4 syllables: Pas, teur, i, zation. Stress on zation.
pas-tyuh-RAY-shuhn
/pæstjəˈreɪʃən/
Pasteurization is pronounced pas-tyuh-RAY-shuhn (/pæstjəˈreɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Pas-teur-i-zation), with the stress on "zation". Pasteurization is the process of heat-treating liquids (especially dairy products) to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and inactivate spoilage enzymes while avoiding quality loss. It typically involves controlled heating and rapid cooling, preserving most nutrients and flavors. The term derives from Louis Pasteur, whose work in microbiology made the technique widely adopted in food safety and preservation.
nounPasteurization is the process of heat-treating liquids (especially dairy products) to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and inactivate spoilage enzymes while avoiding quality loss. It typically involves controlled heating and rapid cooling, preserving most nutrients and flavors. The term derives from Louis Pasteur, whose work in microbiology made the technique widely adopted in food safety and preservation.
How to Pronounce Pasteurization
"The dairy plants must ensure pasteurization at the recommended temperatures to guarantee product safety."
"She explained that pasteurization reduces harmful bacteria without significantly degrading taste."
"Advances in pasteurization techniques have improved shelf life without compromising nutritional value."
Pronounce as /ˌpæstjʊrəˈzeɪʃən/ (US) or /ˌpɑːstjʊrəˈzeɪʃən/ (UK). Stress falls on the third syllable: pa-stu-RA-tion, with secondary stress on the first? Actually, the primary stress is on the third syllable 'zeɪ', so pa-stu-RA-tion. Begin with /p/ + /æ/ or /ɑː/ depending on accent, move to /st/ cluster, then /j/ glide, /ə/ schwa, /ˈzeɪ/ diphthong, and finish with /ʃən/. Audio reference can be found on Pronounce or Forvo.
Common errors include misplacing primary stress (trying to stress the first or second syllable), mispronouncing the /j/ as a hard /dʒ/ or /j/ as /ɪ/ glide, and flattening the /zeɪ/ into a short /eɪ/. Correction: stress the /ˈzeɪ/ portion, keep /j/ as the consonant after /stu/ with a light glide before the vowel, and pronounce the /ɪən/ ending as /ən/ or /ɪən/ depending on dialect.
US pronounces as /ˌpæstjʊrəˈzeɪʃən/ with a shorter /æ/ in the first syllable and rhotic /r/. UK/General British tends toward /ˌpɑːstjuːrəˈzeɪʃən/, with a longer /ɑː/ in the first syllable and non-rhotic /r/. Australian often mirrors UK but with slight vowel shifts: /ˌpɑːstjuːrəˈzeɪʃən/ or /ˌpæstjuːrəˈzeɪʃən/, with a noticeable non-rhotic tendency and a broader diphthong in /əˈzeɪ/. IPA references help solidify the exact vowels.
The difficulty comes from the stress pattern across multiple syllables, the /stj/ cluster after /pa/ or /pɑː/ and the /jʊ/ glide in /tjʊr/ before the /ə/ of the /zeɪʃən/ ending. The combination of a consonant cluster, a mid-front vowel in the first syllable, and a trailing unstressed -ation ending requires careful rhythm and movement of the tongue and lips. Practice the /stj/ blend and the /ˈzeɪ/ diphthong separately, then blend.
Focus on the /tj/ sequence just after /pas/ or /pɑst/; the tongue should move quickly from /t/ to /j/ without an extra vowel. The /ju/ is not separate; instead, the sequence is tightly joined into /tjʊ/ or /tjə/ leading into /rəˈzeɪʃən/. Keeping the /j/ as a palatal approximant and aligning the /zeɪ/ with a clear diphthong helps the word sound natural.
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Pasteurization derives from the surname Pasteur, Louis Pasteur, a 19th-century French microbiologist. The process name combines Pasteur’s name with the English suffix -ization, indicating the action or process of converting something into pasteurized form. The term first appeared in the late 19th to early 20th century as scientists and food technologists adopted heat-based methods to control microbial growth in beverages and dairy. The root concept traces to pasteur (as a proper noun) followed by -ize to form verbs (pasteurize) and -ation to form nouns (pasteurization). The technique emerged from experiments showing microbial inactivation via controlled heating and rapid cooling, with broader adoption in the dairy industry by the early 1900s. Over time, pasteurization has evolved to include various time-temperature combinations (e.g., HTST, UHT) to balance safety, nutrition, and sensory qualities while expanding beyond dairy into juices, wines, and other liquids. First known uses appear in scientific and industrial literature as food safety concerns grew, culminating in standardized pasteurization practices worldwide and in regulatory frameworks that define acceptable temperatures and hold times for different products.
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Words that rhyme with "Pasteurization"
-ion sounds
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