Enunciation is the act of pronouncing words. Make sure your enunciation is clear when ordering in a restaurant so you don’t get French flies instead of French fries.
- Pronunciation: / ɪ,nʌnsɪ'eʃɪn/
- English description: the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience
- Synonyms: diction
- Chinese Translation: 清晰的发音(qing1 xi1 de fa1 yin1)
- Spanish Translation: la dicción
- ORIGIN: Enunciation is from the Latin word enuntiationem, meaning “declaration.” Enunciation is more than pronouncing words clearly; it’s expressing them well, too. No one would mutter a declaration! People with excellent enunciation (also known as diction) are likely to end up broadcasters, announcers, actors, or in other jobs that require public speaking. Politicians need to have good enunciation. People who mumble or speak too quickly have poor enunciation: it's hard to understand them, because their words slur together.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
- Beyond his singular enunciation, complete with seductive sibilance and unbelievably extended "oooohs", his explanations were vibrant, rich in detail and meticulously researched.
- In addition, while speaking quickly, you’re more likely to make mistakes in your enunciation, and you have less time to think through your words.
*New word description, story and part of "EXAMPLE SENTENCE" are cited in Vocabulary.com