4 syllables: Per, se, cu, tion. Stress on cu.
pur-suh-KYOO-shuhn
/ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/
Persecution is pronounced pur-suh-KYOO-shuhn (/ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/). It has four syllables (Per-se-cu-tion), with the stress on "cu". Persecution is the act or practice of mistreating, oppressing, or harassing someone, typically on the basis of identity, belief, or status. It refers to sustained, systematic cruelty or enforcement of punishment by a power, often involving violation of rights, safety, or welfare. The term is commonly used in legal, historical, or human-rights discussions to describe abusive, discriminatory treatment.
nounPersecution is the act or practice of mistreating, oppressing, or harassing someone, typically on the basis of identity, belief, or status. It refers to sustained, systematic cruelty or enforcement of punishment by a power, often involving violation of rights, safety, or welfare. The term is commonly used in legal, historical, or human-rights discussions to describe abusive, discriminatory treatment.
"The group faced persecution because of their ethnicity, forcing many to flee the country."
"Religious persecution has shaped laws and migration patterns for centuries."
"The government was accused of political persecution against dissenters."
Pronounce as pər-sɪ-ˈsɛk-ˈjuː-ʃən in US; UK tends to pə-ˈsɛk.juː.ʃən. The primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: sec. Segment it as per- (unstressed) + se-cution, with the stressed /ˈsɛk/ and a final schwa + n. In careful speech you’ll hear each syllable: pər-sih-SEC-yoo-shn. Audio resources: consult Cambridge or Forvo for native pronunciations.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the wrong syllable, producing /ɪ/ instead of /ɛ/ in the second syllable, and blending the -cu- with an unclear y sound. Correction: place primary stress on the penultimate syllable: per-se-CU-tion or per-sek-YOO-shn with clear /s/ and /k/ before /juː/. Practice slow: pər-sih-SEC-yoo-shən with crisp /k/ before /juː/. Listen to native models and imitate the rhythm.
In US, the r-colored schwa in the first syllable and a strong /ˈsɛk/ stress; final -tion often reduces to /ʃən/ in rapid speech. UK typically has non-rhoticity, smoother /ə/ in the first syllable, and /ˈsɛk.juː.ʃən/ with less aggressive r. Australian tends to a clear but softer vowel in the middle and a slightly longer /juː/ before the final /ʃən/. Overall, stress remains near the second syllable boundary, but vowel quality and rhoticity shift subtly.
The difficulty comes from the combination of a multi-syllabic word with a stressed mid syllable and a sequence /s/ + /k/ + /juː/ that needs precise articulation. The -cu- in -cution creates a /kjuː/ cluster that can blur in fast speech, and the final -tion often reduces to /ʃən/ in many dialects. Practicing with slow enunciation of /ˈsɛk.juː/ and then natural speed helps maintain the distinct sounds.
A unique feature is the two consecutive consonant endings in the stressed syllable: /ˈsɛk.juː/ features a clear /k/ before the /j/ (y) sound, and the following /ʃən/ reduces but remains perceptible in careful speech. The sequence requires precise tongue position: post-alveolar /s/ and /k/ with the high-front /juː/ before a final alveolar nasal /n/. This combination is key to an unmistakable pronunciation.
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Persecution derives from the Latin persecutio, from persequi meaning to pursue or chase through, combined with the suffix -tion forming a noun. Persequi itself combines per- (through, thoroughly) with sequor (to follow). In Middle English and early modern English, the term shifted from a general idea of pursuing to the sense of pursuing with hostility or harm, especially by authority figures or institutions. By the 16th–17th centuries, persecution increasingly conveyed systematic mistreatment for belief, ethnicity, social status, or political allegiance. Over time, the word carried heavy connotations in religious and political contexts, such as the persecution of minority groups under various regimes. In contemporary usage, persecution often appears in legal, historical, and human-rights discourse, sometimes in phrases like “religious persecution” or “political persecution,” and can be extended to describe non-lethal but coercive pressure or discrimination. The word’s evolution reflects changing norms around rights, protection from harm, and state or collective power against individuals or groups. First known use in English appears in the 15th century, with evident roots in Latin and earlier Romance languages.
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Words that rhyme with "Persecution"
-ion sounds
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