosities in cabinets and galleries. Over time, exhibitions broadened beyond scholarly or royal collections to public, commercial, and cultural events. The plural form exhibitions developed to denote multiple events or displays. The word retained its core sense of public display and presentation, increasingly associated with organized events, fairs, or museum/gallery programming. In contemporary use, exhibitions convey both the act of displaying and the event itself, often with curated themes, catalogs, and accompanying interpretive materials. The term has remained stable in spelling, though pronunciation has evolved with regional accents and stress patterns. First known attestations appear in early modern English texts describing ceremonial or public displays, aligning with the broader rise of organized public exhibitions in the arts and sciences.
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Words that rhyme with "exhibitions"
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