ree-OO-nyuhn
/ɹiˈunjən/
Reunion is pronounced ree-OO-nyuhn (/ɹiˈunjən/). Reunion (n.) A coming together again of people who have been dispersed or apart. It typically refers to a planned gathering after a period of separation, such as family, friends, or colleagues reuniting. The term can also denote a collective event marking a reassembly or restoration of a group.
nounReunion (n.) A coming together again of people who have been dispersed or apart. It typically refers to a planned gathering after a period of separation, such as family, friends, or colleagues reuniting. The term can also denote a collective event marking a reassembly or restoration of a group.
"The high school reunion brought classmates from across the country back to their hometown."
"Family reunions are usually held in the summer at a familiar park pavilion."
"The sci‑fi convention organized an alumni reunion for all former attendees."
Pronounce as /ˌriː.juˈniː.ən/. Break it into four syllables: REE - yoo - NEE - uhn, with secondary stress on the first syllable and primary stress on the third: re-UN- ion. Keep the middle vowel clear as a long /uː/ and avoid merging the segments. Listen to native speaker audio to hear the subtle vowel lengths: /ˌriː.juˈniː.ən/.
Common errors include flattening the subtle schwa: not separating the yo- or misplacing stress on the second syllable. Another is running the four syllables together into a single long vowel, obscuring the /j/ onset in the middle. Fix by clearly articulating: /ˌriː.juˈniː.ən/ with a distinct /ju/ sequence and proper secondary/primary stress pattern. Practice breaking into four beats: REE - you - NEE - un.
In US, UK, and AU, the core four-syllable pattern remains, but vowel length and rhotics vary. US English may show stronger rhotic r articulation in the initial segment and a slightly longer /iː/ in /niː/. UK and AU often have a reduced final schwa; AU tends to be non-rhotic in some contexts, influencing the final /ən/ sound. Across all, the primary stress sits on the third syllable: re‑UN‑i‑on.
The difficulty lies in the four-syllable rhythm with mixed long and short vowels, particularly the /ju/ sequence after the first syllable and the final /ən/ which can sound like /ən/ or /ən/ depending on speed. The secondary stress on the first syllable and primary on the third requires precise timing. Clear separation between /riː/ and /ju/ helps avoid a blurred, single-word pronunciation.
Is the second syllable 'yu' more like /juː/ or a short /u/? Pronunciation typically treats it as a /ju/ sequence: /ˌriː.juˈniː.ən/ where the /j/ acts as a consonant linking the vowel sounds, and the /uː/ in /juː/ is held slightly longer than a short /u/. This keeps the four-syllable cadence intact and avoids swallowing the /j/.
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Reunion comes from the French reunion, itself derived from the prefix re- meaning again, and union, from Latin unio, from unire “to unite.” The English adoption appears in the 16th century with senses tied to “a uniting again” or “a returning together.” Its root word union has Latin origins: unio, from unire “to unite.” Over time, reunion has maintained a social sense—people rejoining after time apart—and broadened to formal uses (organizational reunions, political reunions). In modern usage, reunion often emphasizes nostalgia, shared history, and deliberate planning. The word’s pronunciation remained relatively stable: /ˌriːˈjuːniən/ in American and British varieties, with minor stress-tune shifts across dialects. The term appears in literary and sociological contexts as a positive, celebratory event, though it can also reference reunification after conflict or separation. First known uses appear in early modern English texts where gathering after absence was described as a “reunion” of friends, families, or factions. As societies modernized, the concept grew to include organized alumni events, family reunions, and even international political reunifications, though the core idea—return or gathering after distance—remains unchanged.
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Words that rhyme with "Reunion"
-ion sounds
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