4 syllables: in, di, ca, tion. Stress on ca.
/ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən/
Say it backIndication is a sign or piece of evidence pointing to a possible outcome or conclusion. It can also refer to the act of showing or signaling something, such as symptoms indicating illness or a clue indicating a plan. The term is also used in logic and statistics to denote a suggestion of a trend or result. It typically functions as a noun with multiple related senses.
"The doctor noted several indications of a viral infection."
"There are clear indications that the project will meet its deadline."
"The statistics provide an indication of consumer confidence trends."
Pronounce as /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. The primary stress falls on the third syllable: in-di-CA-tion. Start with /ˌɪn/ (short i as in in), move to /dɪ/ (short i), then /ˈkeɪ/ (long a as in make), and finish with /ʃən/ (shun). Keep the ball of the tongue lightly raised for /ʃ/ and finish with a quick, weak final syllable. Audio cues: imagine saying ‘indicator’ without the final -tor. You’ll hear the same three-keybeats in sequence: unstressed; unstressed; stressed; unstressed.
Two common errors: 1) misplacing the stress on the second syllable and saying in-DI-ca-tion, which flattens the word; 2) truncating the final -tion to -shun too strongly, yielding /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ vs a clipped /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃn/. Correction: keep primary stress on the third syllable /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ and ensure the final syllable is a soft /ən/ rather than a heavy /ʃn/. Also practice the /ɪ/ in the first and second syllables to avoid a prolonged /ɪ/ that shifts to /iː/.
US, UK, and AU share /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ but vowel quality and rhoticity give subtle differences: US is rhotic and often = /ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with a pronounced /ɹ/ in surrounding words, UK is non-rhotic and tends toward slightly shorter /ɪ/ in the first syllables, and AU tends to a flatter vowel in /ɪ/ and a more rounded /ə/ in the final syllable depending on speaker; all keep the stressed /ˈkeɪ/ peak. Pay attention to the -tion as /ʃən/ across accents.
Challenges include the multi-syllabic rhythm with a prominent secondary beat before the /ˈkeɪ/ peak, the /d/ following /n/ can blur in fast speech, and the /ˈkeɪ/ diphthong requires careful tongue movement from /d/ to /k/. Additionally, the final -tion /ʃən/ often shortens in casual speech. To master, practice the slow sequence /ˌɪn.dɪ/ then build to /ˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with even, light /ʃ/ release and a relaxed jaw at the end.
A unique aspect is the non-stress on the first syllable with a marked stress on the third, combined with a three-consonant transition /nd/ into the /ɪ/ again for /dɪ/ before the long /keɪ/ vowel. This creates a distinct upstep in pitch and a clear separation between 'in-din' and 'cation' parts in careful speech, making the /d/ feel clenched between nasal /n/ and /k/.
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Indication comes from the Middle English indication, borrowed from Old French indication, which in turn derives from Late Latin indicationem (nominative indicatio), from indicare ‘to point out, indicate.’ The root indic- means ‘to show, point out,’ from Latin indicare. The suffix -tion marks a noun of action or resulting state. In its journey through English, indication broadened from a concrete sign or signal to a more abstract idea of suggestive evidence, inference, or hint. By the 15th century, indication was used in medical texts to describe signs pointing to disease, and in logic to describe evidence supporting a proposition. The word’s usage expanded in modern times to cover statistical trends, legislative language, and everyday clues that something is the case, while still retaining its core sense of pointing toward something beyond the surface. First known use in English traces to the 14th century, with concrete references appearing in clinical and observational writings by the 15th century, evolving to a general-purpose term across disciplines by the 18th–19th centuries as professional jargon diversified its meaning surface.
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Words that rhyme with "indication"
-ion sounds
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