How to Pronounce “rationalism”

American (US)

/ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/

British (UK)

/ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/

Australian (AU)

/ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/

noun — The theory that reason is a source of knowledge independent of and superior to sense perception.

Where the stress falls. “rationalism” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ 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 "rationalism" mean?

rationalism (noun): The theory that reason is a source of knowledge independent of and superior to sense perception.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "rationalism", /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/, 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 "rationalism"?

/ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ in American English, /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ in British English, /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "rationalism"?

“rationalism” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.