5 syllables: Mul, ti, pli, ca, tion. Stress on ca.
muhl-tuh-pluh-KAY-shuhn
/ˌmʌltəpləˈkeɪʃən/
Multiplication is pronounced muhl-tuh-pluh-KAY-shuhn (/ˌmʌltəpləˈkeɪʃən/). It has five syllables (Mul-ti-pli-ca-tion), with the stress on "ca". Multiplication is the process or result of multiplying, especially in mathematics, where numbers are combined by repeated addition to produce a product. It also refers to the operation itself and the act of increasing something by a factor. The term is used across education, science, and data contexts to describe a combinatorial or scaling action.
nounMultiplication is the process or result of multiplying, especially in mathematics, where numbers are combined by repeated addition to produce a product. It also refers to the operation itself and the act of increasing something by a factor. The term is used across education, science, and data contexts to describe a combinatorial or scaling action.
- You’ll often rush the middle of the word, making /plɪ/ sound like /plɪs/ or /plə/; slow down so the /plɪ/ clearly lands before /ˈkeɪ.ʃən/. - A frequent error is collapsing the /t/ into a glottal stop or dropping it, producing /ˈmʌlɪˌkeɪ.ʃən/; keep the /t/ precise and released before the /pl/ cluster. - Another misstep is softening the /keɪ/ with an uncertain vowel; ensure a crisp /eɪ/ diphthong from /k/ to /eɪ/ with a light mouth closing after the /plɪ/ segment. - Beginners may misplace the primary stress; practice with metronome to feel the rhythm and place the peak on /keɪ/.
How to Pronounce Multiplication
"In math class, we learned the rules of multiplication and how to multiply numbers quickly."
"The population growth can be modeled as a multiplication of growth rate and initial size."
"Peers discussed the multiplication table to improve their speed in solving problems."
Pronunciation: /ˌməl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (US: /ˌməl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, UK: /ˌmʌl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, AU: /ˌmʌl.ti.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/). Put primary stress on the third syllable: mul-ti-pli-CA-tion. Start with an unstressed “mul” sound, then “ti,” then a stressed “keɪ,” and finish with “ʃən.” Visualize blending: /ˌməl.tɪ.ˈpleɪ.ʃən/. Practice by exaggerating the “keɪ” syllable before the final schwa-n.”,
Common errors: (1) misplacing primary stress on the wrong syllable, often saying mul- ti-pli-CA-tion with stress on the wrong part; (2) reducing the /t/ or vowel quality in the middle syllables, producing murky syllables like /ˌməl.tɪ.plɪ.kəˈʃən/; (3) conflating /t/ with /d/ in rapid speech, leading to a voiced-tendence. Corrections: keep the main stress on the fourth syllable (keɪ) and clearly articulate /tɪ/ before the /plɪ/ cluster. Enunciate the final /ˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with a crisp /k/ and a soft schwa.”},{
US tends to a lighter first syllable with /ˌməl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, rhotic? yes; the /r/ does not appear in this word. UK often hosts a slightly shorter first vowel and stronger syllabic cohesion in /ˌmʌl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, with non-rhoticity; AU tends toward /ˌmʌl.ti.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with a reduced /ti/ and a prominent second syllable, but all maintain the stressed /keɪ/].
Because it stacks several challenging features: a three-consonant cluster (plɪk) and a multisyllabic stress shift to the third/fourth syllable, which is unfamiliar for shorter word patterns. The /m/ and /l/ sequences can blend, and the /keɪ/ vowel requires a crisp stop before the /ʃən/ ending. Also, the sequence /plɪˈkeɪ/ requires precise timing between syllables to avoid rushing the key /keɪ/ syllable.
A unique feature is the deep secondary stress balance before the main /keɪ/ syllable: /ˌməl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. While many words place primary stress on later syllables, here the core challenge is maintaining clear separation of /plɪ/ and /keɪ/ while keeping /məl/ light. Rounded lips for /keɪ/ and a strong alveolar stop before /ʃən/ help ground the word.
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- US: rhotic accent, but /r/ is not present; ensure /məl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with clear /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a smoky but audible /ˈkeɪ/; the /t/ is unaspirated in connected speech, so maintain a crisp but not overly strong release. - UK: less intensity on the first syllable; keep non-rhoticity, so /ˌmʌl.tɪ.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ with a more pronounced /tɪ/ and a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable. - AU: tends to a slightly wider vowel in the first syllable, so /ˌmʌl.ti.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/; note the /ti/ might merge toward /ti/ or /tə/ depending on speaker. Use IPA references to guide differences and maintain the central stress on /keɪ/.
Multiplication comes from the Latin multiplicatio, from muliplicitus (many, manifold) and the verb multiplicare (to multiply). The root mul-, mult- conveys “many” or “much.” Early mathematical texts in ancient Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek cultures used phrases meaning “to increase by repeated addition.” In Latin, multiplicatio referred to the act of making many or increasing number; this was adopted into Middle French as multiplication and then into English by the 14th century. The term evolved with the formalization of arithmetic operations in Europe during the Renaissance, where multiplication gained standard symbolization (the operator ×) and precise properties (commutativity, distributivity). The word’s semantic core – increasing quantity by a factor – remained stable, while its mathematical scope broadened from simple counting to abstract algebra and matrix operations in modern contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Multiplication"
-ion sounds
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