4 syllables: Ma, chi, na, tion. Stress on na.
mak-uh-NAY-shuhn
/ˌmækəˈneɪʃən/
Machination is pronounced mak-uh-NAY-shuhn (/ˌmækəˈneɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Ma-chi-na-tion), with the stress on "na". Machination is a noun referring to a crafty, often scheming action or plot designed to accomplish a hidden goal. It implies deceit, manipulation, and resourceful planning, typically with a negative connotation. The term is commonly used to describe political or organizational plots or schemes.
nounMachination is a noun referring to a crafty, often scheming action or plot designed to accomplish a hidden goal. It implies deceit, manipulation, and resourceful planning, typically with a negative connotation. The term is commonly used to describe political or organizational plots or schemes.
- You might misplace the stress on MA- instead of CHI; fix by marking the syllable with bold: ma-CHI-na-tion and practice counting beats. - Mispronouncing /tʃ/ as /t/ or /ʃ/ can blur the CHI syllable; ensure a distinct affricate onset /tʃ/ for /ˈʃi/ and the following /neɪ/. - Final -tion should be /-ʃən/, not /-tən/ or /-ən/; practice with a gentle, quick -shn sound.
How to Pronounce Machination
"The advisor uncovered the machination behind the sudden reshuffling of the cabinet."
"Whispered rumors spoke of a corporate machination to secure the merger at any cost."
"Her friends suspected a covert machination to weaken her position within the team."
Machination is pronounced mə-ʃɪ-ˈneɪ-ʃən in US and UK IPA. The syllable stress is on the third syllable: ma-CHI-na-tion, with a strong emphasis on CHI. Start with a neutral schwa /ə/, then /ˈʃeɪ/ as in 'neigh' within the /neɪ/ portion, and finish with /ʃən/ as in 'tion.' Practice by saying ma-SHUN- chew? No. Think: ma- shi- nai - shun. Audio references can be found on Pronounce or Forvo for native speaker models.
Common errors include misplacing stress (weakening the CHI- syllable), mispronouncing the /ʃ/ as /s/ or /tʃ/, and misrendering the final '-tion' as /-sən/ instead of /-ʃən/. Correct by stressing the /ˈneɪ/ vowel in the CHI-NA-tion cluster and keeping /ʃ/ before /ən/. Make sure the first syllable uses a light /ə/ and the middle is /ˈʃi/ plus the /neɪ/; avoid trailing vowels that flatten the rhythm.
US and UK share /məˈʃɪ.neɪ.ʃən/ with rhotic vs nonrhotic differences in preceding vowels; AU often mirrors UK but may feature slightly broader /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a less tense /eɪ/—overall similar, but Australian vowels can be more centralized and by some speakers the /ɪ/ in the second syllable may be closer to /ɪə/. The final /ən/ remains, but reduced consonants can vary in connected speech.
The difficulty lies in the sequence ma-CHI-na-tion with a non-intuitive stress pattern for many learners; the CHI cluster produces a /tʃ/ or /ʃ/ onset combined with a strong /eɪ/ diphthong, and the final -tion reduces to a palatal-tinge /ʃən/ in fluent speech. The combination of multisyllabic rhythm, clear CHI stress, and a tricky final -tion sound makes it easy to misplace the primary stress or slip the /t/ into the /ʃ/ sequence.
A common search question is whether the first syllable bears any stress; the answer is no — the primary stress is on CHI (the third syllable): ma-CHI-na-tion. Keep the initial /mə/ light and move quickly into the /ˈʃɪ/ sound. Some speakers reduce the second vowel slightly in rapid speech, but maintain the /ˈneɪ/ stress peak in the middle.
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- US vs UK vs AU: US tends to maintain rhotic vowel quality around the word; UK may show slightly less schwa clarity in the initial /ə/ and a tighter /ɪ/ in the second syllable; AU often features a slightly broader diphthong in /eɪ/ and a flatter /ə/ in the first syllable. Use IPA as reference and record yourself to compare with native samples.
Machination comes from the late Latin machinationem, meaning ‘a device or contrivance,’ from the Latin machina ‘a device, engine,’ which itself derives from Greek mēkhanḗ (Mechanē) meaning ‘a device, machine, contrivance.’ The root mech- is tied to the idea of an engine or tool. In English, machination formed in the 16th century to denote the act of devising schemes or plots, especially in political or military contexts. Over time, the word carried a strongly negative tint, emphasizing cunning and deceit. By the 17th and 18th centuries, it was often used to describe elaborate plots or intrigues rather than simple schemes, reinforcing the sense that machination involves calculated, strategic manipulation behind the scenes. Modern usage preserves the original implication of a covert, self-serving strategy, frequently critical or disapproving in tone. First known use appears in English texts around the 1500s, with roots tracing further back to Latin and Greek sources that highlighted contrivance and engine-like planning as mechanisms for influence or control.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Machination" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Machination" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Machination"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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