3 syllables: ob, struc, tions. Stress on struc.
uhb-STRUHK-shuhnz
/əbsˈtɹʌkʃənz/
obstructions is pronounced uhb-STRUHK-shuhnz (/əbsˈtɹʌkʃənz/). It has three syllables (ob-struc-tions), with the stress on "struc". Obstructions refers to things that impede progress or passage, or the act of obstructing. In nouns, it denotes obstacles or barriers; as a verb form (obstruct), it describes the action of hindering or blocking something. The plural noun “obstructions” typically means multiple hindrances encountered or identified in a process or route.
Obstructions refers to things that impede progress or passage, or the act of obstructing. In nouns, it denotes obstacles or barriers; as a verb form (obstruct), it describes the action of hindering or blocking something. The plural noun “obstructions” typically means multiple hindrances encountered or identified in a process or route.
- Common difficulty is articulating the /str/ cluster cleanly right after the stressed syllable. If you’re not releasing the /str/ quickly enough, you’ll sound hesitant. Practice by isolating the cluster: say ob- (unstressed) then /str/ in slow, crisp bursts. - Another frequent error is vowel reduction: don’t convert /ʌ/ into a muted schwa in the stressed syllable; keep /ʌ/ clear like ‘struck’. - Stress misplacement: the steady rhythm requires primary stress on STRU-; ensure a stronger emphasis there than on ob- or -tions. - Final /ənz/ can be slurred; practice ending with a clear /ən/ followed by /z/, not /ənz/ with a weak onset.
"The road closures created numerous obstructions for commuters."
"She removed the obstructions to ensure the construction could proceed."
"Legal citations list several obstructions to the project’s approval."
Pronounce as /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/ in UK/US; US uses /ˌɑːbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/? depending on dialect. Primary stress on STRUCK (second syllable) with secondary stress on the first syllable due to the prefix ob-. Mouth: start with an open back rounded /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ for the first vowel, then a clear /str/ cluster with the tongue at the alveolar ridge, followed by /ʌ/ in the second syllable, and /tʃ/ for “ch” before the final /ənz/. Listen to native speech: you’ll hear a light secondary stress on ob- before the main STRUC- portion, ending with a voiced nasal /z/ in plural.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing the /tʃ/ as a simple /t/ or /ʃ/ sound; keep the /tʃ/ together as a single affricate before the unstressed -ənz. (2) Slurring the vowels in the middle: don’t reduce /ʌ/ to a schwa; maintain a clear /ʌ/ as in ‘struck’. Correction tips: practice slowing to say /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/ in chunks, isolate the /str/ cluster with a held /r/ or light /ɹ/ if needed, and then link to /ʃənz/ without inserting extra vowels.
In US, you’ll hear weakened or rhotacized vowels in some dialects; the /ɒ/ may become /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ depending on region, with the /r/ less prominent centrally. UK tends to a shorter /ɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/ with less pronounced
Because it stacks several challenging features: a consonant cluster /str/ immediately after a stressed syllable, the ob- prefix with heavy consonant onset, a mid-central /ə/ in the final syllable that often reduces to schwa, and the affricate /tʃ/ before /ənz/. The combination of a multisyllabic stress pattern (secondary on ob-, primary on struc-) and careful liaison between /ʃ/ and /ənz/ makes precise articulation, timing, and voicing essential.
Yes. In standard pronunciation, the final 's' is voiced as /z/ in plural forms: /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/. The presence of the plural suffix underscores the final sound, requiring a light, voiced sibilant rather than a voiceless /s/. Ensure voicing remains even as you transition from the /ən/ syllable to the /z/ sound.
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- US: rhotic accent may keep /r/ mild in certain speakers; your focus should be on preserving /str/ and /ʃ/ harmony before a voiced /z/. - UK: may reduce the initial vowel more than US, keep /ɒ/ in ob- and ensure /str/ is crisp. - AU: tends to more open vowels and relaxed rhythm; still maintain /ˈstrʌk.ʃənz/ with clear /tʃ/. Use IPA guidance: US /ˌɑːbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/ or /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/, UK /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/, AU /ˌɒbˈstrʌk.ʃənz/. - Vowels: /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ varies; /ʌ/ remains central; /ɪ/ vs /ən/ not applicable here. - Consonants: keep the /tʃ/ sound crisp and not swallowed; keep the /z/ at the end voiced.
Obstruction originates from the Latin obstrūctiō, from ob- meaning ‘toward’ or ‘against’ and strūctus meaning ‘built up, placed’ or ‘to pile up’, connected to obstructus, ‘blocked up’. The word entered English via Old French obstruction in the 14th century, reinforcing a sense of blocking or hindrance. Early uses referred to physical impediments or barriers. Over time, the sense broadened to include legal, bureaucratic, or logistical hindrances, and in medical or technical contexts to describe any impediment that prevents progress or passage. The core semantic field remained consistent: to render passage or progress difficult, blocked, or restrained by some intervening force. First known attestations appear in Middle English records, with related forms in Latin and French legal and engineering texts that describe obstacles to movement or operation. In modern usage, obstructions can be concrete (a fallen tree on a road) or abstract (bureaucratic obstructions in a project), reflecting the word’s adaptability across domains. The term aligns with other “block” derivatives in English that emphasize hindrance and impediment across physical, legal, and conceptual spaces.
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