You probably know addition, condition, position. Look closer: dozens of advanced English words end in this same -ITION pattern. Tradition. Definition. Composition. Repetition. They all behave the same way.
One spelling, one sound, one stress rule. Master it once and a huge family of nouns falls into place.
The Three Rules of -ITION
Rule 1: Sound
The ending -ition is always pronounced /ˈɪʃən/ - "ish-un." The T is part of the SH sound (this is regular for -tion). The first I is short, like in "sit."
Rule 2: Stress
The stress falls on the syllable just before -tion: -IT-ion. So the I in "-ition" gets a strong, clear short vowel.
Rule 3: The Vowel Before Stays Strong
Unlike many English suffixes, -ITION pulls the stress to its own "I," so the rest of the word can keep clear vowels. There is no schwa collapse on the immediately preceding syllable.
The Big List
| Word | Stress | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| addition | ad-DI-tion | /əˈdɪʃən/ |
| condition | con-DI-tion | /kənˈdɪʃən/ |
| position | po-SI-tion | /pəˈzɪʃən/ |
| tradition | tra-DI-tion | /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
| nutrition | nu-TRI-tion | /nuːˈtrɪʃən/ |
| ambition | am-BI-tion | /æmˈbɪʃən/ |
| edition | e-DI-tion | /ɪˈdɪʃən/ |
| definition | def-i-NI-tion | /ˌdefəˈnɪʃən/ |
| repetition | rep-e-TI-tion | /ˌrepəˈtɪʃən/ |
| composition | com-po-SI-tion | /ˌkɑːmpəˈzɪʃən/ |
| opposition | op-po-SI-tion | /ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃən/ |
| recognition | rec-og-NI-tion | /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/ |
Why It Works This Way
-ITION is a member of the bigger -TION family. The general rule for -tion is: stress falls on the syllable just before it. With -ition, the syllable before -tion is always "I," so the stress is locked to that I.
This consistency is unusual in English spelling. Even when the rest of the word is unfamiliar, -ition tells you exactly where to put the stress and how to pronounce the ending. That makes it one of the most reliable hooks for predicting pronunciation.
Quick Practice
The Verb-Noun Pair Trick
Many -ition nouns are paired with verbs. The verb usually has a different stress and a different vowel sound. Watch the pattern:
| Verb | Noun in -ition |
|---|---|
| add (æd) | addition (əˈdɪʃən) |
| compose (kəmˈpoʊz) | composition (ˌkɑːmpəˈzɪʃən) |
| repeat (rɪˈpiːt) | repetition (ˌrepəˈtɪʃən) |
| define (dɪˈfaɪn) | definition (ˌdefəˈnɪʃən) |
| recognize (ˈrekəɡnaɪz) | recognition (ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən) |
Notice how the vowel quality of the root often shifts: the long vowels of "compose," "repeat," "define," "recognize" become short before the -ition suffix. This is the same logic as in nation/national or Spain/Spanish.
Common Mistake to Avoid
Do NOT pronounce -ition as "ee-shun." The first I is SHORT, not long.
- Wrong: po-ZEE-shun, ad-DEE-shun
- Right: po-ZIH-shun, ad-DIH-shun
Same for the ending: it is /-ʃən/, not /-ʃoʊn/ or /-ʃiən/. Two syllables: ish-un.
Sister Patterns
-ITION is one of three closely related patterns. They all follow the same stress logic but have different vowel sounds:
| Pattern | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ATION | /ˈeɪʃən/ | information /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/ |
| -ITION | /ˈɪʃən/ | tradition /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
| -UTION | /ˈuːʃən/ | solution /səˈluːʃən/ |
The same rule lives across all three: the vowel right before -tion takes the stress, with its own clear sound.
Quick Summary
- -ITION is always /ˈɪʃən/, two syllables: ish-un
- Stress falls on the I in -ition: ad-DI-tion, po-SI-tion
- The I is short, like in "sit" - never "ee"
- Verb roots shift their vowel: compose → composition, define → definition
- Sister patterns -ATION and -UTION follow the same stress rule with different vowels
One ending unlocks one of English's largest noun families. Trust it, and even unfamiliar words like "premonition" or "intuition" come out right.