How to pronounce meditation
Say it like med-uh-TAY-shun. Meditation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce meditation. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- med
- uh
- TAY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Meditation pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- medGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- TAYSay 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 meditation
American and British speakers say meditation in essentially the same way: /ˌmɛdəˈteɪʃən/ in the US and /ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: med-ih-TAY-shun.
What does meditation mean?
- continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature“the habit of meditation is the basis for all real knowledge”
- (religion) contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects)
Where does meditation come from?
From Old French meditacion, from Latin meditatio, from meditatus, the past participle of meditārī (“to meditate, to think over, consider”), itself from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure, limit, consider, advise”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with meditation
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of meditation.
Questions about saying meditation
How do you pronounce meditation?
Say med-uh-TAY-shun. The American pronunciation is /ˌmɛdəˈteɪʃən/. In British English it is /ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in meditation?
Meditation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TAY). Broken into parts: med · uh · TAY · shun.
Do Americans and Brits say meditation the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌmɛdəˈteɪʃən/ and the British form is /ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.