How to pronounce adaptation
Say it like ad-up-TAY-shun. Adaptation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce adaptation. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ad
- up
- TAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Adaptation pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- adGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- upKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- TAYSay 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 adaptation
American and British speakers say adaptation in essentially the same way: /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/ in the US and /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: ad-up-TAY-shun.
What does adaptation mean?
- a written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form“the play is an adaptation of a short novel”
- the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)
- (physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light)
Where does adaptation come from?
From French adaptation, from Medieval Latin adaptātiō, from Latin adaptō (“to fit, adjust, modify; to adapt, fit or adjust to”); see adapt.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with adaptation
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of adaptation.
Questions about saying adaptation
How do you pronounce adaptation?
Say ad-up-TAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/. In British English it is /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in adaptation?
Adaptation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TAY). Broken into parts: ad · up · TAY · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say adaptation the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/ and the British form is /ˌædəpˈteɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.