How to pronounce aberration
Say it like ab-uh-RAY-shun. Aberration has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (RAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce aberration. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ab
- uh
- RAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Aberration pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- abGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- RAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of aberration
American and British speakers say aberration in essentially the same way: /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/ in the US and /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: ab-uh-RAY-shun.
What does aberration mean?
- The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.“the aberration of youth”
- The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; a defect in a focusing mechanism that prevents the intended focal point.
- A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer.
Where does aberration come from?
A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō(n) (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594, from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”).
Words that rhyme with aberration
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of aberration.
Questions about saying aberration
How do you pronounce aberration?
Say ab-uh-RAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/. In British English it is /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in aberration?
Aberration has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (RAY). Broken into parts: ab · uh · RAY · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say aberration the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/ and the British form is /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.