How to pronounce convention
Say it like kun-VEN-shun. Convention has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce convention. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kun
- VEN
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Convention pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- VENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- shunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of convention
American and British speakers say convention in essentially the same way: /kənˈvɛnʃən/ in the US and /kənˈvɛnʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: kun-VEN-shun.
What does convention mean?
- a large formal assembly“political convention”
- something regarded as a normative example“the convention of not naming the main character”“violence is the rule not the exception”
- (diplomacy) an international agreement
Where does convention come from?
Recorded since about 1440, borrowed from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”).
Words that rhyme with convention
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of convention.
Questions about saying convention
How do you pronounce convention?
Say kun-VEN-shun. The American pronunciation is /kənˈvɛnʃən/. In British English it is /kənˈvɛnʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in convention?
Convention has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VEN). Broken into parts: kun · VEN · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say convention the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kənˈvɛnʃən/ and the British form is /kənˈvɛnʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.