4 syllables: In, te, gra, tion. Stress on gra.
in-tuh-GRAY-shuhn
/ˌɪntəˈɡɹeɪʃən/
Integration is pronounced in-tuh-GRAY-shuhn (/ˌɪntəˈɡɹeɪʃən/). It has four syllables (In-te-gra-tion), with the stress on "gra". Integration is the process of combining parts to form a whole, or the act of incorporating something into a larger system. In everyday use, it can refer to mathematical integration, social or organizational blending, or the inclusion of diverse elements into a cohesive whole. The term emphasizes harmony, coordination, and functional unity across disciplines or contexts.
nounIntegration is the process of combining parts to form a whole, or the act of incorporating something into a larger system. In everyday use, it can refer to mathematical integration, social or organizational blending, or the inclusion of diverse elements into a cohesive whole. The term emphasizes harmony, coordination, and functional unity across disciplines or contexts.
- In-tuh-GREY-shən vs. in-tuh-GREY-zhən: ensure the final is /ʃən/, not /ʒən/ or /ən/; practice with words ending in -tion to feel the /ʃən/ pattern. - Over-emphasizing the first syllable: keep a light initial 'in' and focus the energy on the third syllable /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/. - Merging the 't' and 'g' into a single sound; separate them with a light stop and a quick transition to /ɡ/. - Neglecting the unstressed vowels in the first two syllables (i and tə) which should be reduced to /ɪ/ and /tə/ rather than fully enunciated.
How to Pronounce Integration
"The school's approach to integration emphasizes collaboration across departments."
"In calculus, integration is used to compute areas under curves and accumulated quantities."
"The integration of new technologies into existing workflows improves efficiency."
Say in-tuh-GRAY-shun, with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/. Start with a light, neutral 'i', then a quick soft 'n', an unstressed 't', then a clear 'ɡreɪ' as in 'gray', and finish with 'ʃən' where the tongue approaches the palate for the 'ʃ' and a schwa plus 'n'. Audio reference: You can compare at Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries and listen for the /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/ pattern.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing main stress on -ɡreɪ- vs. -tə-), conflating 'ti' with 't' to produce 'in-tuh-gee-AY-shun', and rushing the final -ʃən so it sounds like 'shun' or 'tion'. Correction: keep the primary stress on the 'GREY' syllable: /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/; articulate the 't' as a light, unreleased stop before the 'ɡ' and enunciate the final 'ʃən' clearly.
In US, syllable count and stress: /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/ with rhoticity affecting preceding vowels slightly. UK typically maintains the same rhythm but may show clearer enunciation of the 't' and a slightly rounded 'ɡreɪ' vowel; AU tends to a more centralized vowel quality and a flatter intonation, with similar syllable timing but potentially less pronounced post-stress vowel reduction.
Because it features a multi-syllabic sequence with a stress shift (secondary to primary stress) and a consonant cluster around the onset of -gr- that urges the tongue to move quickly from a dental/alveolar to a velar place. The /təˈɡreɪ/ portion requires precise 't' release into a hard /ɡ/ and a long /eɪ/ vowel. Finally, the final /ʃən/ demands a crisp palatal fricative followed by a neutral vowel, which many speakers flatten.
Integration bears both an -ɡreɪ- sequence and a final -ʃən ending that can be mispronounced as -ˈɡreɪʃən or -ʃn. Emphasizing the middle syllable (/ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/) with a clear 'greɪ' and an explicit final 'ʃən' helps distinguish it in audio search results; including precise IPA and examples helps learners connect with search terms and improve spoken accuracy in academic and professional contexts.
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- US: Rhoticity means the /ɹ/ in 'integration' is subtle; keep the r-coloring of the vowels mild when not word-final. The stress lands on -GREI-; ensure the /ɪ/ of the initial syllable is subtle. - UK: Maintain a crisp articulation of the 't' before /ɡr/ and a slightly more clipped /ˈɡreɪ/; vowels may be marginally shorter and less retroflex. - AU: Vowels in 'inte-' tend toward centralized quality; the /ɹ/ is reduced; rhythm tends to more even tempo with a flatter intonation. IPA references: /ˌɪn.təˈɡreɪ.ʃən/ across accents; note rhotic differences in non-final positions.
Integration traces to the Latin root integrāre, meaning to make whole, from primal term integer, meaning whole or intact. In late Latin, integrātiō developed to denote making something whole or complete, and by the 17th century in English it appeared in mathematical contexts as the process of summing infinitesimal parts. The word broadened in the 19th and 20th centuries to include social and organizational contexts—bringing disparate elements into a unified system. The pronunciation centers on the -teɪʃən ending, which reflects the common transformation of Latin -ātiō into English -ation, with stress shifting to the third syllable in many uses (in-US: /ˌɪn tɪˈɡreɪʃən/; UK: /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡreɪ.ʃən/). First known uses appear in mathematical treatises from the 17th century, with broader semantic adoption over time to capture synthesis, inclusion, and interoperability across disciplines.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Integration" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Integration" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Integration"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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