5 syllables: ge, ne, ra, tion, al. Stress on ra.
jen-ur-AY-shuh-nuhl
/ˌdʒɛnɚˈeɪʃənəl/
generational is pronounced jen-ur-AY-shuh-nuhl (/ˌdʒɛnɚˈeɪʃənəl/). It has five syllables (ge-ne-ra-tion-al), with the stress on "ra". Generational describes anything relating to or characteristic of generations, especially in terms of distribution across age groups or the transmission of traits, values, or conditions from one generation to another. It often appears in discussions of society, demographics, and family lineage, emphasizing differences or continuity across generations.
Generational describes anything relating to or characteristic of generations, especially in terms of distribution across age groups or the transmission of traits, values, or conditions from one generation to another. It often appears in discussions of society, demographics, and family lineage, emphasizing differences or continuity across generations.
"The generational divide on social media usage has widened in the past decade."
"Her research focused on generational differences in workplace expectations."
"We studied generational patterns of disease risk across three cohorts."
Pronounce as /ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənəl/. Stress falls on the third syllable: gen-uh-REY-shuh-nuhl. Start with the soft
Common errors: softening the /dʒ/ to a /d/ or /j/ sound, misplacing stress on the first syllable (gen-uh-REY-shuh-nuhl is key), and running the suffix -tion(-al) together without the clear /ənəl/ ending. Correct by practicing the /dʒ/ as a palatal affricate, ensure the /ˈreɪ/ is the strong nucleus with a clear /eɪ/, and finish with /ənəl/ rather than /ənəl/ merging too fast.
US: clear /ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənəl/ with rhotic /r/. UK: similar, but non-rhotic tendencies may reduce post-vocalic r in fast speech, keeping /ˈdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənəl/ less rhotic. AU: tends toward broader vowels; /ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənəl/ with slightly more relaxed vowels in the first syllables. Core rhythm remains stress on the third syllable; final -al often reduced in casual speech.
Because it blends three syllables with a tense mid vowel in /eɪ/ and a trailing schwa-plus-l (ənəl). The sequence /ənə/ can blur in rapid speech, and the initial /dʒ/ blends require precise tongue contact at the palate. Maintaining the secondary stress on -re- and the strong nucleus /eɪ/ helps clarity.
Focus on the middle: the /ˈreɪ/ nucleus sits between /nə/ and /ʃənə/. Make the /reɪ/ sound strong and long, then release into /ʃən/ with a light, quick transition before the final /əl/. Visualize the mouth opening wider for the /eɪ/ and keeping the tongue high at the start of /reɪ/ to prevent a clipped bilabial sound.
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The adjective generational derives from Latin generatio, meaning birth, race, kind, generation, from genus, gener- 'race, kind, lineage.' The suffix -al turns the noun generation into an adjective. Generatio (Latin) evolved into late Latin generationalis before entering English as generational to describe things pertaining to a generation. The word first appeared in English in the 18th or 19th century with senses tied to inheritance and lineage, and by the 20th century broadened to describe phenomena distributed or transmitted across generations, such as generational wealth, differences, or trends. Over time, the term gained social-science usage as demographic and cultural analysis of age cohorts became more prominent, while retaining core meanings of birth, lineage, and succession across generations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "generational" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "generational" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "generational"
-nal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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