How to pronounce "ques tion" in English
ˈkwɛstʃən
KWES·chən
Primary stress: KWES
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No video clips indexed yet for “ques tion”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “ques tion”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
KWES
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
chən
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("KWES"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "ques tion" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "ques tion is" sounds like "ques tion-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "ques tion" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Shifts primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding "-tion".
Practice Speaking “ques tion”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
What is your question?
Hear it in context: “ques tion”
The English word “ques tion” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈkwɛstʃən (phonetic respelling: KWES-chən). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (KWES · chən), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (KWES). Grammatically, “ques tion” 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. Hear native speakers say ques tion in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “ques tion”
- A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.
- A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
- To ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
- To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
Example Sentences (2)
- “What is your question?”
- “The question of seniority will be discussed at the meeting.”
Pronounce: “ques tion”
- Pronunciation:
- KWES-chən
- Syllables:
- KWES · chən
- Written Hyphenation:
- ques · tion
- Primary stress:
- KWES
- IPA:
- ˈkwɛstʃən
- Hear it in context
- ques tion
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"ques tion" (⁄ˈkwɛstʃən⁄) 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, "ques tion" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about ques tion
How do you pronounce “ques tion”?
“ques tion” is pronounced ⁄ˈkwɛstʃən⁄ (KWES-chən). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “ques tion”?
“ques tion” has 2 syllables: KWES · chən.
Where is the stress in “ques tion”?
The primary stress in “ques tion” is on “KWES”.
What does “ques tion” mean?
A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “ques tion”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).