3 syllables: lo, ca, tion. Stress on ca.
loh-KAY-shuhn
/loʊˈkeɪʃən/
location is pronounced loh-KAY-shuhn (/loʊˈkeɪʃən/). It has three syllables (lo-ca-tion), with the stress on "ca". Location refers to a particular place or position where something exists or happens. It can denote the setting for an event, a geographical spot, or a point in space. In everyday use, it often functions as a noun, but appears in phrases and compound terms (e.g., “location-based services”).
Location refers to a particular place or position where something exists or happens. It can denote the setting for an event, a geographical spot, or a point in space. In everyday use, it often functions as a noun, but appears in phrases and compound terms (e.g., “location-based services”).
"We’ll meet at your location near the train station."
"The film’s shooting location was changed at the last minute."
"Please update the new location in the calendar invite."
US: /loʊˈkeɪ.ʃən/; UK: /ləˈkeɪ.ʃən/; AU: /ləˈkeɪ.ʃən/. Place the primary stress on the second syllable: keɪ. Follow with a reduced second vowel /ə/ in -tion. Say it as loh-KAY-shn, with a crisp /k/ and a light /tʃ/ onset for the -tion beginning. Audio references: consult Cambridge dictionary audio or Forvo entry for 'location' to hear American and British realizations.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress as lo-CA-tion; (2) Pronouncing the second syllable as -sha- instead of -shay- (tying to /ʃən/); (3) Slurring the /t/ in -tion into a /s/ or /t/ cluster. Correction: emphasize the second syllable with /keɪ/ and produce a clear /tʃ/ onset for the -tion, ending with a light /ən/. Use minimal pairs to practice: location vs. vacation helps lock in /keɪ/.
US: rhotic and clear /l/ and /r/-influence is low; /loʊ-ˈkeɪ.ʃən/. UK: non-rhotic, /ləˈkeɪ.ʃən/, with a shorter pre-tonic vowel and tighter final syllable; AU: similar to US but with slightly flatter /oʊ/ and non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech. In all, the second syllable carries primary stress, but vowel quality and rhoticity vary by region.
It challenges: (1) secondary stress timing across two syllables before a final unstressed -tion; (2) the diphthong in /oʊ/ and the offglide into /keɪ/; (3) the /tʃ/ onset in -tion and its light, quick release. The combination of a stressed diphthong, a palatalized -tion, and a non-initial /l/ can trip non-native speakers. Practice by isolating /loʊ/ and /ˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with slow-repetition until you can pair them smoothly.
Unique focus: ensure your mouth opens wide on /oʊ/ then relaxes into the /keɪ/ onset, keeping /l/ light and alveolar, then a crisp /tʃ/ blending into schwa /ə/ before final /n/. Avoid turning -tion into a clipped /ʃən/ or an /ən/ only. The key is maintaining dynamic contrast between the stress-bearing /keɪ/ and the trailing /ʃən/.
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Location comes from the Latin locus, meaning place or position. The Latin suffix -ion suggests the action or condition of. Early English borrowed locus as lo(c)us through French influences, developing into location in the late medieval period as a term used in mathematics, geography, and administration to denote specific places. The word gained broader usage in the 17th–18th centuries with the rise of cartography and colonial administration, where precise identification of places became essential. Over time, location evolved from a purely spatial term to a more abstract sense (location in narratives, data, and databases). First known uses appear in scholarly and legal writings of the 1500s–1600s, with a distinct sense of “place on a map” emerging in geographical texts of the 17th century and stabilizing in modern English as a common noun in everyday language and technical registers.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "location" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "location" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "location"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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