3 syllables: Sug, ges, tion. Stress on ges.
suh-JES-chuhn
/səˈdʒɛstʃən/
Suggestion is pronounced suh-JES-chuhn (/səˈdʒɛstʃən/). It has three syllables (Sug-ges-tion), with the stress on "ges". As a noun, a proposition or idea offered for consideration or action. It can be a recommended plan, hint, or idea presented to influence a choice or decision. In formal contexts, a suggestion is typically softer and less imposing than a directive, yet it carries helpful intent and can invite discussion.
nounA proposition or idea offered for consideration or action. It can be a recommended plan, hint, or idea presented to influence a choice or decision. In formal contexts, a suggestion is typically softer and less imposing than a directive, yet it carries helpful intent and can invite discussion.
"She offered a suggestion to improve the workflow during the team meeting."
"If you have a suggestion, please share it in the chat."
"His suggestion was politely declined, but it sparked a useful conversation."
Pronounce as sə-ˈdʒes-tʃən in US and UK; the primary stress sits on the second syllable. Start with a light schwa, then an emphasized 'jes' with the /dʒ/ sound as in 'jelly', and finish with a light 'chən' ending. IPA: US /səˈdʒes.tʃən/, UK /səˈdʒes.tən/. For Australian speakers, keep the same stress pattern with a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable. Audio reference idea: listen to native pronunciation on Pronounce or Cambridge Dictionary for the exact intonation curve.
Two frequent errors: (1) Stress shifting to the first syllable, producing /ˌsjuˈdʒes.tən/ or /suˈdʒes.tən/. (2) Mixing the /dʒ/ with a /t/ or clipping the /tʃ/ in the final syllable, giving /səˈdʒes.tən/ or /səˈdʒeskən/. Correct by keeping the primary stress on the second syllable and articulating the /dʒ/ clearly, followed by /tʃən/ or /tən/ depending on elision. Slow practice and listening comparisons help keep the accurate vibro-dentals.
US: primary stress on the second syllable; a rhotic speaker may produce a slightly stronger ‘r’ later in connected speech, though not in this word. UK: similar stress pattern; vowels are often shorter with crisp /t/ opportunities, and non-rhotic tendencies affect perceived vowel length. AU: similar to UK/US in rhythm, but tends toward a more centralized vowel in the first syllable and a smoother, less pharyngeal /tʃ/. Overall, the /dʒ/ remains a single, strong affricate across accents.
Because of the tricky /dʒ/ onset in the second syllable and the cluster /tʃən/ at the end, which requires precise tongue movement from a voiced postalveolar affricate to a voiceless alveolar nasal blend. The weak second syllable vowel also invites reduction, which can shift the expected rhythm if you’re not careful. Practice producing the entire sequence slowly, then speed up while maintaining precise landmarks: /dʒ/ onset, /e/ vowel, /tʃ/ closure, and final /ən/.
Tip: keep your tongue high for /dʒ/ immediately before the /e/ vowel, then drop quickly into the /tʃ/ sound for the final consonant cluster. Don’t let the second syllable swallow the rest; keep the stress on the second syllable and make sure the /t/ doesn’t become a soft /d/ in rapid speech. Listen for the crisp /tʃən/ ending in native samples and imitate the cadence.
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Suggestion derives from the Latin noun suggestio, from the verb suadere meaning 'to advise, urge, or propose.' Old French borrowed it as sugeston, and Middle English adapted the form to suggestion. The root suad- comes from Latin suadēre, a compound related to suārs (to advise) and the Proto-Italic root *swād-, a concept of urging or prompting. Over centuries, the word broadened from a medical or technical sense of bringing something to mind to the more general sense of offering a voluntary idea or proposal. By the 16th century, suggestion appeared in English medical and legal discourse to describe influences on action, and by the 18th–19th centuries it was common in everyday discourse to denote a proposed plan or idea. The modern sense emphasizes a mild, non-coercive offering rather than a command, aligning with etiquette and collaborative decision-making in professional and social contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Suggestion"
-ion sounds
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