4 syllables: Re, pe, ti, tion. Stress on ti.
rep-uh-TISH-uhn
/ˌɹɛpəˈtɪʃən/
Repetition is pronounced rep-uh-TISH-uhn (/ˌɹɛpəˈtɪʃən/). It has four syllables (Re-pe-ti-tion), with the stress on "ti". Repetition is the act or instance of repeating something, often to reinforce memory or skill, or a pattern or sequence that recurs. As a noun, it can refer to the process itself, a repeated performance, or a rhetorical device that emphasizes via recurrence. In linguistics or music, repetition denotes the recurrence of an element to create rhythm or structure.
nounRepetition is the act or instance of repeating something, often to reinforce memory or skill, or a pattern or sequence that recurs. As a noun, it can refer to the process itself, a repeated performance, or a rhetorical device that emphasizes via recurrence. In linguistics or music, repetition denotes the recurrence of an element to create rhythm or structure.
- You’ll often hear learners slide into RE-puh-TI-shun; avoid this by clearly marking the first syllable as unstressed, the second as brief, and the third as primary. - Do not append a strong 'n' after the 'tion' in careful speech; simply end with a light nasal. - Don’t neglect the initial /r/; in US/UK/AU you should start with a crisp /r/ sound. - Record yourself reading a sentence like 'The repetition of the exercise helped her memory' and compare with a native speaker; adjust the stress and the final -tion accordingly.
"The coach emphasized repetition during practice to build muscle memory."
"Her essay relied on repetition to reinforce the central argument."
"In music, repetition gives the chorus its familiar hook."
US/UK/AU speakers share the same core pronunciation: /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃn/ with final schwa-like syllable. Breakdown: re- (rə) as unstressed, pe- (pɪ) secondary, -ti- (ˈtɪ) primary stress on the third syllable, -on (ən) as a reduced final. For clarity: /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/ in careful speech, but many speakers reduce the final syllable to a light 'n' or even 'ən'. Audio reference: imagine listening to a clear enunciation in a diction tutorial or pronunciation-focused channel; you’ll hear the primary stress on the third syllable with a short 'i' in the second syllable and a soft, quick final 'tion' approximated as 'shn'.
Common mistakes: 1) Placing primary stress on the first syllable instead of the third (RE-pi-ti-tion). Correction: move the main emphasis to the third syllable: re-pi-TI-tion, with a clear 't' and a lighter final 'n'. 2) Vocalic reduction in unstressed syllables, producing a weak 'ri' or 'rih' where 'ri' should be a short, crisp 'ri'. Correction: keep the second syllable short but distinct: /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/. 3) Slurring the final '-tion' to 'shun' in all contexts; the intended 'tʃən' or 'ʃn̩' can be mis-articulated. Correction: practice the enunciation of the 't' and 'n' to produce 'tɪʃn' with a light alveolar stop before a nasal.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; /ɪ/ as in kit; primary stress on the third syllable. UK: non-rhotic or weak-r pronunciation of /r/ before a vowel; final syllable reduced; /ɪ/ remains similar. AU: similar to UK with slight vowel shortening; some Australian speakers may shave the final -tion to a more reduced 'shn'. Overall, the core segments remain /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/ but the presence and strength of the rhotic /r/ and the vowel quality of /ɪ/ may vary; rhythm may be slightly more clipped in Australian speech. Listen for the syllabic -n̩ when the final sound is reduced.
The tricky element is the secondary stress in multi-syllabic words and the final '-tion' cluster, which in many speakers becomes a syllabic nasal with a light 'shn' sound; some speakers may voice the 't' less clearly or merge the second syllable vowel. Additionally, the combination of /r/ and a strong /ɪ/ in the third syllable can feel tight in fast speech. Focusing on the stress pattern - secondary stress on the second syllable and primary stress on the third - helps maintain clarity.
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- US: keep rhotic /ɹ/ in all positions; a clearer 'r' helps with intelligibility. Vowels tend to be slightly more lax in rapid speech; keep /ɛ/ (as in 'red') stable in the first syllable. - UK: non-rhotic tendencies may reduce the /r/ sound, especially before vowels; still keep primary stress on the third syllable. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable tends toward a higher, clipped quality. - AU: rhoticity is similar to US in most contexts; vowels can be more centralized; avoid over-lengthening the final syllable. IPA references: US /ˌɹɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/, UK /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/, AU /ˌɹɛpɪˈtɪʃn̩/.
Repetition comes from the Middle English repeticioun, from Old French repetition, from Latin repetitionem (nominative repetitio), from repetere ‘to seek again, to repeat’. The root repet- means ‘to carry back, to take again’, with the suffix -io-/tion forming action or process nouns. Over time, the sense narrowed to the act of repeating something to reinforce memory or emphasize a pattern. In classical rhetoric, repetition was a deliberate stylistic device; in modern usage, it denotes both mechanical repetition and iterative practice across disciplines such as music, linguistics, and cognitive training. The term has cognates in many Romance languages (repetición in Spanish, repétition in French) that preserve the same core root. First known use in English dates from the 14th century, evolving through Latin and French scholarly usage into common English as both a technique and a phenomenon in pedagogy, dramatic structure, and everyday activity.
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Words that rhyme with "Repetition"
-on? sounds
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