2 syllables: Ques, tion. Stress on Ques.
KWES-chuhn
/ˈkwɛstʃən/
Question is pronounced KWES-chuhn (/ˈkwɛstʃən/). It has two syllables (Ques-tion), with the stress on "Ques". Question (noun): a sentence or phrase used to elicit information or challenge assumptions. It can introduce inquiry, doubt, or request for clarification. In everyday use, it functions as a request for information and can be formal or informal depending on context.
nounQuestion (noun): a sentence or phrase used to elicit information or challenge assumptions. It can introduce inquiry, doubt, or request for clarification. In everyday use, it functions as a request for information and can be formal or informal depending on context.
- Common Mistake: underemphasizing the first syllable; you may hear /kwes.tən/ with a reduced second syllable. Correction: hold the primary stress on /ˈkwes/ and articulating the second syllable as /tʃən/ to preserve the two-syllable rhythm. - Common Mistake: mispronouncing /tʃ/ as /ʃ/ or /dʒ/; correction: start with /t/ immediately before /ʃ/ and release as /tʃ/ with the blade of the tongue behind the upper front teeth; keep it a single palatal affricate. - Common Mistake: weakening the /kw/ cluster; correction: keep the /kw/ as a single, tight onset, not a /k/ then /w/ clump. Practice with exaggerated onset then ease into natural speed. - Common Mistake: final /ən/ too dark or too clipped; correction: relax the jaw and let a light, unstressed schwa flow into a softer /ən/; avoid a full /ɪn/ or overly clear /ən/ in connected speech.
"What is your name?"
"She asked a provocative question during the meeting."
"This is a question that requires careful consideration."
US/UK/AU pronunciation shares the two-syllable structure with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈkwes.tʃən/. The beginning uses an initial /kw/ cluster, followed by /e/ as in 'bed' but slightly longer, then a /tʃ/ as in 'chair', and the final schwa /ən/ or /ən/ with a light, relaxed vowel. In rapid speech, the /t/ can soften or be omitted, yielding /ˈkwɛʃən/ or /ˈkweɪʃn̩/ in some dialects. Pay attention to the /kw/ onset and the affricate-like /tʃ/ blend before the schwa. Practicing with audio references will help lock in the two-syllable rhythm and stress pattern.
Two common errors: (1) treating the word as one syllable or misplacing primary stress as on the second syllable. Solution: keep two distinct syllables with clear /ˈkwes/ onset and /tʃən/ tail, emphasizing the first syllable. (2) mispronouncing /tʃ/ as a simple /t/ or /dʒ/; practice the affricate /tʃ/ by starting with /t/ followed immediately by /ʃ/ and blend. Use a quick tongue tip behind the upper teeth for /t/ and lift the blade to produce /tʃ/. Regular listening to native audio will help distinguish the palatal sound.
US: often with a clearer first syllable /ˈkwes.tʃən/ and a slightly reduced final vowel, potential flap or stop in rapid speech. UK: similarly two syllables, but /tʃ/ can be stronger and the vowel in second syllable closer to /ə/; non-rhotic tendencies may affect linking. Australia: similar to UK, with a more centralized final schwa and possible vowel broadening in the first syllable depending on speaker. Across all, linking consonants and sentence rhythm influence perceived quality more than the core sounds.
The difficulty lies in the initial cluster /kw/ followed by the affricate /tʃ/ before a weak final syllable /ən/. The transition from fronting vowel /e/ to the palatal /tʃ/ and the reduction to a light schwa in final position can challenge non-native speakers. Additionally, rhythm and stress must be clearly placed on the first syllable to avoid confusion with related words like ‘question’ vs ‘questioning’. Focus on the /kw/ onset, the /tʃ/ blend, and a relaxed, quick /ən/ ending.
A unique aspect is maintaining the fixity of the /kw/ onset and then producing a crisp /tʃ/ before the unstressed /ən/. The sequence /kwes.tʃən/ requires careful tongue retraction for the /k/ and rapid movement from /s/ into /tʃ/. The /t/ can be realized as a light stop or even be partially elided in casual speech, making the /t/-to-/tʃ/ transition a focal point for accuracy in careful speech.
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- US: maintain rhoticity in connected speech but the word itself remains non-rhotic at syllable level; allow the nucleus in /ən/ to be a quick schwa. - UK: watch for non-rhotic linking; the final /ən/ often sounds like /ən/ with reduced emphasis, sometimes as /ən/. - AU: similar to UK but with more vowel reduction in rapid speech; keep the /kwes/ strong and the /tʃən/ compact. When practicing, use IPA /ˈkwes.tʃən/ and listen to native samples to adjust vowel centralization. - Across all accents, focus on the transition from /s/ to /tʃ/ and the neutralized final syllable; ensure the first syllable carries the primary beat of the word.
The noun question comes from Middle English questionen, from Old French quesçon, quescion, from Latin quaestionem (nominative quaestio), from quaerere 'to seek, ask, strive for'. The root quaer- conveys the act of seeking or asking, and the suffix -tion marks a noun of action or condition. In Latin, quaestio originally meant an investigation or inquiry and evolved in Old French to quesçon, referring to a question or inquiry. The English adoption as question emerged in the late medieval period, with semantic broadening from a mere inquiry to the act of asking itself and, later, to the thing asked about. Over time, “question” retained its core sense of seeking information while expanding into phrases (leading questions, rhetorical questions) and specialized uses across law, education, science, and daily speech. First known use in English dates to the 13th century, with later Norman-French influence shaping spelling and pronunciation. Today, “question” commonly frames requests for information, doubts, or topics requiring deliberation, and it appears in idioms (to raise questions, to ask the question). The word maintains a productive set of collocations and is a frequent target for pronunciation and intonation practice due to its vowel-consonant sequence and stress pattern.
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Words that rhyme with "Question"
-ion sounds
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