4 syllables: Ex, tirp, a, tion. Stress on a.
ik-sturr-PAY-shuhn
/ˌɪkˌstɜrpˈeɪʃən/
Extirpation is pronounced ik-sturr-PAY-shuhn (/ˌɪkˌstɜrpˈeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Ex-tirp-a-tion), with the stress on "a". Extirpation is the act of rooting out and destroying something completely, often a plant or organism, or figuratively removing something undesirable. It denotes thorough eradication rather than partial elimination, and is used in scientific, medical, and literary contexts to describe complete extinction or removal.
nounExtirpation is the act of rooting out and destroying something completely, often a plant or organism, or figuratively removing something undesirable. It denotes thorough eradication rather than partial elimination, and is used in scientific, medical, and literary contexts to describe complete extinction or removal.
"The extirpation of an invasive species from the island was successful after years of careful management."
"Many researchers discussed the extirpation of disease vectors to prevent local outbreaks."
"The government called for the extirpation of corruption within the department."
Pronounce it as /ɪkˌstɜːrˈpeɪʃən/ in US English, with three clear syllables: ek-STUR-pay-shun. The primary stress is on the third syllable, the -peɪ- peak. The initial ligature resembles ‘ek’ as in 'echo', the middle syllable uses a rhotacized /ɜːr/ before the /peɪ/, and the ending is a light /ʃən/. In non-rhotic UK accents the r is less pronounced, but the overall rhythm remains the same. In Australian speech, you’ll hear a similar /ɪkˌstɜːˈpeɪʃən/ with a slightly broader diphthong in the final syllable.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (reacting to -peɪ- as secondary), mispronouncing /ɜːr/ as a plain /ɜː/ or /ər/. Another frequent slip is reducing /ˈpeɪʃən/ to /-ʃən/ or saying /ɪkˈstɜrpəʃən/. Correction: keep the /ɜːr/ sound before /peɪ/ (rhotic R in US), emphasize the /peɪ/ cluster, and finish with a clear /ʃən/. Practice with isolated syllables: ek-STUR-pay-shun, then blend gently without adding extra syllables.
US: /ɪkˌstɜːrˈpeɪʃən/ with rhotic /r/ in /ɜːr/. UK: /ɪkˌstɜːˈpeɪʃən/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a slightly longer /ɜː/ in the first main vowel. Australia: /ɪkˌstɜːˈpeɪʃən/ similar to UK, often a broader, more open /ɜː/ and less intonational variability. Across all, the key is syllable timing, stressing the /peɪ/ and finishing with /ʃən/. The main difference is rhoticity and vowel length; keep the sequence intact and modulate the r accordingly.
Difficult because of the three-syllable structure with a mid-stressed /ɜːr/ before a long /eɪ/ diphthong and a final /ʃən/. The sequence ek-STUR-pay-shun involves blending a rhotic vowel before a tense diphthong and a consonant cluster near the end. Lips and tongue must move quickly from /ɜːr/ to /peɪ/ while maintaining the /ʃən/ ending. Also, the root-into-stressed syllable can trip you up if you’re not precise with the primary stress location.
Yes. The ephemeral middle syllable /ˈstɜr/ is where the rhotic vowel interacts with a tense vowel transition into /peɪ/. A unique aspect is preserving the contrast between /ˌstɜr/ and /ˈpeɪ/ across the same stress window, ensuring the /t/ following /s/ is released and not elided. The result is a crisp, three-beat rhythm: ek-STUR-pay-shun, with emphasis on the third syllable.
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Extirpation comes from Latin extirpāre, meaning to root up, pull out by the roots, or destroy, from ex- ‘out, away’ + stirp- ‘root, trunk’ (akin to stirps ‘root, offspring’), with the agent noun -ation. The form extirpation entered English via Late Latin and medieval Latin medical/philosophical writings before appearing in English in the 17th–18th centuries, often in scientific or legal diction. The word encodes a sense of complete uprooting rather than mere removal or partial suppression. It shares semantic kinship with eradication and extermination, but extirpation emphasizes local or internal rooting out within a system. Early usage often described botanical or zoological contexts (extirpation of species from a region) and later broadened to metaphorical uses (extirpation of habits or corruption). The word’s trajectory mirrors other -ation nouns built from verb roots related to rooting or uprooting, reinforcing the image of something firmly removed from a given place or state. First known uses appear in scholarly treatises and natural history writings, where precise, decisive action against a problem was required and valued.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Extirpation"
-ion sounds
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