English pronunciation · Words Starting with W
Washington Pronunciation
Washington is pronounced WAH-shing-tuhn, IPA /ˈwɑʃɪŋtən/.
WAH-shing-tuhn
US /ˈwɑʃɪŋtən/
Syllables: WAH · shing · tuhn (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
proper noun: The capital city of the United States, the state on its north-west coast, and the surname of the first American president.
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Washington in a Sentence
- She flew to Washington for the hearing.
- Washington grows most of the country's apples.
- The road into Washington was blocked by snow.
Common Mispronunciations of Washington
Not wah-SHING-tuhn
Nothing but the opening syllable is pushed here. Moving the volume to the middle gives the name a Spanish shape it does not have in English.
Not WAH-shing-tahn
The ton at the close is a weak tuhn with no o left in it, the way Boston and Brighton finish.
Tip: Washington DC and Washington state are told apart by what follows, never by sound.
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