VIZH-uhnz
/ˈvɪʒənz/
visions is pronounced VIZH-uhnz (/ˈvɪʒənz/). Visions refers to mental images of the future or imagined scenarios, often vivid or prophetic. It typically denotes a set of imagined possibilities or revelations, formed in the mind, sometimes with a sense of clarity or guidance. In plural, it can imply multiple imagined scenarios or dreams that influence planning or perception.
Visions refers to mental images of the future or imagined scenarios, often vivid or prophetic. It typically denotes a set of imagined possibilities or revelations, formed in the mind, sometimes with a sense of clarity or guidance. In plural, it can imply multiple imagined scenarios or dreams that influence planning or perception.
- Confusing /ʒ/ with /ʃ/ (sh) or failing to voice the final /z/; if you replace /ʒ/ with /dʒ/ (j) you risk a misperceived sound. Correction: practice the sound in measure, not merchant, emphasizing the friction at the palate with a gentle, voiced vibration. - Ending with a voiceless /s/ or dropping the /z/: keep the vocal fold vibration for the final sound by gently humming /z/. - Stress misplaced on the second syllable or at the end in rapid speech: ensure primary stress on the first syllable /ˈvɪ/. Practice by saying slow, then ramping up tempo while maintaining stress pattern.
"She had visions of a brighter future after the new policy was implemented."
"The film explored the protagonist's visions and the clues they provided."
"In his plans, he included several visions of success to keep the team motivated."
Visions is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/. The initial sound is a short vowel /ɪ/ as in kitten, followed by the voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ like 'measure', then /ən/ (schwa + n) and final /z/ for the plural. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, lips neutral, tongue high at the alveolo-palatal region for /ʒ/. Ensure the /z/ at the end is voiced. Listen for the smooth transition from /ʒ/ to /ənz/ to avoid adding an extra vowel between syllables.
Common errors include mispronouncing /ʒ/ as /ʃ/ (sh) or dropping the final /z/ sound. Some speakers misplace stress, saying /ˈvaɪ.ʒənz/ or /ˈvɪdʒ.ənz/. To correct: maintain the /ʒ/ as in measure, not /ʃ/; keep the final /z/ voiced rather than turning it into a /s/ or silent; and keep the first syllable with /ɪ/ rather than an elongated diphthong. Practicing with minimal pairs like visions vs. visions? focus on the middle /ʒ/ quality. You’ll find it easiest when you relax the jaw and sustain the /ʒ/ with the tongue tip near the palate.
In US, UK, and AU, the word is /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/. The rhotic/dropping rhotic differences do not alter this word significantly; all three dialects maintain the /v/ initial and /ʒ/ middle. Some subtle differences: UK and AU speakers may have slightly rounded /ɒ/ in neighboring words, but for visions the vowel remains close to /ɪ/; AU can show marginally tighter jaw and crisper /z/ ending due to general Australian vowel length patterns. Overall primary pronunciation remains /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/ across US, UK, AU.
The challenge lies in accurately producing the /ʒ/ sound, which is less common in English phonology and requires the tongue to approach the palate without contact. Additionally, the cluster /ʒ.ən/ in rapid speech can blur, causing /ʒən/ to reduce toward /ən/ or /ʒn/. The final /z/ must remain voiced and clean, not devoiced to /s/. Practicing slowly with careful articulation helps you stabilize the interior /ʒ/ and the end consonant.
Is there any potential homophony confusion between visions and revisions in fast speech? When spoken in rapid form, visions and revisions can sound similar if the /v/ and /r/ cues blur and the /ʒ/ is not clearly released. To avoid confusion, keep the /v/ in visions distinct and maintain the /ʒ/ quality, then clearly articulate the following /ənz/ ending. In careful speech, you’ll hear the slight /v-/ vs /r-/ onset difference and the dental-alveolar placement helps distinguish them.
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- US: rhotic, clear /ɪ/ in first syllable; ensure the /v/ is unvoiced? No, /v/ is voiced. - UK: similar, but you may hear slightly longer vowel on the first syllable with a more clipped /z/ ending; - AU: more centralized vowel qualities can affect transition to /ʒ/; keep the /ʒ/ distinct and avoid turning into /ʃ/. All accents share the /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/ base; focus on the /ʒ/ articulation and the final /z/ voicing. Reference IPA: /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/ across accents.
The word visions comes from the Latin visio, meaning a seeing or sight, from videre, to see. Visio is formed from Latin root vis- meaning ‘to see’ and is related to video and visible. The suffix -ion marks a noun of action or condition. In English, vision originally described the act of seeing or the sense of sight, and by the Middle English period (14th–15th centuries) it broadened to include the phenomenon of supernatural or foretold seeing. The plural form visions emerged as a normal pluralization pattern for countable nouns ending in -ion. Over time, metaphoric uses extended to future or dreamlike images, especially in religious, literary, and psychological contexts. In modern usage, visions can be secular—designs or plans for the future—or supernatural, as in prophetic or dream visions. First known uses appear in Medieval English writings, with influence from Latin religious texts where visio described divine appearances. The semantic evolution from literal sight to imagined, often revelatory, images reflects broader shifts in how language encodes perception and foresight, culminating in everyday phrases like “visions of a better tomorrow.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "visions" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "visions" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "visions"
-ons sounds
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