3 syllables: Ob, ses, sion. Stress on ses.
uhb-SESH-uhn
/əˈbsɛʃən/
Obsession is pronounced uhb-SESH-uhn (/əˈbsɛʃən/). It has three syllables (Ob-ses-sion), with the stress on "ses". Obsession is an intense, consuming interest or preoccupation with a person, object, or idea. It often implies an overpowering focus that can be difficult to control or redirect. In psychology and everyday language, it describes fixed, persistent fixation that dominates thoughts and behavior.
nounObsession is an intense, consuming interest or preoccupation with a person, object, or idea. It often implies an overpowering focus that can be difficult to control or redirect. In psychology and everyday language, it describes fixed, persistent fixation that dominates thoughts and behavior.
- You misplace the primary stress on the first syllable (ob-), you should stress the second syllable (ob-SESS-ion). - The 'sess' portion is mis-articulated as /sɛs/ or /sɪs/ rather than the /sɛʃ/ sequence; ensure a /ʃ/ in the 'sion' part. - Final '-ion' often pronounced as /ən/ with very short vowel; keep a light, quick schwa rather than a full /oʊ/ or /aɪ/ vowel. - Reduced first syllable can lead to 'uhb-SESSION' with an uncertain 'b' consonant; keep the /b/ as a clear stop before the stressed syllable.
How to Pronounce Obsession
"Her obsession with perfection led her to obsessively revise every draft."
"The detective's obsession with the case kept him working late into the night."
"Rumors of the singer's romance became an obsession for the paparazzi."
Pronounce as əb-ˈsɛ-ʃən with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa + b, then a clear 'sess' consonant cluster where the /s/ sound carries the tense 'éh' quality, followed by a soft 'ən' ending. IPA US: əbˈsɛʃən; UK: əbˈseʃən; AU: əbˈseʃən. Visualize: uh-BSEH-shuhn. You can listen to native pronunciation on Pronounce or Forvo for subtle vowel timing and rhoticity differences.
Common errors: (1) Stress shift to ob-SES-sion (drawn-out second syllable); (2) Mispronouncing 'sess' as 'sess-ee' or 'say-shun' leading to /sɛsɪən/; (3) Weak final syllable /ən/ as a dull /n/ or a full /ən/ with overt vowel. Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable, use /s/ + /ʃ/ blend for 'sion' as in /ʃən/, and finish with a light, unstressed schwa. Practice with minimal pairs and slow articulation to feel the syllable boundaries.
US English uses /əˈbseʃən/ with a rhotic neutral vowel in the initial syllable and a clear /ʃ/ in the 'sion' portion. UK English often presents /əˈseʃən/ with a slightly shorter 'o' in the first syllable and a more crisp /ʃ/; the /r/ is not pronounced. Australian English tends toward /əˈbseʃən/ with vowel quality between US and UK, and a similar /ʃ/ in 'sion'. Across all, the main variation is vowel quality in the first syllable and subtle rhoticity (or lack thereof) influencing the overall rhythm.
Key challenges: (1) Vowel in the first unstressed syllable is a weak schwa /ə/ that may reduce excessively in fast speech; (2) The 'sess' cluster includes /s/ + /ɛ/ with a brief elevation into /ʃ/ in the 'sion' portion, so you need precise mouth shape to avoid a flat /s-ɪ/; (3) Final -sion yields /ʃən/, not /sən/; ensure the tongue edge approximates the palate for the /ʃ/ and the /ən/ is a soft, unstressed schwa. Practice with IPA-targeted cues and slow tempo to lock the rhythm.
Unique feature: the -s- sound cluster before the 'sion' (sess- + ion) compresses the transition between /s/ and /ʃ/; your tongue must glide from a sibilant /s/ into a postalveolar /ʃ/ without a break. This is easy to miss in fast speech, leading to an /sɪʃən/ or /ˈæbˈsɛʃən/ mispronunciations. Concentrate on a smooth palatal-alveolar transition, and keep the /ʃ/ portion strong but not over-articulated.
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- US vs UK vs AU: US typically: əˈbseʃən; UK often: əˈseʃən with a slightly crisper /ʃ/; AU tends to breadth similar to UK but with a bit more vowel lift in the first syllable. - Vowel timing: the unstressed first syllable is typically a quick /ə/; the stressed second syllable carries the main vowel quality /ɛ/ in 'ses'. - Rhoticity: US rhotics are often pronounced with a postvocalic /ɹ/ in other words; with this word, the /r/ is not present, thus consistent non-rhotic patterns across accents. - Consonant shape: ensure the /b/ is a hard stop before the second syllable, not glottalized. - IPA references: US /əˈbseʃən/, UK /əˈseʃən/, AU /əˈseʃən/.
Obsession comes from the Latin obstinatus meaning 'obstinate, resolute' via French obsession, and Middle English adoption. The motion involves the prefix ob- (toward, against) plus somnus (sleep) in some historical theories, but the core notion centers on fixedness or fixation. The term entered English usage in the late 16th to early 17th centuries, initially in religious or moral contexts to describe a stubborn preoccupation or demon-like fixation. By the 19th century, obsession broadened into psychological usage, contributing to terms like obsessive-compulsive and obsessive tendency in clinical discourse. Over time, cultural usage shifted toward general, everyday speech, signifying any overpowering, intrusive fixation, not strictly pathological. The semantic arc reflects a move from moral-focussed fixation to a clinical and colloquial descriptor, retaining the sense of something that dominates attention and behavior. First known use is documented in early modern English medical and theological texts, with popularization through literature and scientific writings as psychiatry developed. In contemporary usage, obsession commonly implies a strong but often burdensome fixation that can be either harmless (passionate hobby) or problematic (unhealthy fixation).
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Words that rhyme with "Obsession"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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