How to pronounce suspicion
Say it like suh-SPISH-un. Suspicion has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPISH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce suspicion. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- suh
- SPISH
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Suspicion pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- suhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- SPISHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of suspicion
American and British speakers say suspicion in essentially the same way: /səˈspɪʃən/ in the US and /səˈspɪʃən/ in the UK.
British respelling: suh-SPISH-un.
What does suspicion mean?
- an impression that something might be the case“he had an intuition that something had gone wrong”
- doubt about someone's honesty
- the state of being suspected“he tried to shield me from suspicion”
Where does suspicion come from?
From Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with suspicion
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of suspicion.
Questions about saying suspicion
How do you pronounce suspicion?
Say suh-SPISH-un. The American pronunciation is /səˈspɪʃən/. In British English it is /səˈspɪʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in suspicion?
Suspicion has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPISH). Broken into parts: suh · SPISH · un.
Do Americans and Brits say suspicion the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /səˈspɪʃən/ and the British form is /səˈspɪʃən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.