How to Pronounce “innovation”

American (US)

/ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/

British (UK)

/ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/

noun — The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc.

Where the stress falls. “innovation” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.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. /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.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 "innovation" mean?

innovation (noun): The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "innovation", /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.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 "innovation"?

/ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ in American English, /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "innovation"?

“innovation” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.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.