Mediation

Mediation is pronounced mi-DI-a-tion, with primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌmiː.diˈeɪ.ʃən/ (UK) or /ˌmiː.diˈeɪ.ʃən/ (US). Break it into three parts: me-di-a-tion, where the middle syllable carries the strongest emphasis and the final -tion sounds like -shən. Practice by saying 'me' (long e), 'dee' (dee), then 'ay-shun' with a soft 'sh' for the final sound.

Two common errors are stressing the wrong syllable and mispronouncing the final -tion as 'tuh' instead of the expected 'shən' sound. Correct by aligning stress to the second syllable and rendering the last syllable as /ʃən/ with a soft, almost nasal ‘n’. Practice with mirror or recording: mi-DEE-ay-shun, ensuring the final consonant cluster doesn’t trail into a hard 't' or 'd' sound.

In US and UK, the pronunciation centers the vowel in the second syllable with /ˈeɪ/ in di-ation and the final /ʃən/. US often reduces the first syllable slightly and uses a clearer /ˈiː/ for me, while UK may have a glided /iː/ and a less pronounced final 'sh' due to non-rhoticity becoming less impactful in connected speech. Australian tends to be even more centralized in the vowel quality and can slightly flatten the mid vowels, but the primary stress remains on di- a- tion.

The difficulty lies in the three-syllable structure with a heavy mid-stressed second syllable and a final -tion pronounced as /ʃən/. English speakers often misplace stress on the first or third syllable and blend the -di- and -a- segments. Additionally, the /d/ can be softened toward a flap in rapid speech. Focus on clearly articulating the /diˈeɪ/ sequence and finishing with /ʃən/ to avoid a stale 'tion' ending.

Is the second syllable always the primary stress in 'mediation'? Yes. In most standard forms, the primary stress falls on the second syllable: me-DI-a-tion. This is distinctive because the prefix me- is unstressed, and the core action sits on -di- with the long diphthong /eɪ/ before the -tion. This makes me-DI-a-tion a three-syllable word where the middle carries the weight in natural speech.