4 syllables: Grad, u, a, tion. Stress on a.
graj-oo-AY-shuhn
/ˌɡɹædʒuˈeɪʃən/
Graduation is pronounced graj-oo-AY-shuhn (/ˌɡɹædʒuˈeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Grad-u-a-tion), with the stress on "a". Graduation is the act or ceremony of completing a course of study, typically marked by receiving a diploma or degree. It also refers to the period of transition as one completes an education stage. The term can denote the event itself or the milestone of finishing a program, often celebrated with formal attire and speeches.
nounGraduation is the act or ceremony of completing a course of study, typically marked by receiving a diploma or degree. It also refers to the period of transition as one completes an education stage. The term can denote the event itself or the milestone of finishing a program, often celebrated with formal attire and speeches.
"She wore a cap and gown for her graduation ceremony."
"Graduation marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another."
"The school announced the graduation date several months in advance."
Pronunciation: /ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn̩/ or /ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn/. The primary stress is on the syllable that contains ‘du’ (second syllable in gra-DU-a-tion). Break it down: /ˈɡrædʒu/ as GRAD-ju and /ˈeɪ/ as the long A, followed by /ʃn̩/ for -tion ending. In American/UK, you’ll hear the /dʒ/ sound like 'j' in judge, and the 'ation' ending sounds like 'ay-shn' with a syllabic n. Try saying: GRAD-joo-AY-shn. For listening cues, listen to pronunciations on dictionaries or Forvo to compare regional variants.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying gra-DU-a-tion with incorrect emphasis), pronouncing the 't' as a hard stop instead of a soft -tion sound (/ʃn/ rather than /tn/), and mispronouncing the 'ge' as /dʒɪ/ or flattening the /uː/ into a short /ʌ/. Correction tips: place primary stress on the /ˈeɪ/ portion of the ending, keep the /t/ silent or softened as /t/ plus /n/ with the /ʃn/ cluster at the end, and shape the /ju/ as a brief /u/ following /dʒ/. Practice: gra-ju-AY-shn with the -tion as /ʃn̩/.
In US English, you’ll typically hear /ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn̩/ with a rhotic /ɹ/ not present in this word, but the vowel qualities are Americanized with a clear /æ/ in ‘grad’. UK English tends to maintain a similar rhythm but with less rhotics and a slightly longer /ɪ/ in some speakers; the ending /eɪʃn/ may sound closer to /eɪʃn̩/. Australian English often shows a more centralized vowel in the first syllable, with a softer /ɡrædʒuː/ and a more clipped ending. All share the ‘du’ secondary emphasis, but vowel quality and rhythm differ.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure and the -tion ending: /ˈeɪʃn̩/ yields a tricky syllabic nasal cluster after /ʃ/. The /dʒ/ blending with /u/ can wobble in rapid speech, and the secondary stress on the third syllable makes the word feel unbalanced if you’re not attentive to the /æ/ in the first syllable and the /eɪ/ in the ending. Practice with slowed, then normal speed to stabilize the tongue position for the /dʒ/ and the /ʃn/ cluster.
A unique nuance is the syllabic final /n̩/ in the -tion ending. In careful speech, /ʃn̩/ is pronounced as a syllable with a vocalized final consonant not fully separate from the preceding /ʃ/. This can feel subtle but makes the word look more natural in fluent speech. To train, emphasize the /ʃ/ followed immediately by a light /n̩/ with a brief, soft release, not a hard '/t/ + /n/'.
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Graduation derives from the Latin gradus meaning 'step' or 'degree, rank', reflecting a step-like progression or advancement. The French word graduation, from the same stem, evolved into English in the 15th–16th centuries to denote the act of progressing to a higher level. The modern sense of a formal ceremony tied to completing an educational program emerged in the 17th–18th centuries, paralleling universities and colleges adopting celebrate-with-diploma rituals. The term captures both the achievement (the degree) and the ceremonial event (the graduation ceremony), with ‘grad-’ as the root element also seen in graduate, gradual, and gradient. First known uses appear in Latin education and ecclesiastical writings, then in early modern English education literature as schools and universities formalized graduation rites. Over time, the word broadened to describe milestones in various fields, but the academic sense remains predominant in contemporary usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Graduation" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Graduation" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Graduation"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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