Words ending in OUS
The ous at the end of these words sounds like iss. It does not sound like “house.”
Pronunciation Practice:
famous, various, serious, nervous, obvious, previous, religious, victorious
Words ending in TION
The tion sounds like shin.
Pronunciation Practice:
association, definition, population, promotion, section, solution, tradition
Words ending in ATE
In some words ending in ate (usually verbs), it sounds like the word eight.
Pronunciation Practice:
accelerate, initiate, concentrate, simulate, fascinate, hallucinate
In other words ending in ate (usually nouns/adjectives), it sounds like et or it.
Pronunciation Practice:
private, adequate, candidate, delicate, desperate, certificate
Some words can be both:
separate (v. / n.)
associate (v. / n.)
graduate (v. / n.)
alternate (v. / adj.)
estimate (v. / n.)
Words ending in ANCE and ENCE
We do not usually make a distinction in the pronunciation of ANCE and ENCE endings. They both sound like ENCE.
Pronunciation Practice:
absence, violence, experience, conference, evidence, influence, obedience
Pronunciation Practice:
attendance, balance, distance, entrance, resistance, performance, importance
Exceptions:
finance, advance, chance, glance, trance (one-syllable words)
