4 syllables: Re, cog, ni, tion. Stress on ni.
rek-uhg-NISH-uhn
/ˌɹɛkəˈɡnɪʃən/
Recognition is pronounced rek-uhg-NISH-uhn (/ˌɹɛkəˈɡnɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Re-cog-ni-tion), with the stress on "ni". Recognition is the act of identifying something or someone from prior knowledge, or the formal acknowledgment of achievement or validity. It can refer to the process of recognizing patterns, objects, or people, as well as the social or official acknowledgment of status, rights, or accomplishments. It often carries connotations of validation and acceptance, sometimes accompanied by a sense of assignment or grant of status.
nounRecognition is the act of identifying something or someone from prior knowledge, or the formal acknowledgment of achievement or validity. It can refer to the process of recognizing patterns, objects, or people, as well as the social or official acknowledgment of status, rights, or accomplishments. It often carries connotations of validation and acceptance, sometimes accompanied by a sense of assignment or grant of status.
- You often misplace the main stress, saying re-COG-nition or rec-OG-nition. Aim for secondary stress on the mid syllable and primary stress on the second syllable: re-KOG-ni-tion. - The /ɡn/ cluster can feel awkward; treat it as a rapid onset: /ɡn/ with a single movement rather than two separate sounds. - The ending /ʃən/ can become /sən/ or /tchn̩/ in fast speech; keep it light, with /ʃən/ reduced, not a full syllable. - Avoid overly elongating the first syllable; use a quick, almost unstressed /rə/ or /ˈrɛ/ as appropriate.
How to Pronounce Recognition
"Her persistence earned her recognition in the scientific community."
"The company received formal recognition for its charitable work."
"Students gain recognition when their work is showcased at the exhibition."
Pronounce it as re-COG-ni-tion, with primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌrɛk.əɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ in US and UK. The first syllable is reduced: /ˈrɛ/ or /rə/ depending on spoken style, the middle syllable forces the peak consonant cluster /ɡn/ and the final -tion is a light /ʃən/ sound. Lips start relaxed, then the tongue quickly reaches the hard palate for /ɡ/ and /n/; the /ʃ/ is a gentle, fast release. You’ll hear a slight secondary stress earlier in longer phrases.
Common errors: over-stressing the final -tion, producing /tɪən/ instead of /ʃən/ and misplacing stress like re-RECOG-nition. Corrections: keep primary stress on the second syllable /ɡˈnɪʃ/ and reduce the first /ˈrɛ/ to a quick, unstressed syllable. Practice the /ɡn/ sequence as a single, quick onset rather than separate consonants, and ensure /ʃən/ is light and quick, not a strong syllable.
US: /ˌrɛk.əɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ with rhotic r and slightly clearer /ɡ/. UK: /ˌrɛk.əɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ similar but non-rhotic tendencies amodulate /r/ and may reduce the first syllable more. Australia: /ˌɹɛk.əˈɡnɪʃ.ən/ with a more centralized vowel in the first syllable and a pronounced /ɡ/ cluster; the final -tion remains /ʃən/. Core stress on the second syllable in all, but vowels can tilt toward schwa in rapid speech.
Because of the two adjacent consonant clusters: /k/ and /ɡ/ with an embedded /ɡn/ sequence, plus a non-final /ʃ/ before /ən/ in the ending, which requires precise tongue movement and lip shaping. The sequence demands rapid articulation without adding extra vowels. Also, the weak first syllable /ˈrɛ/ can be reduced differently in connected speech, which challenges consistent pronunciation in fluent speech.
No silent letters. Each letter contributes to a distinct phoneme: /r/ /ɛ/ /k/ /ə/ /ɡ/ /n/ /ɪ/ /ʃ/ /ən/. The challenge is coordinating /ɡn/ as a single onset in the middle and producing a light /ʃ/ before a schwa. Practice by isolating the central vowel-consonant sequence and ensuring the /n/ lands softly after /ʃ/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; keep the first syllable reduced to /rə/ or /ˈrɛ/ depending on speaking pace. - UK: less pronounced /r/, more clipped /rə/; maintain /ɡ/ and /n/ crisply; final /ən/ is light. - AU: tends to be vowel-tilt toward /e/ or /ɪ/ in the first syllable; keep the middle /ɡnɪʃ/ tight and final /ən/ soft. IPA references: US /ˌrɛk.əɡˈnɪʃ.ən/, UK /ˌrek.əɡˈnɪʃ.ən/, AU /ˌɹɛk.əˈɡnɪʃ.ən/.
Recognition comes from late Latin recognitio, from recognoscere “to recall, know again,” formed from re- “again” + cognoscere “to learn, know.” The root cogn- relates to knowledge; cognoscere appeared in Latin in the sense of distinguishing, perceiving, or recognizing. The concept carried into Old French as recognition and then into Middle English with the sense of acknowledging or admitting. By the 16th–17th centuries, recognition expanded beyond mere identification to include official acknowledgment, approval, and the conferring of status or rights. In modern usage, recognition spans cognitive identification (recognizing a face) and social/official processes (state recognition of a government, award recognition). The word retains nuanced connotations of seeing again, validating, and granting legitimacy. The emphasis often shifts toward either cognitive identification (tech or pattern recognition) or ceremonial acknowledgment (awards, titles). The evolution mirrors broader linguistic shifts from descriptive recognition to prescriptive social recognition in institutions and cultural contexts. The term appears across academic, legal, and everyday language, reflecting its versatile meaning and broad applicability.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Recognition" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Recognition"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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-## Sound-by-Sound Breakdown - /r/ /ɛ/ /k/ /ə/ /ɡ/ /n/ /ɪ/ /ʃ/ /ən/: tongue positions: /r/ relaxed tip; /ɛ/ mid-low; /k/ back of tongue; /ə/ mid-central; /ɡ/ velar stop; /n/ alveolar nasal; /ɪ/ lax high front; /ʃ/ palatal/shushing; final /ən/ schwa + nasal; common substitutions: /ɡ/ may sound like /g/; /ʃ/ may sound like /s/ in fast speech. -## Accent Variations - US vs UK vs AU: rhoticity differences; vowel qualities; /r/ realization; final syllable length; stress stability; -## Practice Sequence - Minimal pairs: recognition vs waking? (avoid; pairs: recognition vs re-cognition? tricky). 2-3 minimal pairs: recognition vs rekognition (not same meaning) to practice onset; syllable drills; slow-normal-fast; two context sentences: “Recognition of achievement motivates teams.” “Facial recognition technology requires robust datasets.” -## Mastery Checklist - 3 checkpoints: articulatory tongue positions (centered /ɡ/ with /n/ onset), acoustic rhyming comparisons (/ɪʃ/ vs /ɪʃən/), stress/rhythm patterns (secondary stress earlier, primary on second syllable).
