4 syllables: Mo, ti, va, tion. Stress on va.
moh-tuh-VAY-shuhn
/ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən/
Motivation is pronounced moh-tuh-VAY-shuhn (/ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Mo-ti-va-tion), with the stress on "va". Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. It also refers to the inner drive that compels someone to pursue goals, sustain effort, or overcome obstacles. In everyday use, it often denotes enthusiasm or incentive that energizes action over time.
nounMotivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. It also refers to the inner drive that compels someone to pursue goals, sustain effort, or overcome obstacles. In everyday use, it often denotes enthusiasm or incentive that energizes action over time.
"Her motivation to finish the project came from a strong personal stake in the outcome."
"Teachers try to harness students' motivation by tying lessons to real-world goals."
"Lack of motivation can hinder progress even when skills are present."
Say /ˌmoʊtɪˈveɪʃən/. Stress falls on the third syllable: mo-ti-VA-tion. Begin with 'mo' as in 'mow', then 'ti' as in 'tih', then 'va' as in 'vate' and finish with 'tion' as 'shən'. In quick speech you may hear /ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃn̩/ with a syllabic n. Practice slowly: MO-ti-VA-tion, then smooth to /ˌmoʊtɪˈveɪʃən/.
Two common errors: 1) stressing the wrong syllable (often saying mo-TI-va-tion); fix by marking the primary stress on the third syllable /ˌmoʊtɪˈveɪʃən/ and insisting on a clear 'va' before the final '-tion'. 2) reducing the middle vowel too much, giving /ˈmoʊtɪvɪʃən/ or /ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən/ with an unclear schwa. Ensure the 'veɪ' is a distinct syllable with a voiced 'v' and a long 'a' sound. Record yourself and compare to the model /ˌmoʊtɪˈveɪʃən/.
US tends to reduce the final vowel more in fast speech, often /ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən/ with a relatively lighter second syllable. UK often maintains a slightly longer /ɪ/ in the first syllable and can show a less rhotacized final syllable, sounding /ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən/. Australian speech keeps a clean /ˈmoʊtɪˈveɪʃən/ with non-rhoticity influencing the ending; final -tion remains schwa but is less vocalised. Across all, primary stress remains on the third syllable.
Because it balances a multisyllabic stress pattern with a long, tense middle vowel /ˈveɪ/ and a final -tion that often reduces to a soft /ən/ or /n/ in rapid speech. The sequence mo-ti-VA-tion requires precise timing: the onset consonants /m/ and /t/ are crisp against the voiced /v/ and the diphthong /eɪ/. Non-native speakers often misplace stress or merge the vowel clusters, making the word sound incomplete.
A notable feature is the 'tion' ending, which typically reduces to /ʃən/ or /ʃn/ in fluent speech. You should aim for a light, airy /ən/ or /n/ without adding extra syllables. Maintaining the third-syllable stress while preventing the /ɪ/ from becoming a lax vowel requires careful lip rounding and jaw tension in the second syllable. This makes the 'ti' and 'va' segments sit clearly before the final /ʃən/.
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Motivation derives from the late Middle French motivation or directly from Latin motivatio, from movere ‘to move’. The Latin root movere yields movement, motive, and motor. In psychology, the term began to be used in the 19th century to describe internal processes that start and sustain goal-directed behavior. The word was adopted into English with the sense of “motive or incentive” behind actions, evolving through philosophy and science to capture both internal drives and external reinforcements. First known use in English literature often appears in discussions of psychology and education in the 19th century, paralleling the era’s focus on motivation as a fundamental force energizing behavior. Over time, it broadened to denote varying degrees of motivation, from intrinsic motivation (driven by internal satisfaction) to extrinsic motivation (driven by external rewards). Today, it is used across domains—from organizational behavior to self-help—often with adjectives such as high, low, personal, and academic to specify the type or strength of motivation.
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Words that rhyme with "Motivation"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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