3 syllables: Pre, ci, sion. Stress on ci.
pree-SIZH-uhn
/pɹiˈsɪʒən/
Precision is pronounced pree-SIZH-uhn (/pɹiˈsɪʒən/). It has three syllables (Pre-ci-sion), with the stress on "ci". Precision is the quality of being exact, accurate, and careful in detail. It refers to how tightly measurements or actions conform to a standard, or how clearly language conveys a precise meaning. In everyday use, it also implies disciplined focus and avoidance of error in performance or description.
nounPrecision is the quality of being exact, accurate, and careful in detail. It refers to how tightly measurements or actions conform to a standard, or how clearly language conveys a precise meaning. In everyday use, it also implies disciplined focus and avoidance of error in performance or description.
- Slurring the second syllable and not sustaining the /ɪ/ before /ʒ/; avoid turning it into /sɪʒn/ with a fast, weak final schwa. - Over-emphasizing the final /ən/ making it sound like a separate syllable; aim for a light, quick /ən/ or syllabic /n̩/. - Mispronouncing /ˈsɪʒ/ as /ˈsɪdʒ/ or /ˈʃɪʒ/; ensure the middle sound is voiced, with /ʒ/ as in vision. Practice by isolating the middle: /ˈsɪʒ/ and linking to the following /ən/.
How to Pronounce Precision
"The engineer ensured the parts fit with precision to prevent any misalignment."
"Your report shows great precision in data analysis and chart labeling."
"We appreciate the surgeon's precision during the delicate procedure."
Pronounce as /prɪˈsɪʒən/ for US and UK; in US often slightly reduced to /prɪˈsɪʒn̩/ in rapid speech. The stress is on the second syllable: pre-CI-sion. Start with /pr/ as in 'pre', then /ɪ/ as in 'kit', then /ˈsɪʒ/ where /ʒ/ is the 'scent' like 'vision', and finish with schwa /ən/ or syllabic n /n̩/. Imagine saying ‘pri-SIZH-uhn’ with the second syllable firmly stressed. For audio cues, you can reference Pronounce or standard dictionary audio for /prɪˈsɪʒən/.
Two common errors: 1) Slurring the /ˈsɪ/ into a quick /sɪ/ leading to /prɪˈsɪʒn/ without the linking vowel before /ʒ/. 2) Turning /ə/ into a full vowel instead of a reduced schwa in the final /ən/; often listeners hear /ˈprɪsɪzən/ instead of /prɪˈsɪʒən/. Correction: separate the syllables clearly, give the /ɪ/ in the second syllable a crisp vowel, and finish with a light, unstressed /ən/ or syllabic /n̩/ so the final sound isn’t an extra vowel. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘precision’ vs ‘prevision’ to feel the /ʒ/ sound and the final lax vowel.
Across US, UK, and AU, the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality. US and AU generally keep rhotic pronunciation in careful speech; /ɹ/ is pronounced before vowels, and the final /ən/ tends to be a reduced /ən/ or syllabic /n̩/. UK often features less rhotic linking in some dialects and a slightly tensed /ɪ/ in /ɪʒ/ sequences; the /ʒ/ remains constant as in ‘vision’. In Australian speech, vowels can be slightly broader and the final syllable softer. Use IPA as reference: US /prɪˈsɪʒən/, UK /prɪˈsɪʒən/, AU /prɪˈsɪʒən/ with subtle quality shifts, but the core /ˈsɪʒ/ and /ən/ pattern remains consistent.
The challenging parts include the /ˈsɪʒ/ cluster where /ʒ/ is a rare sound in English and often mispronounced as /dʒ/ or /ʃ/. The second syllable carries primary stress, which can be tricky when speaking quickly. The final /ən/ reduces, so many speakers over-pronounce it as /ən/ rather than a reduced schwa. Mastery comes from crisp articulation of /ˈsɪʒ/ and managing the vowel in the first syllable without a heavy diphthong. Practice with mimicked audio and focus on the /ʒ/ voicing and the trailing nasal.
In precision, the 'ci' produces the /s/ sound that leads into the /ɪ/ then /ʒ/; it’s not /k/ or /sɪk/ but a light /s/ followed by the /ɪ/ vowel and the palato-alveolar affricate /ʒ/. The letter cluster 'ci' in this word behaves like a soft consonant onset, and the following 'e' is silent in effect. The key is a crisp /s/ before /ɪ/ and a clear, voiced /ʒ/ in the middle, then the unstressed /ən/ at the end. Focus on flow: /pr/ + /ɪ/ + /ˈsɪʒ/ + /ən/.
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- US: rhotic linking is common; emphasize the /r/ influence only if a rhotic accent is present in connected speech; keep /ˈsɪʒ/ crisp and rounded. - UK: slightly less rhotic; maintain a clear /ʒ/ and a short /ɪ/ before it; final /ən/ may be lighter. - AU: vowels can tighten; keep /ɪ/ bright and the /ʒ/ clearly voiced; final /ən/ can be more centralized. All share /prɪˈsɪʒən/ with nuanced vowel quality depending on region. IPA references: /prɪˈsɪʒən/ in all three, with subtle vowel shifts: US /ɪ/ vs UK /ɪ/ and AU /ɪ/; rhoticity mostly influences surrounding vowels in connected speech.
Precision derives from the Latin word prae (before) or praecisus (cut off, cut short) through the common scholastic Latin term precisio, meaning a cutting off, conciseness, or exactness. It entered English via Old French presision and Late Latin precisio, influenced by prae- (before) and caedere (to cut). The idea centers on cutting away extraneous parts to reveal exactness, hence the semantic path from ‘cutting to the point’ to ‘exactness in measurement or description.’ By the 16th century, precision referred to the act of making something precise, especially in scientific measurement and logic. Over time, its use broadened to encompass careful accuracy in language, computation, machinery, and performance. The modern sense aligns with controlled accuracy, repeatable results, and an emphasis on eliminating variance. First known use in English appears in scientific and mathematical texts in the 1500s, as scholars bridged traditional measurement with emerging experimental methodology. The word’s evolution tracks the history of measurement science, precision engineering, and analytic discourse, preserving its core emphasis on exactitude and minimal deviation from standard references.
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Words that rhyme with "Precision"
-ion sounds
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