Population is a noun meaning the total number of people inhabiting a particular area, country, or group. It can also refer to the group of individuals in a given study or context. The term is common in demographics, sociology, and statistics, and is often used in discussing growth, density, and distribution of people.
- US: Rhoticity is present; you may hear /ɹ/ linking after vowels in connected speech, but with population you typically keep the standard /jə/ before /ˈleɪ/. The first syllable may shift toward /ɑ/ in some dialects. The /ɒ/ in /ˌpɒp/ can be realized as /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on speaker. - UK: Tends to a crisper /ɒ/ and precise /t/ not fully released; the /ʃən/ ending remains light. Stress remains on the third syllable. The middle /jə/ remains a quick schwa but slightly more centralized. - AU: Similar to UK but with more vowel openness and a flatter /a/; keep /ˈleɪ/ as a clear diphthong; non-rhoticity affects linking but not the syllable structure. Reference IPA for all: /ˌpɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ in all three accents; minor vowel shifts as noted.
"The population of the city has grown rapidly in the last decade."
"Researchers studied the population sample to estimate national trends."
"Urban planners consider population density when designing housing and transportation."
"The population health program targets underserved communities to improve outcomes."
Population comes from the Latin populus, meaning ‘the people of a country or region,’ and the suffix -ion, denoting a process or state. The Latin root populus gave rise to Old French peuple and later Middle English peuple, population, and population. The term appeared in English usage by the 16th century in contexts related to the people of a country or district. Over time, its meaning broadened in social sciences to refer to the aggregate number of individuals in a given area or group, as well as to the group of individuals examined in a study. The evolution tracks from political and civic language about “the people” to statistical and demographic usage, where population became a standard term in census data, ecological studies, and epidemiology. First known uses surface in scholarly and bureaucratic writing of the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, expanding through the 18th and 19th centuries with the rise of modern demography and statistics, culminating in today’s ubiquitous usage across academia, policy, and media.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "population" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "population" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "population"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Population is pronounced with four syllables: /ˌpɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/. The primary stress falls on the third syllable '-LA-'. Start with /pɒp/ (pop) with a short, open back rounded vowel; then /jə/ (yu) as a quick, reduced schwa; then /ˈleɪ/ (lay) with a clear long a; finish with /ʃən/ (shən), where the 'tion' reduces to a quick schwa+n. Picture the flow: POP-yuh-LAY-shən. For US, UK, and AU, the vowels in /ɒ/ may vary toward /ɑ/ or /ɐ/ in some dialects, but the overall rhythm and stress stay consistent.
Common missteps are stressing the wrong syllable, and not realizing the final -tion reduces. People often say /ˌpɑːpjʊˈleɪʃən/ or slip to /ˌpɒpəˈleɪʃən/ with the stress on the second syllable. Correct it by placing primary stress on the third syllable: POP-yuh-LAY-shən, and keep the final /ən/ rather than a full /ənˈ/ or /ən/. Practice the sequence POP- yuh -LAY -shən with quick, light transitions between syllables.
US, UK, and AU share the /ˌpɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ pattern, but vowel quality shifts subtly: US tends to a slightly flatter /ɒ/ toward /ɑ/ in some regions; UK often preserves /ɒ/ more distinctly; AU vowels may be broader with toward /ɐ/ in the first syllable. The /ˈleɪ/ diphthong remains strong in all. Rhoticity doesn’t drastically affect this word, but linking and vowel quality can influence perceived accuracy in rapid speech.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the final -tion cluster. The challenge is keeping the primary stress on the third syllable while maintaining a crisp /ʃən/ ending instead of an over-emphasized /ʃən/. It’s easy to shift stress to the second syllable or elongate the final vowel. Practicing the four-syllable flow with a brisk tempo helps maintain accuracy and naturalness.
Population contains no silent letters. The tricky part is the /ˈleɪ/ vowel and the /ʃən/ ending. Ensure you fully articulate the /l/ in the third syllable and avoid tensing the mouth into a hard /t/ before the /ʃ/. A useful cue is to say POP - yuh - LAY - shuhn, letting the /ʃ/ slide quickly into a weak vowel.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "population"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker say Population in fast academic talks and imitate in real time, aiming for four clear syllables with primary stress on -LAY-. - Minimal pairs: practice with population vs. populate, population vs. populating, population vs. population-based (focus on vowel length and stress). - Rhythm practice: count claps for syllable stress: 1-2-3-4, with beat emphasis on 3. - Stress practice: start with slow slow-mo, emphasize third syllable, then gradually increase tempo. - Recording: record yourself saying population; compare to a native speaker using Forvo or YouGlish; adjust /ˈleɪ/ and /ʃən/ timing. - Context drills: say a sentence like “The population growth rate affects urban planning” and ensure natural rhythm around the third syllable.”
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