2 syllables: On, ion. Stress on On.
UHN-yuhn
/ˈʌnjən/
Onion is pronounced UHN-yuhn (/ˈʌnjən/). It has two syllables (On-ion), with the stress on "On". Onion is a bulbous vegetable characterized by layered, pungent flesh and a papery skin. As a noun, it refers to the plant itself or its edible bulb used in cooking. The word is commonly pronounced with two syllables and a light, often unstressed second syllable within many varieties of English. Its meaning is concrete and widely understood across culinary contexts.
nounOnion is a bulbous vegetable characterized by layered, pungent flesh and a papery skin. As a noun, it refers to the plant itself or its edible bulb used in cooking. The word is commonly pronounced with two syllables and a light, often unstressed second syllable within many varieties of English. Its meaning is concrete and widely understood across culinary contexts.
"She sautéed onions until they turned golden and fragrant."
"The recipe calls for one large onion, diced finely."
"He cried while chopping the onion, despite using a guard."
Pronounce it as /ˈən.jən/ (US) or /ˈʌn.jən/ (UK/AU) with two syllables. The primary stress is on the first syllable: ON-ion. Start with a short, unstressed first vowel [ə] or [ʌ], then glide into a light schwa-like second syllable. The n sounds are clear, with the yawn-like middle transition between /n/ and /j/. For reference, listen to native pronunciations on Pronounce or Forvo; aim for a crisp first syllable and a soft, quick second syllable.
Common mistakes include over-adding stress on the second syllable (ON-ee-on) and pronouncing as a single syllable (o-nion) or as /ˈoʊ.ni.ən/. Correct approach is two-syllable with primary stress on the first: /ˈən.jən/ or /ˈʌn.jən/. Keep the first vowel short and the second syllable reduced to a quick, light vowel. Practice by saying ON-ee-on slowly, then compress to ON-yən, and finally to /ˈən.jən/ in natural speech.
US: /ˈən.jən/ with a mid-central first vowel and a quick second syllable. UK/AU: /ˈʌn.jən/ or sometimes /ˈən.jən/ depending on speaker, with more centralized or slightly higher first vowel and similar second-syllable reduction. The rhoticity does not alter onion much, but vowel quality can vary: US tends to a lighter /ə/ in the first syllable, UK/AU may have a slightly higher or more rounded vowel depending on the speaker. In all accents, stress remains on the first syllable.” ,
Two main challenges drive difficulty: (1) the unstressed, reduced second syllable with a quick, schwa-like vowel makes beat alignment subtle; (2) the medial /n/ occurs before a /j/ transition, which can blur into a palatal glide if not enunciated, leading to /ˈoʊ.njən/ or /ˈɒn.jən/ mispronunciations. Optimizing lip-tongue positions to allow a natural /j/ lift between the n and the second vowel helps stabilize the two-syllable rhythm and prevents a muffled or elongated final syllable.
Onion’s primary stress on the first syllable and the quick, reduced second syllable create a distinctive two-beat rhythm. In careful speech you’ll emphasize the first vowel while keeping the second syllable light and clipped. The potential for a near-silent second vowel (as some speakers undershoot) makes listening for a precise /ən/ or /ʌn/ crucial when modeling for learners. This makes onion a practical test word for two-syllable rhythm and reduction.
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Onion comes from Middle English onyon, from Old French oignon, from Latin cepa (onion) via Latin cepa and Greek kipperi. The root cepa also produced words for onion in many European languages, often reflecting the genus Allium. The term originally denoted the edible bulb of the plant Allium cepa and spread through English by the 13th century, with variations in pronunciation and spelling over time. The two-syllable version with a reduced second syllable emerged in English as frequency of use increased in culinary speech, and in many dialects the second syllable contracts to a schwa or a light i-vowel, yielding pronunciations like /ˈʌn.jən/ or /ˈʌn.jən/. The word’s semantic prominence in cuisine solidified as onions became a staple across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with the word acquiring additional metaphorical uses in literature and culture while retaining its core botanical meaning.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Onion" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Onion" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Onion"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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