How to pronounce exhaustion
Say it like ig-ZAWS-chun. Exhaustion has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAWS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce exhaustion. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ig
- ZAWS
- chun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Exhaustion pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- igKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ZAWSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- chunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of exhaustion
American and British speakers say exhaustion in essentially the same way: /ɪɡˈzɔstʃən/ in the US and /ɪɡˈzɒstʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: ig-ZOS-chun.
What does exhaustion mean?
- The point of complete depletion, of the state of being used up.“We worked the mine to exhaustion, there's nothing left to extract.”
- Supreme tiredness; having exhausted energy.“I ran in the marathon to exhaustion, then I collapsed and had to be carried away.”
- The removal (by percolation etc) of an active medicinal constituent from plant material.
Where does exhaustion come from?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin exhaustiō, from exhauriō.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying exhaustion
How do you pronounce exhaustion?
Say ig-ZAWS-chun. The American pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzɔstʃən/. In British English it is /ɪɡˈzɒstʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in exhaustion?
Exhaustion has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAWS). Broken into parts: ig · ZAWS · chun.
Do Americans and Brits say exhaustion the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪɡˈzɔstʃən/ and the British form is /ɪɡˈzɒstʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.