Iteration is the process of repeating a sequence of operations or steps to approach a desired result. In practice, it often refers to performing successive refinements or trials in problem-solving, software development, or design, where each cycle informs the next. The noun emphasizes repetition with gradual improvement rather than a single trial.
US: rhotic /ɹ/; the /t/ is soft before a vowel cluster; UK: non‑rhotic or weaker rhotic connection; AU: rhotic but often shorter vowels and a slightly flatter intonation. Vowel notes: /ɪ/ as in kit, /ə/ as schwa, /eɪ/ asay in daytime, final /ən/ approximates /ən/. IPA references: /ɪtəˈreɪʃən/ (US/UK depending), US often keeps a stronger /ɹ/ and a clearer /ɪ/ at start, UK’s /ɹ/ may be rolled less and middle vowel more centralized.
"The algorithm improves the model with every iteration."
"After each iteration of the prototype, we collected user feedback."
"We ran several iterations to optimize the layout for mobile devices."
"In project management, iteration helps us adapt to changing requirements over time."
Iteration derives from the Latin iteratio, from iterare ‘to repeat,’ which itself comes from iterum ‘again.’ The term entered English via Latin in scholarly and mathematical contexts, where it described repeating procedures or formulas. Early usage in the 17th–18th centuries appears in scientific treatises referencing iterative methods for approximating solutions. Over time, iteration broadened from a strictly mathematical sense (repeated calculation) to encompass any process of successive refinements or cycles used to improve a product, algorithm, or design. The modern sense often implies incremental progress achieved through repetitive testing, feedback, and adjustment, particularly in software development and process optimization. In contemporary usage, iteration is central to agile methodologies, iterative design, and experimental science, where each iteration informs the next to converge on an optimal outcome.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Iteration" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Iteration"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say it-uh-RAY-shun with primary stress on the third syllable: /ɪt·əˈreɪ·ʃən/. Start with a short short i, move into a schwa‑like second syllable, then emphasize ‘ray’ before the final ‘shun.’ In careful speech, the /t/ is a light stop, not a flap. Listen for the /ɹ/ following the second syllable in American and most UK pronunciations. Audio reference: try Cambridge or Forvo pronunciations for US/UK variants.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (putting pressure on i- or i-te-), pronouncing it as ‘eye-TA-shun’ (misplacing the /t/ and /ɹ/ together), and softening the /t/ into a flap in careful contexts. Correct by targeting the /ɹ/ after the second syllable and keeping /t/ as a crisp stop before the /eɪ/ vowel. Practice with the sequence: /ɪ t ə ˈreɪ ʃən/ and ensure the /ˈreɪ/ is prominent.
In US and UK, the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality: US tends to have a slightly stronger /ɹ/ and a clear /ɪ/ at the start, while UK may have a less pronounced /ɹ/ and a more schwa‑like middle. Australian speakers share US-like rhotics but may reduce the second syllable slightly more, and vowel lengths can be shorter. Nonetheless, the stressed /ˈreɪ/ syllable remains the focal point in all three.
The difficulty lies in sequencing three vowel sounds across four syllables while maintaining a crisp /t/ before a diphthong. The /ɪ/ at the start, the mid‑syllable schwa, and the tense /eɪ/ in /ˈreɪ/ require careful mouth positioning. Avoid merging the /t/ with the following /ə/ and keep the /ʃən/ ending light but clear. Focus on holding the /ˈreɪ/ and finishing with a clean /ʃən/.
There are no silent letters in iteration, but the stress pattern is key: i-te-RAY-tion, with primary stress on the third syllable. The second syllable is often reduced to a schwa in fluent speech, so the word can sound like it-uh-RAY-shn, but careful speech keeps the /ɪ/ and /ə/ as distinct segments before the strong /ˈreɪ/. Also, the final -tion behaves as /ʃən/ in most dialects, not /tʃən/ or /ʂən.
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