How to pronounce decontamination
Say it like dee-kun-tam-uh-NAY-shun. Decontamination has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fifth one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce decontamination. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dee
- kun
- tam
- uh
- NAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Decontamination pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- deeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- kunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- tamGive 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.
- NAYSay 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 decontamination
American and British speakers say decontamination in essentially the same way: /dikənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/ in the US and /diːkənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: dee-kun-tam-ih-NAY-shun.
What does decontamination mean?
- The process of removing contamination, particularly the cleaning off of dangerous materials.
Where does decontamination come from?
From de- + contamination.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with decontamination
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of decontamination.
- information
- education
- situation
- association
- population
- station
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
Questions about saying decontamination
How do you pronounce decontamination?
Say dee-kun-tam-uh-NAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /dikənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/. In British English it is /diːkənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in decontamination?
Decontamination has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fifth one (NAY). Broken into parts: dee · kun · tam · uh · NAY · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say decontamination the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dikənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/ and the British form is /diːkənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.