3 syllables: in, ten, tion. Stress on ten.
in-TEN-chuhn
/ˌɪˈntɛntʃən/
intention is pronounced in-TEN-chuhn (/ˌɪˈntɛntʃən/). It has three syllables (in-ten-tion), with the stress on "ten". Intention refers to a mental aim or plan guiding one’s actions. It denotes a purposeful, forward-looking motive behind behavior, as opposed to mere reaction. In practice, it often underpins decisions, commitments, and the expected outcome of a person’s conduct.
Intention refers to a mental aim or plan guiding one’s actions. It denotes a purposeful, forward-looking motive behind behavior, as opposed to mere reaction. In practice, it often underpins decisions, commitments, and the expected outcome of a person’s conduct.
"She announced her intention to study abroad next year."
"His intention wasn’t to offend anyone, but the remark came out harshly."
"The project failed despite good intentions; execution was lacking."
Pronounce it as in-TEN-shun with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ɪnˈtɛn.ʃən/. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a stressed /ˈtɛn/ vowel cluster, and finish with the /ʃən/ ending, where the /n/ is light and the /ʃ/ blends smoothly into a schwa-like final.
Two common errors: (1) misplacing the stress, saying in-TEN-tion with weak second syllable stress; ensure primary stress on /ˈtɛn/. (2) mispronouncing the ending as -tion as -shun with a hard /ʃ/; keep the ending as -ʃən with a light n, avoiding a heavy hissing /ʃ/ or an extra syllable. Practice the /tɛn/ cluster and the /ʃən/ sequence clearly.
Across US/UK/AU, the main differences lie in vowel length and rhoticity. US and AU generally maintain /ɪnˈtɛn.ʃən/ with rhotic r not present in this word; UK tends to the same core vowels but can show slight backing of the /ɪ/ and a crisper /t/ release in careful speech. All share the /ˈtɛn/ stressed syllable; the exact vowel quality is subtly influenced by regional accents, not by a change in phoneme inventory.
It presents two common challenges: the two-stress pattern with a mid-second syllable peak and the cluster /tɛn.ʃ/ where the /n/ and /ʃ/ blend smoothly. The /ɪ/ vs. /ɪn/ onset can be ephemeral in connected speech, and the /ən/ ending can reduce to /ən/ in fast talk, making the final syllable uncertain. Focus on crisp /t/ release and a soft, quick /ʃən/ ending.
The word’s unique element is the /t/ followed immediately by a /ɛ/ or /t/ onset of the /ɛn/ vowel cluster leading into /ʃən/. Some speakers link /t/ and /ən/ more tightly in rapid speech, producing a /tɛnʃən/ variant. In careful speech, preserve the /t/ release and a distinct /ʃ/ before the final schwa to avoid blending into ‘ten-shun.’
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US: clearer /ɪ/ in initial, with no rhotic influence; UK: slightly more clipped /t/ and crisper /ɒ/ or /æ/ depending on accent, but usually /ɪnˈtɛn.ʃən/; AU: tends to a wider mouth opening for /æ/ in /tɛn/, but stays close to /ɪnˈtɛn.ʃən/. IPA: US/UK/AU /ɪnˈtɛn.ʃən/. Accent tip: keep your lips relaxed for /ən/ ending and avoid t-glottalization in careful speech.
Intention comes from the Latin intendere, meaning to stretch toward or direct one's mind to something. The phrase was formed from in- (toward) + tendere (to stretch, extend). In Latin, intendere conveyed directing one’s mind or energy toward a goal. The word passed into Old French as intention, retaining the sense of a mental plan or aim. In Middle English, intention broadened to include not only deliberate purposes but also the state of mind behind actions and the plan one has in mind. Across centuries, the word carried nuance shifts between “a plan, purpose, or aim” and “the act of intending” as in the cognitive act of setting an objective. By the modern era, intention is commonly used in both personal and formal contexts to describe voluntary aims, motives, or the stated purpose of actions, policy, or statements. The core sense centers on forward-looking direction and deliberate mental positioning toward outcomes, with extended usage in law, psychology, ethics, and everyday planning. First known uses in English trace to the 14th-15th centuries, with printed forms established by the 16th century and increasingly standardized in scholarly and legal writing by the 17th–19th centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "intention"
-ion sounds
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