3 syllables: Se, ces, sion. Stress on ces.
sis-ESH-uhn
/sɪˈsɛʃən/
Secession is pronounced sis-ESH-uhn (/sɪˈsɛʃən/). It has three syllables (Se-ces-sion), with the stress on "ces". Secession is the act of formally withdrawing from a larger body, organization, or union. It refers to a political move where a region or group declares independence, severs ties, and establishes its own governance. The term is often used in historical contexts to describe state or region-led separation from a country or federation.
nounSecession is the act of formally withdrawing from a larger body, organization, or union. It refers to a political move where a region or group declares independence, severs ties, and establishes its own governance. The term is often used in historical contexts to describe state or region-led separation from a country or federation.
- Common mistake: stressing the wrong syllable, say SESS-ion instead of sɪˈkɛʃən. Tip: feel the beat on the middle syllable by tapping: da-DUM-da. - Mistake: mispronouncing /kɛ/ as /ke/ or /kə/; corrective cue: keep jaw slightly lower for /ɛ/ and emphasize /k/ before it. - Mistake: pronouncing final /ən/ as full /ən/; fix with a quick, neutral schwa and nasal closure. - Practice with roadmaps: (1) slow, (2) normal, (3) fast; use mirror to monitor mouth shape; record for feedback.
"The southern states pursued secession in the mid-19th century, leading to a major conflict."
"A regional referendum was held on secession from the union, with results leaning toward independence."
"The party advocated peaceful secession through negotiations and constitutional means."
Pronounce it as sə-KESH-ən with primary stress on the second syllable: /sɪˈkɛʃən/. Start with a quick, relaxed initial /s/ followed by a short /ɪ/, then a strong, palatal /kɛ/ combining /k/ + /ɛ/; finish with a weak schwa /ən/. Imagine saying ‘session’ but replace the first /s/ with /sə/ and stress the middle syllable. For audio reference, you can compare to /sɪˈkɛʃən/ in standard dictionaries.
Common errors include: (1) stressing the first syllable as in ‘SESS-ion’ instead of the correct /sɪˈkɛʃən/; (2) mispronouncing the middle vowel as /i/ or /ɛ/ without the proper /ɛ/ quality; (3) injudiciously trailing the final /ən/ as /n/ or a full /ən/ in tight speech. Correction tips: keep the middle vowel tense as /ɛ/ with the coda /ʃ/ to form /kɛʃ/; keep the final /ən/ reduced to a quick schwa plus nasal. Practice with minimal pairs to distinguish /ɪ/ vs /ɪˈ/ and /k/ + /ɛ/ + /ʃ/.”,
In US, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable is typically reduced; the stressed /ɛ/ is clear, with a non-rhotic US tendency depending on region; rhoticity does not heavily affect the ending. UK pronunciation keeps the same stress pattern but may present a slightly more rounded /ɪ/ and a crisper /t/ assimilation if present in connected speech. Australian English tends to have more centralized vowel qualities and a slightly less tense /ɛ/. Overall, the core /sɪˈkɛʃən/ pattern remains, with minor vowel shifts and rhythm differences across accents.
The difficulty lies in balancing syllable emphasis and articulating /kɛʃ/ as a cluster with an affricate-like /k/ followed by a palatal /ʃ/. The middle vowel /ɛ/ must be precise, not conflated with /e/ or /æ/. Another challenge is the sequence /-ɛʃ-/ which involves a rapid transition from a hard stop /k/ to a post-alveolar fricative; this can be muffled in rapid speech. Focus on the clean /k/ + /ɛ/ + /ʃ/ sequence and the light, unstressed final /ən/.
A distinct question about secession is why the term is tied to unilateral political moves. Pronunciation-wise, the question explores the pronunciation of the central vowel /ɛ/ and the /ʃ/ sound in fast, formal speech where the speaker might blend /k/ and /ʃ/ more quickly. In practice, keep the /k/ crisp, then move quickly into the /ɛ/ and /ʃ/, then finish with a light /ən/ to avoid trailing 'sen' or 'son.'
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- US: rhoticity usually maintained; vowel qualities lean toward /ɪ/ and /ɛ/; stress pattern identical. - UK: slightly crisper /t/ not relevant here; maintain /sɪˈkɛʃən/ with smaller intonation differences, more clipped final syllable. - AU: vowel merging tendencies, slight centralization of /ɪ/ in first syllable and a broader /ə/ cross-linguistic influence; articulate /ɪ/ clearly before /k/ and keep /ʃ/ crisp. Use IPA references for guidance and listen to regional exemplars in dictionaries.
Secession derives from the Latin se- (‘apart, aside’) + sedere (‘to sit’), signifying a disposition away from a body. The English adoption traces to the early 17th century, initially in legal and ecclesiastical contexts before broadening to political contexts of withdrawal. The word entered political discourse notably in the 18th and 19th centuries as various regions debated forming new sovereign entities or separating from larger polities. It is etymologically related to ‘session,’ but with the prefix indicating separation rather than the act of sitting. In US history, the term is often tied to the Confederacy’s attempt to dissolve the Union, while in other nations it has described similar processes of division, constitutional amendments, and state reconstitutions. First known use appears in legal and political writings of the 1600s, with intensifying usage during periods of constitutional reform and regional authoritarian reorganizations in the 18th and 19th centuries. The word has since become a standard term in political science and history, used to describe formal withdrawal from a state, federation, or organization, sometimes accompanied by a unilateral declaration and an effort to form a separate government.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Secession" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Secession"
-ion sounds
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