How to pronounce hibernation
Say it like hy-ber-NAY-shun. Hibernation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce hibernation. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hy
- ber
- NAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hibernation pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hyGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- berKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- 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 hibernation
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: hy-buh-NAY-shun.
What does hibernation mean?
- A state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in some animals during winter.“The bears are in hibernation.”
- A hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans during long space flights.
- A standby state which conserves power by writing the contents of the memory to disk and completely power off the computer, in order that one will resume the session from the disk.
Where does hibernation come from?
From Latin hībernātus, from hībernō, from hībernus (“wintry, of or pertaining to winter”).
Words that rhyme with hibernation
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hibernation.
- information
- education
- situation
- association
- population
- station
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
Questions about saying hibernation
How do you pronounce hibernation?
Say hy-ber-NAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /ˌhaɪbɚˈneɪʃən/. In British English it is /ˌhaɪbəˈneɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hibernation?
Hibernation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (NAY). Broken into parts: hy · ber · NAY · shun.
Is hibernation pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˌhaɪbəˈneɪʃən/ (hy-buh-NAY-shun).