Persuasion is the act or ability to influence someone's beliefs, opinions, or actions through reasoning, appeal, or emotional engagement. It encompasses techniques, credibility, and message framing used to sway others, often within social or political contexts. The term emphasizes the process and effects of convincing rather than simply persuading in a rigid, command-based way.
- You often place the main emphasis on the first syllable, sounding like 'PER-sway-zhun' instead of 'per-SWAY-zhun'. Correct by practicing the threshold: say ‘per-’ quickly, then hold the /sweɪ/ with stress before /ʒən/. - The /ʒ/ sound is easy to mispronounce as /ʃ/ ('sweash-un') or /z/; ensure a voiced, retroflex-like friction at the post-alveolar region. Practice with 'measure' and 'vision' to feel /ʒ/. - Final /ən/ can become a quick schwa without release; keep a light touch of /ən/ to avoid truncation. - Vowel clarity in /eɪ/ can slip to /e/ or to a more centralized vowel; keep the diphthong intact by a gradual mouth openness from /w/ to /eɪ/.
- US: /pɚˈsweɪ.ʒən/ with rhotacized first syllable; keep /ɚ/ mid-central with slight vowel vibration. - UK/AU: /pəˈsweɪ.ʒən/; non-rhotic, so the /ɹ/ is not pronounced; central/unstressed initial vowel may be shorter. - Vowel quality: /eɪ/ should be a smooth diphthong, not a pure /e/. - /ʒ/ pronunciation: keep voice; imagine 'measure' to cue /ʒ/. - Intonation: use a rising contour on the final syllable in questions, otherwise a falling tail in statements.
"Her speech relied on evidence and storytelling to build persuasion with the audience."
"The campaign focused on ethical persuasion to encourage voters to consider new policies."
"Agents study psychology to enhance persuasion in negotiations and marketing."
"His book analyzes the ethics and limits of political persuasion in modern democracies."
Persuasion derives from the Old French persuasion, from Latin persuasionem (nominative persuasio), meaning ‘a gentle, successful urging or bringing toward.’ The root Latin pur‑ (through) plus suadere (to advise, urge) gives suad- in suadēre, meaning to advise or urge. The noun sense in English emerged by the 14th century, originally tied to persuading through argument or appeal. Over time, the semantic field broadened to include methods of influencing opinions, including rhetoric, propaganda, and marketing. In late modern usage, persuasion often connotes deliberate influence within social interaction, negotiation, advertising, or political discourse. The evolution reflects shifting notions of agency, credibility, and ethical boundaries in influence, from classical rhetorical traditions to contemporary cognitive-behavioral understandings of persuasion techniques.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Persuasion" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Persuasion"
-ure sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Phonetic guide: /pɚˈsweɪ.ʒən/ (US) or /pəˈsweɪ.ʒən/ (UK/AU). Primary stress on the second syllable 'sway' (/ˈsweɪ/). Start with a rounded /p/, move to a mid-central schwa for the first syllable, then a clear /ˈsweɪ/ as in 'sway', and finish with the /ʒən/ as in 'measure' + 'n'. In careful speech: 'per-SWAY-zhun'. Audio reference: consult Pronounce or Forvo entry for 'persuasion'.
Common errors: (1) Stress misplacement, saying 'per-SUAS- ion' by misplacing emphasis. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: /pɚˈsweɪ.ʒən/. (2) Mispronouncing /ʒ/ as /ʃ/ or /z/; ensure the voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ as in 'measure' or 'vision'. (3) Vowel quality in /ˈsweɪ/ may reduce to /swe/, losing the diphthong; preserve /eɪ/ with a smooth glide from /w/.
US typically /pɚˈsweɪ.ʒən/, with rhotacized /ɚ/ and clear /æ/ or /eɪ/ in the diphthong. UK/AU typically /pəˈsweɪ.ʒən/ with non-rhotic /ə/ in the first syllable and a clearer /ə/ in some speakers; final /ən/ often reduced to /ən/ or /n/. The /ʒ/ is generally consistent in all three, but r-coloring and vowel length can vary slightly. Practice listening to pronunciation databases for nuance.
Because it combines a multi-syllabic stress pattern (unstressed, then stressed), and a voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ that many speakers find unfamiliar. The diphthong /eɪ/ in /ˈsweɪ/ requires a precise glide from /w/ to /eɪ/, and the final /ən/ can be reduced or devoiced in rapid speech. Coarticulation with the preceding /s/ and following /ʒ/ also demands controlled tongue shaping to avoid blending into adjacent sounds.
A distinctive feature is the stressed syllable /ˈsweɪ/ containing a diphthong /eɪ/ followed by the palatal-voiced fricative /ʒ/. Mastery requires keeping the /ʒ/ clear while not pulling the preceding /s/ into excessive duration; the final /ən/ often reduces in natural speech, but careful practice ensures you don't drop the /n/ entirely. IPA: /pɚˈsweɪ.ʒən/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Persuasion"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker saying a line with Persuasion and imitate in real time for 2 minutes; focus on syllable stress and /ʒ/. - Minimal pairs: 'perspective' vs 'persuasion' (compare /ˌpɜːrˈsweɪ.ʒən/ vs /ˌpɜːrˈspɪəreɪt/). Not a perfect pair; instead pair with /pɜːˈsweɪ.ʒən/ vs /pəˈsweɪ.ʒən/ in UK vs US. - Rhythm practice: say the word within a 4-beat phrase: “in a persuasive way, persuasion matters.” - Stress training: practice with a metronome; 60 BPM slow, 90-110 normal, 120 fast; emphasize /ˈsweɪ/. - Recording: record yourself saying sentences: “The persuasion strategy was subtle.” Listen back for /ʒ/ clarity and final consonant. - Context sentences: “The lecturer explained the ethics of persuasion in population policy.” “She used evidence-based persuasion to change minds.”
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