4 syllables: Me, ri, di, an. Stress on ri.
mur-ID-ee-uhn
/mɚˈɪdiən/
Meridian is pronounced mur-ID-ee-uhn (/mɚˈɪdiən/). It has four syllables (Me-ri-di-an), with the stress on "ri". Meridian (noun) refers to an imaginary line around the Earth's surface or a great circle on a sphere, such as the globe or celestial sphere, or a main dividing line in anatomy or geography. It can also denote the peak or most decisive point of something, often used metaphorically. The term is common in geography, astronomy, and traditional medicine contexts.
nounMeridian (noun) refers to an imaginary line around the Earth's surface or a great circle on a sphere, such as the globe or celestial sphere, or a main dividing line in anatomy or geography. It can also denote the peak or most decisive point of something, often used metaphorically. The term is common in geography, astronomy, and traditional medicine contexts.
- Misplacing stress on the first syllable (ME-ri-di-an) or turning the second syllable into a separate, overly long syllable. Solution: practice: me-RI-di-an, with the stress clearly on the second syllable and the first syllable reduced to schwa. - Over-articulating the middle vowel (thinking /riː/ as in 'reed'); use /rɪ/ or /ri/ depending on variant. Solution: practice with minimal pair RID vs REED contrasted in a phrase. - Ending with a heavy /æn/ or overemphasizing the final 'an'. Solution: end with a light /ən/, almost like 'uh-n' to avoid a clipped final sound. - Not maintaining fluid connection between syllables, causing a choppy cadence. Solution: connect me-RI-di-an using gentle linking and consistent vowel lengths.
"The Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich Observatory."
"In anatomy, acupuncture points are mapped along meridians."
"The sun reached its meridian at noon, signaling the highest point of the day."
Meridian is pronounced mə-RID-ee-ən in US and UK speech. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /məˈriːdiən/ in careful phonetic renderings, with a quick, light schwa in the first syllable and a reduced final syllable. For practical use, say meh-RID-ee-ən, keeping the middle vowel long and the final syllable soft. If you’re listening aloud, you’ll hear the sequence: me- RID- ian, with a mild, quick trailing sound. Audio reference: vowel-consonant transitions should be smooth to avoid a hard 'di' cluster.
Common errors include uprooting the second syllable with excessive emphasis (ME-ri-di-an), pronouncing the middle vowel as a pure long /iː/ instead of /ɪ/, and making the final 'an' overly strong (ən). To correct: keep the second syllable stressed and brisk, use a short /ɪ/ in the middle (RID as in rid), and neutralize the final vowel to a weak schwa /ən/. Practice with a light, unstressed final syllable to avoid a heavy ending.
In US English, the rhythm favors /məˈriːdiən/ with a slightly reduced final vowel. UK English tends to favor a similar pattern but with a crisper vowel in the second syllable and a less pronounced 'r' before a non-rhotic syllable, giving stronger syllable-timed feel. Australian English is rhotic and may feature a clearer /ɹ/ plus a more even vowel length, so it can sound a touch flatter or broader, like /məˈriːd.i.ən/. In all variants, the key is stress on the second syllable and a light final /ən/.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure with a mid-second syllable stress and a reduced ending. The challenge is maintaining a clear /ˈriː/ or /ˈriːdi/ Vowel quality while not overemphasizing the final /ən/. Learners often misplace stress or turn the second syllable into a separate word-like chunk (
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- US: rhotic, moderate /r/ with a clear secondary vowel quality; keep /ri/ bright; final /ən/ is reduced but audible. - UK: less rhotic than US, crisper /iə/ in some speakers, but meridian is typically /məˈriːdiən/ with similar rhythm; keep the second syllable strong and the last unstressed. - AU: rhotic but tends toward a slightly broader vowel in the second syllable; nth sound often softened; maintain the /ɹ/ with a gentle air flow; IPA: /məˈriːdiən/.
Meridian comes from the Latin meridianus meaning ‘of noon’ or ‘midday’, derived from meridies meaning ‘midday, noon’. The root merid- traces to Latin meridies (midday) and -ian ending to form a noun indicating a thing associated with or relating to noon or to a boundary line. The earliest uses in English referenced the line of longitude at noon sighting and later expanded to any principal circle or boundary line, including geographical longitudes and anatomical energy lines in traditional medicine. The sense expanded from celestial and solar references to geographic, cartographic, and later metaphorical uses concerning pivotal points or lines of division. In modern usage, Meridian retains its primary sense as a principal line of longitude or circle, while also appearing in contexts like acupuncture meridians and zenithal concepts in astronomy, maintaining the thematic link to division, alignment, and pivotal positioning. First known use in English dates back to the 14th-15th centuries, in scientific and navigational texts, with later widespread adoption in geography textbooks as global navigation and mapmaking matured.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Meridian" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Meridian"
-ian sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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