How to pronounce "nation building" in English
na·tion·bu·il·ding
Hear native speakers say nation building in context across real video clips
China today and people are in the same sort of point where actually it's about nation building you know and it was very much for us um we created the welfare state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “nation building”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
na
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
tion
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
bu
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
il
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
ding
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "nation building" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "nation building is" sounds like "nation building-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "nation building" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“nation building you know and it was very much for us um we created the welfare state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“of nation building wealth for those communities which has at the bottom of”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“Nation building was to be a moral Christian creation.”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“nation building in a sense all behind it.”— StanfordWatch clip
“the nation building exercise of the international community was only skin deep uh under the uh kind of uh”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“the UN in nation building yes I I'm a a a strong believer and that sometimes got”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “nation building”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
nation building you know and it was very much for us um we created the welfare state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming
Hear it in context: “nation building”
264 clipsThe English word “nation building”. Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (na · tion · bu · il · ding). Grammatically, “nation building” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 264 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “nation building” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Harvard University, TEDx Talks, YaleCourses.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #1 · @25:47
“China today and people are in the same sort of point where actually it's about nation building you know and it was very much for us um we created the welfare state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @7:59
“a part of the growth and the wealth you create actually goes towards the future of nation building wealth for those communities which has at the bottom of pyramid and my dear friends I don't think so that it's just a dream as I”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #3 · @12:44
“There hardly any republics on planet Earth. Nation building was to be a moral Christian creation. And the second great awakening only fueled that,”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #4 · @39:50
“as a form of art but as a form of social change, movement, expression, dynamic, nation building in a sense all behind it. And I read somewhere he spends a little time as a social worker. Yeah, that was that I read somewhere he spends a little time as a social worker. Yeah, that was that”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @7:29
“some three years ago almost over 65 of the country and let's not forget that the nation building exercise of the international community was only skin deep uh under the uh kind of uh skin deep uh under the uh kind of uh”
Definition & Meaning: “nation building”
- Unifying the people or peoples within a state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Although uniquely favored by relatively viable political institutions, India yet shares this uncertainty with a large number of countries for which independence is but a first step on the road to nation-building.”
- “nation building you know and it was very much for us um we created the welfare state in the in the 1940s and it was you know people who who'd won a war coming”
- “of nation building wealth for those communities which has at the bottom of”
Pronounce: “nation building”
- Syllables:
- na · tion · bu · il · ding
- Hear it in context
- nation building
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"nation building" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "nation building" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about nation building
How many syllables are in “nation building”?
“nation building” has 5 syllables: na · tion · bu · il · ding.
What does “nation building” mean?
Unifying the people or peoples within a state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run.
How can I hear “nation building” used in real sentences?
This page has 264 real-world video examples of “nation building” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “nation building”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].