How to pronounce spoliation
Say it like spoh-lee-AY-shun. Spoliation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (AY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce spoliation. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- spoh
- lee
- AY
- shun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spoliation pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- spohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- AYSay 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 spoliation
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: spoh-lee-AY-shun.
What does spoliation mean?
- The action of destroying or ruining; destruction, ruin.
- The intentional destruction of, or tampering with, a document so as to impair its evidentiary value.
- The systematic forcible seizure of property during a crisis or state of unrest such as that caused by war, now regarded as a crime; looting, pillage, plunder; (countable) an instance of this.“Spoliation of Jewish property by Nazi authorities occurred on a large scale during World War II.”
Where does spoliation come from?
From Late Middle English spoliacioun (“looting, robbery, theft; an instance of this; (ecclesiastical) wrongful deprivation of the emoluments of a benefice due to another”), from Anglo-Norman spoliacioun, espolïacion, and directly from their
Words that rhyme with spoliation
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spoliation.
Questions about saying spoliation
How do you pronounce spoliation?
Say spoh-lee-AY-shun. The American pronunciation is /spoʊliˈeɪʃən/. In British English it is /spəʊliˈeɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spoliation?
Spoliation has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (AY). Broken into parts: spoh · lee · AY · shun.
Is spoliation pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /spəʊliˈeɪʃən/ (spoh-lee-AY-shun).