3 syllables: per, ver, sion. Stress on ver.
pur-VUR-zhuhn
/pɚˈvɝʒən/
perversion is pronounced pur-VUR-zhuhn (/pɚˈvɝʒən/). It has three syllables (per-ver-sion), with the stress on "ver". Perversion is the act or process of turning from what is morally right or natural, or a deviation from a standard behavior or sexual norm. In psychology and everyday usage, it often denotes a perverted or corrupt alteration of something wholesome, amplifying its negative or aberrant nature. The term carries strong normative connotations and is frequently context-specific, ranging from general corruption to explicit sexual connotation depending on domain.
Perversion is the act or process of turning from what is morally right or natural, or a deviation from a standard behavior or sexual norm. In psychology and everyday usage, it often denotes a perverted or corrupt alteration of something wholesome, amplifying its negative or aberrant nature. The term carries strong normative connotations and is frequently context-specific, ranging from general corruption to explicit sexual connotation depending on domain.
- Misplacing stress on the first syllable; you’ll hear Per-VER-sion instead of per-VERSION; fix by clapping to the second syllable and stressing it. - Merging /vɜːr/ with a less distinct vowel; avoid a flat /vər/—focus on a clear /vɜːr/. - Ending mispronunciation: pronounce /ʒən/ (not /ʃən/ or /sən/), and keep it light and quick. - General tip: keep the jaw relaxed and let the lips circulate from the /v/ into a bright /ɜː/ then /r/ before the /ʒ/ onset; practice with minimal pairs, e.g., per-VER-zhun vs per-VER-sion.
"The detective argued that the crime scene showed a perversion of justice rather than a straightforward violation."
"Her novel critiques the perversion of power in political systems."
"Some early critics warned that technological advancements risk a perversion of human relationships."
Pronounce as per-VER-zhun with stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /pɚˈvɜːrʒən/, UK: /pəˈvɜːʃən/, AU: /pəˈvɜːʃən/. The middle syllable carries the primary stress; the second syllable is a rhotacized vowel in many accents, and the ending -sion sounds as -zhən. Tip: start with a clean 'per' /pɚ/ or /pə/, then emphasize /ˈvɜːr/ before a soft /ʒən/ ending.
Common errors: 1) Stress on the first syllable (per-VER-sion vs perver-). 2) Muddling the /vɜːr/ into a flat /vər/ without the stronger vowel. 3) Mispronouncing the -sion as an -tion or -sion as /sən/; aim for /ʒən/. Correction: use /ˈvɜːr/ for the stressed syllable and /ʒən/ for the ending. Practice with a magnified contrast: per-VER-zhun.
US tends to rhotically pronounce the middle vowel as /ˈvɜːr/ with a clear rhotic /r/; ending /ʒən/ remains. UK often reduces the /r/ in non-rhotic positions and can sound /pəˈvɜːʃən/ with a lighter /r/; AU mirrors US rhoticity but can have slightly broader vowels, giving /pəˈvɜːʃən/. Core tension is in the middle vowel quality and the /ʒ/ vs /t/ or /ʃ/ in some dialects.
Two main challenges: 1) The central /vɜːr/ cluster requires a strong, tense vowel and a tricky rhotacized /r/ following a voiceless /v/; 2) The final /ʒən/ blends a voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ with a schwa, which can be subtle and unfamiliar to non-native speakers. Focus on a clean /v/, not /f/; keep the /ɜː/ open; and soften into /ʒən/ rather than /ʃən/.
The 'r' after 'v' creates a distinct /vɜːr/ sequence that many learners approximate as /vər/ or /vɜr/; the critical aspect is the U.S. and UK differentiation of rhoticity affecting the vowel quality before r. Also, the 'si' in 'sion' yields /ʒən/, not the more common /ʃən/ or /sən/; paying attention to the voiced /ʒ/ is essential to natural-sounding pronunciation.
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- US: rhotic /r/ after vowel; maintain /ɜː/ as a mid-close vowel before /r/. - UK: non-rhotic or lightly rhotic; vowel may be shorter and less rhotacized; practice with /pəˈvɜːʃən/; keep /ə/ in first syllable and focus on /ˈvɜː/ in second. - AU: similar to UK/US with slightly broader vowels and a lighter /r/; align to /pəˈvɜːʃən/. - IPA references: US /pɚˈvɜːrʒən/, UK /pəˈvɜːʃən/, AU /pəˈvɜːʃən/. - Focus on the middle vowel’s quality, not reducing it too much; ensure the /ʒ/ is clear rather than merging with /ʃ/.
Perversion comes from the Middle French perversion, from Latin perversio, from the verb perverter ‘to overturn, corrupt, destroy,’ from Latin per- ‘through, thoroughly’ + vertere ‘to turn’. The earliest sense in English captured turning away from moral or natural norms. By the 14th–16th centuries, it carried religious and moral overtones, describing moral corruption or deviations from accepted behavior. In modern psychology and sexuality discourse, the word broadened to describe a distortion or deviation from normative sexual behavior, often with pejorative or clinical usage depending on context. The term retains its negative valence, frequently implying deliberate or pathological alteration rather than incidental variance. Today, ‘perversion’ can be encountered in legal, literary, medical, and cultural analyses, with nuanced interpretations in debates about power, consent, and morality. Its usage can reflect historical attitudes toward sexual norms and deviance, and shifts in social tolerance influence whether the term appears in clinical or colloquial registers.
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Words that rhyme with "perversion"
-ion sounds
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