How to pronounce "position" in English
pəˈzɪʃən
pə·ZIH·shən
Primary stress: ZIH
Hear native speakers say position in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “position”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
pə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
ZIH
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
shən
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("ZIH"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
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 "position" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "position is" sounds like "position-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "position" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Shifts primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding "-tion".
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“position. And ordered the state of Illinois to either retry you or release you in 120 days." I'm sitting there.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“position of having done three different types of comedy, which is sketch comedy, which is Monty Python influenced comedy,”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“position. However, there were multiple strikes against the convoy. Australia makes the point that the convoy had um”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“position, you're either on one side or another of this issue, you have just”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“position there, and yes, sure.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“position and repelling insurgents in the sense of putting up market barriers”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “position”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
position. And ordered the state of Illinois to either retry you or release you in 120 days." I'm sitting there.
Hear it in context: “position”
51,372 clipsThe English word “position” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as pəˈzɪʃən (phonetic respelling: pə-ZIH-shən). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (pə · ZIH · shən), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (ZIH). Grammatically, “position” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 51,372 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “position” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @51:39
“And says "Judge McCaskey had just granted all 17 issues in your federal habeas corpus position. And ordered the state of Illinois to either retry you or release you in 120 days." I'm sitting there. And ordered the state of Illinois to either retry you or release you in 120 days."”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @4:28
“was my problem. So, once I I got to this position of having done three different types of comedy, which is sketch comedy, which is Monty Python influenced comedy, types of comedy, which is sketch comedy,”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @7:29
“government is not convinced of that position. However, there were multiple strikes against the convoy. Australia makes the point that the convoy had um strikes against the convoy. Australia”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @8:43
“the temperature. If you start from the position, you're either on one side or another of this issue, you have just another of this issue, you have just”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @25:48
“and asked if I would be interested in a position there, and yes, sure. I'm really very much looking forward to joining SMU really”
Definition & Meaning: “position”
- A place or location.
- A post of employment; a job.
- To put into place.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Train positions and speeds were established by a track magnet at each milepost, which produced a suitable mark on the punched recording tape whenever a train passed.”
- “While other small nations with large banking sectors, such as Iceland and Ireland, have been undone by their reckless lending practices, the debt-free Channel Islands have always positioned themselves as dependable repositories of riches.”
- “position. And ordered the state of Illinois to either retry you or release you in 120 days." I'm sitting there.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “position”
- Pronunciation:
- pə-ZIH-shən
- Syllables:
- pə · ZIH · shən
- Written Hyphenation:
- po · si · tion
- Primary stress:
- ZIH
- IPA:
- pəˈzɪʃən
- Hear it in context
- position
Synonyms: “position”
Hear words related in meaning to “position” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “position”
-ɪʃənWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"position" (⁄pəˈzɪʃən⁄) 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, "position" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about position
How do you pronounce “position”?
“position” is pronounced ⁄pəˈzɪʃən⁄ (pə-ZIH-shən). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “position”?
“position” has 3 syllables: pə · ZIH · shən.
Where is the stress in “position”?
The primary stress in “position” is on “ZIH”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “position” mean?
A place or location.
How can I hear “position” used in real sentences?
This page has 51372 real-world video examples of “position” 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 “position”?
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].