2 syllables: no, tion. Stress on no.
NOH-shuhn
/ˈnoʊʃən/
notion is pronounced NOH-shuhn (/ˈnoʊʃən/). It has two syllables (no-tion), with the stress on "no". Notion refers to a belief, idea, or understanding of something, often not fully formed or proven. It denotes a mental conception or impression, sometimes vague or theoretical, rather than a concrete fact. In discourse, you might share a notion about how things work, indicating a general sense or opinion rather than a tested principle.
Notion refers to a belief, idea, or understanding of something, often not fully formed or proven. It denotes a mental conception or impression, sometimes vague or theoretical, rather than a concrete fact. In discourse, you might share a notion about how things work, indicating a general sense or opinion rather than a tested principle.
- You'll often mispronounce by flattening the /oʊ/ diphthong to a plain /o/ or /ɔ/; keep the diphthong glide from /oʊ/ to /ə/ clearly. - The /ʃ/ should be a medium-sound sibilant; avoid turning it into a /tʃ/ or /ʒ/; practice with minimal pairs notion vs motion to hear the difference. - The final /ən/ can become a syllabic /n/ or reduced to /ən; ensure you finish with a crisp /n/ and avoid trailing vowel sounds in fast speech. - Stress consistently on the first syllable; don’t shift to second syllable in natural speech unless contrasting with another word. To fix: record yourself, slow down, and use minimal pairs (notion vs notion).
"She had a notion that the project would fail, but she prepared anyway."
"The notion of fairness guided their decision, even though the details were complex."
"He dismissed the notion as irrelevant to the current debate."
Notion is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈnoʊ.ʃən/ in US and UK IPA. The primary stress is on the first syllable: NOH-tion. Your mouth starts with a diphthong /oʊ/ as in 'go', followed by the schwa-like /ə/ in the second syllable and a final /n/. For Australian speakers, keep the /oʊ/ vowel distinct while maintaining a soft /ə/ reduced vowel in the second syllable. Listen to native examples to hear the slight vowel length and the subtle consonant release before /n/.
Common errors: substituting /oʊ/ with /ɔː/ as in 'notion' vs 'motion' due to confusion with mouth shape; de-emphasizing the second syllable so it becomes /ˈnoʊ.ʃən/ with weak /ʃən/; rounding the second syllable too much or dropping the /n/ at the end. Corrections: keep a clear /oʊ/ in the first syllable, ensure the second syllable has a clean /ʃən/ with the tongue tapping gently before /n/, and finish with a crisp /n/ rather than a nasalized vowel. Practice minimal pairs like notion vs motion to train the /t/ vs /ʃ/ sequence.
In US English, /ˈnoʊ.ʃən/ with a rhotic, more pronounced /r/ only if followed by another syllable; in general, the /oʊ/ is a clear diphthong and the /ʃ/ is sharp. UK English typically renders as /ˈnəʊ.ʃən/ with a less pronounced rhoticity and a more centralized first vowel; Australia follows a similar pattern to UK but can have a slightly flatter /ə/ in the second syllable depending on speaker. The main differences are vowel quality and rhoticity, with US tending to a clearer /oʊ/ and UK/AU often showing a more centralized or reduced second syllable.
The challenge lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the distinct separation between /noʊ/ and /ʃən/. The /oʊ/ diphthong requires a smooth, rounded glide; /ʃ/ demands precise tongue blade placement behind the teeth; and the final /ən/ can become a schwa or a syllabic nasal depending on context. Additionally, rapid speech can blur the boundaries, causing a blended /noʊʃən/ or a mis-articulated /t/ or /ʃ/ sequence. Slow, careful practice helps lock in the correct segments.
Notion has no silent letters; every letter contributes to the phonetic sequence. The challenge is allocating the palate and tongue for the /noʊ/ vowel glide, the /ʃ/ sound, and the final /ən/. The primary place you can mispronounce is the second syllable’s vowel quality and the coda /n/. Ensure the /ʃ/ is not conflated with a /tʃ/ or /s/ sound, and keep the /n/ clear to avoid nasal blends that obscure syllable boundaries.
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US: clear /noʊ/ diphthong, rhotic context; UK: /nəʊ.ʃən/ with a more centralized first vowel; AU: similar to UK but with a potentially slightly broader /oʊ/ and more centralized /ə/ in second syllable. Vowel lengths: /oʊ/ is longer in careful speech; /ə/ is reduced in fast speech. Consonants: /ʃ/ remains consistent across accents; /t/ is not present in the underlying form, as the spelling suggests /ʃən/; mouth position changes with rhoticity; ensure the tongue blade sits high for /ʃ/ and lips rounded for /oʊ/.
Notion comes from Middle English notion, from Old French notion or Latin notions meaning a mental act or concept, from notio, notio(n-): knowledge, understanding, idea. The Latin root notō (to know) gave birth to notions in philosophical and everyday speech. In medieval and early modern English, notion shifted from denoting knowledge in general to a specific mental idea or opinion. Through usage in scholastic and literary contexts, notion acquired nuances of an opinion, belief, or generalized understanding, often without requiring empirical proof. The word entered English with senses aligned to ‘a mental act or faculty’ and gradually narrowed to mean a particular concept or impression. By the 16th–17th centuries, notion was commonly used in everyday speech to refer to a vague belief or mental image, a meaning that persists in contemporary usage while still capturing its roots in knowledge and understanding.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "notion" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "notion" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "notion"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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