/voʊˈkeɪʃən/
vocation is pronounced /voʊˈkeɪʃən/. Vocation is a strong inclination to undertake a particular career or occupation, often tied to a purposeful calling beyond mere aptitude. It can also refer to the work or career chosen as a lifelong pursuit, as well as the sense of being drawn to a particular field. The term emphasizes fit, commitment, and a meaningful, often professional, path.
Say it backVocation is a strong inclination to undertake a particular career or occupation, often tied to a purposeful calling beyond mere aptitude. It can also refer to the work or career chosen as a lifelong pursuit, as well as the sense of being drawn to a particular field. The term emphasizes fit, commitment, and a meaningful, often professional, path.
"Her vocation led her to teach underprivileged children."
"He felt a vocation in medicine and trained as a surgeon."
"The priest spoke of his vocation during the ceremony."
vocation is pronounced voh-KAY-shn with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK: /voʊˈkeɪʃn/. The first syllable sounds like 'vo' in 'vote' but shorter; the second syllable centers on the long 'a' as in 'cake,' followed by a 'shn' cluster. In careful speech, you’ll hear a brief, unstressed final 'tion' as /ʃn/. Audio reference: try standard dictionaries or pronunciation sites for /voʊˈkeɪʃn/.
Common errors include misplacing stress as VO-ca-tion orVA-tion, pronouncing the second syllable as /kæ/ instead of /keɪ/, and running the final /ʃn/ into a vowel like /n/. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable /ˈkeɪ/, keep /voʊ/ as a quick diphthong, and enunciate the final /ʃn/ cluster clearly by starting with /ʃ/ and smoothly moving to /n/.
In American English, it’s /voʊˈkeɪʃn/, with a clear /oʊ/ then /keɪ/. UK often preserves a slightly tighter /əʊ/ onset and can have less rhotacization, but the /keɪ/ remains prominent. Australian tends toward a flatter /ə/ or /əʊ/ onset with similar /keɪʃn/ ending, sometimes with mild vowel sharpening. Overall, the nucleus /keɪ/ and coda /ʃn/ are stable; stress remains on the second syllable.
Two main challenges: the two-syllable structure with a strong mid-stress on the second syllable, and the /ʃn/ consonant cluster after a long /eɪ/ nucleus. English speakers may under-articulate the /ʃ/ or blur the transition to /n/. Practice by isolating the /keɪ/ vowel and deliberately injecting the /ʃn/ cluster with a slow tempo before speeding up. IPA cues help anchor your mouth positions.
Does the word ever lose emphasis on the second syllable in rapid speech? Generally not in careful speech, but in casual speech some speakers reduce it slightly, moving toward /voʊˈkeɪʃn/ with a quicker overall rhythm and a barely perceptible second vowel, still retaining /keɪ/ as the nucleus. Maintain the strong second-syllable cue in deliberate practice.
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Vocation comes from the Latin vocatio, meaning a call or summons, from vocare, to call. In Classical Latin, vocatio referred to a call to a function or role, sometimes in law or religious life. The term migrated into late Latin and Old French, where it retained its sense of a call or summons to a particular duty or profession. In English, vocation historically aligned with employment or a divine calling, often used in religious contexts to describe a life devoted to spiritual service. By the 17th century, it broadened to include a person’s chosen career or field of work, especially when it represented a meaningful or suited fit rather than mere employment. The modern sense typically emphasizes a strong personal sense of purpose and alignment with one’s life work, sometimes overlapping with ‘calling’ and ‘profession.’ First known use in English attested around the early modern period, with evolving usage in literary and educational contexts as society’s view of work shifted toward vocation and fulfillment rather than survival alone.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "vocation" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "vocation"
-ion sounds
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