How to Pronounce “allegation”

American (US)

/ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

British (UK)

/ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

Australian (AU)

/ˌæl.ɪˈɡæɪ.ʃən/

noun — An assertion, especially an accusation, not necessarily based on facts.

Example: She put forth several allegations regarding her partner in hopes of discrediting his actions.

Where the stress falls. “allegation” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "allegation" mean?

allegation (noun): An assertion, especially an accusation, not necessarily based on facts. For example — She put forth several allegations regarding her partner in hopes of discrediting his actions.

How do you pronounce "allegation" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "allegation", /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "allegation"?

/ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ in American English, /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ in British English, /ˌæl.ɪˈɡæɪ.ʃən/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "allegation"?

“allegation” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.