How to pronounce digression
Say it like dy-GRESH-un. Digression has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GRESH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce digression. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dy
- GRESH
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Digression pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dyKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- GRESHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of digression
American and British speakers say digression in essentially the same way: /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/ in the US and /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: dy-GRESH-un.
What does digression mean?
- An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.“The lectures included lengthy digressions on topics ranging from the professor's dog to the meaning of life.”
- The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.
- An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.
Where does digression come from?
From Old French digressiun or disgressiun, from Latin dīgressiōnem, from dīgressus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs), the past passive participle of dīgredior (“to step away, to digress”), from dis- + gradior (“to step, walk, go”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with digression
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of digression.
Questions about saying digression
How do you pronounce digression?
Say dy-GRESH-un. The American pronunciation is /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/. In British English it is /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in digression?
Digression has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GRESH). Broken into parts: dy · GRESH · un.
Do Americans and Brits say digression the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/ and the British form is /daɪˈɡrɛʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.