TEN-chuhnz
/ˈtɛntʃənz/
tensions is pronounced TEN-chuhnz (/ˈtɛntʃənz/). Tensions is the plural noun of tension, referring to mental or physical strains, or stressed states in a system, relationship, or material. It describes episodes of strain or pressure that may build up before relief or change. The word is commonly used in psychology, physics, engineering, and everyday talk about stress or conflict.
Tensions is the plural noun of tension, referring to mental or physical strains, or stressed states in a system, relationship, or material. It describes episodes of strain or pressure that may build up before relief or change. The word is commonly used in psychology, physics, engineering, and everyday talk about stress or conflict.
"The tensions between the departments led to a bottleneck in the project timeline."
"She felt a buildup of tensions as the deadline approached."
"In the rope, the tensions on opposite sides must be balanced for safety."
Pronounce as /ˈtɛn.ʃənz/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: TEN-shunz. The middle vowel is a short e as in ten, followed by a schwa-like reduced syllable, and the final z is voiced. Tip: keep the second syllable light and quick, almost like a whispered -shən, so the word lands with a crisp initial beat but a gentle ending.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (say TEN-sions with even emphasis on second syllable) and producing an extra syllable like ten-SI-ons. Another error is turning the final -z into -s without voicing, or flattening the vowel in the first syllable to a lax sound. To correct: stress on the first syllable, keep the second syllable as a short, unstressed -ən, and voice the final -z as a clear /z/ not /s/. Practice with slow enunciation, then speed up while maintaining the same rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial vowel remains /ˈtɛn/ with a clear short e. The differences are subtle: UK tends to slightly more clipped vowel quality and less rhoticity in rapid speech; AU mirrors US rhythm but often a lighter vowel in unaccented syllables. Final -ions block is pronounced as /-jənz/ in all, with /z/ voice. The main variation is the overall vowel reduction and tempo. Across all three, the primary stress stays on the first syllable; the differences are in vowel length and how sharply the first syllable ends before the schwa-like second syllable.
The challenge is balancing the stressed first syllable with a quick, reduced second syllable and a voiced final consonant. The /ˈtɛn/ block must be crisp, but the /-ʃənz/ portion relies on a schwa-like sound and a voiced /z/ that can blur in rapid speech. Beginners often flatten the second syllable into a stronger vowel or mis-voice the final consonant. Focus on a light, quick -ən before a clear -z, and practice with tempo shifting to keep the rhythm steady.
No silent letters in tension’s final form. The complexity lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the final z sound. The letter string -sions represents the /ʃənz/ sequence in this word’s plurals, which can be confused with other similar endings. Maintaining the /z/ voice and ensuring the second syllable remains unstressed helps keep it natural. Think TEN-shənz as the canonical pronunciation.
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Tensions traces its roots to Middle English tension, from Old French tension, from Latin tensio, from tendere “to stretch.” The Latin tensio referred to the act of stretching or extending, and from that evolved a general sense of mental or physical strain. In Latin, tensio came from tendere (to stretch) with the abstract noun suffix -io. English borrowed tension in the sense of “stretching” in the late Middle Ages, and by the 16th century it extended to “state of being stretched or strained.” The plural tensions emerged as the noun flexed to indicate multiple strains, pressures, or stress states. In modern usage, tensions appear frequently in physics (tensions in a cable as a force), psychology (emotional tensions), and social discourse (tensions between groups). The word also acquired metaphorical senses: social tensions, geopolitical tensions, and the internal tensions of a system under stress. First known use in English appears in the 14th-16th centuries in legal and scientific contexts related to physical strains, gradually broadening to abstract stress concepts in the 17th-19th centuries, with contemporary usage firmly entrenched in many professional and everyday settings.
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Words that rhyme with "tensions"
-ion sounds
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