4 syllables: Pre, mo, ni, tion. Stress on ni.
prem-uh-NISH-uhn
/pɹɛməˈnɪʃən/
Premonition is pronounced prem-uh-NISH-uhn (/pɹɛməˈnɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Pre-mo-ni-tion), with the stress on "ni". A premonition is a forewarning or foreboding about a future event, often perceived as a gut feeling or intuitive hint rather than a logical prediction. It denotes an internal sense of anticipating something that may happen, sometimes accompanied by emotional or physical cues. In literature and psychology, it refers to a mental phenomenon of prophecy-like awareness without concrete evidence.
nounA premonition is a forewarning or foreboding about a future event, often perceived as a gut feeling or intuitive hint rather than a logical prediction. It denotes an internal sense of anticipating something that may happen, sometimes accompanied by emotional or physical cues. In literature and psychology, it refers to a mental phenomenon of prophecy-like awareness without concrete evidence.
How to Pronounce Premonition
"She felt a sudden premonition that the meeting would be canceled."
"The novel centers on a character who ignores a troubling premonition about the danger ahead."
"A vague premonition prompted him to take a different route that day."
Pronounce it as /ˌprɛm.ə.nɪˈʃən/ in US English, with primary stress on the final syllable -tion as -shən. The syllables are pre-muh-NIH-shun, with a light schwa in the second syllable and a clear -tion ending that sounds like -shən. Place the lips for /pr/ as a rounded start, /ɛm/ with an open-mid front vowel, then /ə/ as a relaxed schwa, /nɪ/ with a light nasal, and finalize with /ˈʃən/ where the tongue tilts back slightly for the sh sound. For UK: /ˌprɛ.məˈnɪʃ.ən/ emphasizes a slightly different vowel quality in the first syllable and a more compact diphthong in the second. For AU: /ˌprɛː.məˈnɪʃ.ən/ includes a longer first vowel and similar final sequence.
Common errors include: (1) stressing the wrong syllable, often placing primary stress on the middle syllable instead of the final -tion; (2) reducing the /ɪ/ in the -ni- to a short, rushed vowel or conflating /nɪ/ with /nə/; (3) mispronouncing the ending as -tion as /tɪən/ or /tʃən/ instead of /ʃən/. Correct by practicing the three-part division pre-moh-NIH-shən, ensuring the final -tion has the /ʃən/ sound and the secondary stress pattern supports the ending. Use slow articulation to feel the transition from /nɪ/ to /ʃən/.
US generally uses /ˌprɛm.ə.nɪˈʃən/ with a clearly enunciated /ʃən/ and secondary stress on the third syllable. UK tends to a slightly tighter /ˌprɛ.məˈnɪʃ.ən/ with a more centralized second syllable and less pronounced r-coloring. Australian tends to a longer /ˌprɛː.məˈnɪʃ.ən/ with a broader vowel in the first syllable and similar final -tion. Overall, US is rhotic but still ends with /ʃən/; UK is non-rhotic and flattens vowels in some forms; AU sits between, often with more elongated vowels in stressed syllables. IPA references help verify exact variants.
Two main challenges: the multi-syllabic rhythm with four syllables and the final -tion cluster, which yields /ʃən/ that can blur if spoken quickly; and the middle /mə/ vowel, which often reduces to a schwa that can be misarticulated as /nə/ or /nə/ when rushing. Additionally, correct stress placement—final syllable emphasis on the -tion portion—requires deliberate timing in fluent speech. Practice by isolating each syllable, then blending while maintaining the final -tion as a distinct phoneme.
A unique nuance is the subtle vowel quality in the second syllable and the transition from /nɪ/ to /ʃən/. Ensure the /ɪ/ doesn't reduce to a schwa, keeping a short i sound before the /ʃ/ onset. Also, keep the /pr/ cluster crisp at the start and avoid over-aspiration on the initial /p/. Practicing with a slow tempo and then linking to a natural tempo helps cement the neuromuscular pattern for this precise word.
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Premonition comes from the Latin premonitio, from prae- ‘before’ + monitio ‘warning, admonition,’ itself from monere ‘to warn.’ The term entered English in the 16th century, initially in legal or formal writings, but soon broadened to describe a psychological or prophetic forewarning. The prefix pre- signals ‘before,’ and monitio connotes warning, aligning with how the word conveys a warning received prior to an event. Early uses were more literal about warnings, later expanding to imply intuitive foresight rather than explicit knowledge. The word evolved alongside medical, psychological, and literary vocabularies that explore foretelling or intuitive prediction, often tied to scenes of suspense or dramatic irony. Contemporary usage embraces both everyday intuition and more supernatural or fictional notions of premonition, retaining its core sense of anticipatory forewarning. First known usages appear in Renaissance or early modern English texts, with steadier frequency by the 19th and 20th centuries as literature and psychology popularized the concept of inner forewarnings.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Premonition" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Premonition"
-ion sounds
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