How to pronounce "self deprecation" in English
ˌsɛlf.dɛ.prəˈkeɪ.ʃən
self·de·prə·KAY·shən
Primary stress: KAY
Hear native speakers say self deprecation in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “self deprecation”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
self
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
de
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
prə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
KAY
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
shən
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the fourth syllable ("KAY"). 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 "self deprecation" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "self deprecation is" sounds like "self deprecation-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "self deprecation" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Shifts primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding "-tion".
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“This is a very ironic prologue which is conveyed through a very seductive kind of self deprecation in Cervantes.”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“And there's a little bit of self deprecation in that, but there also is, it is an awesome privilege to get to work with students and alumni from the GSB.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “self deprecation”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
This is a very ironic prologue which is conveyed through a very seductive kind of self deprecation in Cervantes.
Hear it in context: “self deprecation”
50 clipsThe English word “self deprecation” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌsɛlf.dɛ.prəˈkeɪ.ʃən (phonetic respelling: self-de-prə-KAY-shən). Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (self · de · prə · KAY · shən), with primary lexical stress placed on the 4th syllable (KAY). Grammatically, “self deprecation” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 50 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “self deprecation” in natural connected speech across American (US: 2 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from YaleCourses.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (2 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #1 · @43:58
“whole of the Quixote: irony. This is a very ironic prologue which is conveyed through a very seductive kind of self deprecation in Cervantes. seductive kind of self deprecation in Cervantes.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @3:26
“I'm not sure I could get into. And there's a little bit of self deprecation in that, but there also is, it is an awesome privilege to get to work with students and alumni from the GSB. it is an awesome privilege to get to work with students and alumni from the GSB.”
Definition & Meaning: “self deprecation”
- The act of belittling or undervaluing oneself or one's own abilities.
Example Sentences (3)
- “His gentle self-deprecation immediately put the audience at ease.”
- “This is a very ironic prologue which is conveyed through a very seductive kind of self deprecation in Cervantes.”
- “And there's a little bit of self deprecation in that, but there also is, it is an awesome privilege to get to work with students and alumni from the GSB.”
Pronounce: “self deprecation”
- Pronunciation:
- self-de-prə-KAY-shən
- Syllables:
- self · de · prə · KAY · shən
- Written Hyphenation:
- self · dep · re · ca · tion
- Primary stress:
- KAY
- IPA:
- ˌsɛlf.dɛ.prəˈkeɪ.ʃən
- Hear it in context
- self deprecation
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"self deprecation" (⁄ˌsɛlf.dɛ.prəˈkeɪ.ʃən⁄) 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, "self deprecation" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about self deprecation
How do you pronounce “self deprecation”?
“self deprecation” is pronounced ⁄ˌsɛlf.dɛ.prəˈkeɪ.ʃən⁄ (self-de-prə-KAY-shən). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “self deprecation”?
“self deprecation” has 5 syllables: self · de · prə · KAY · shən.
Where is the stress in “self deprecation”?
The primary stress in “self deprecation” is on “KAY”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “self deprecation” mean?
The act of belittling or undervaluing oneself or one's own abilities.
How can I hear “self deprecation” used in real sentences?
This page has 50 real-world video examples of “self deprecation” 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 “self deprecation”?
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].