Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

caution

/ˈkoːʃ(ə)n/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.97 in modern English

Syllables
cau-tion
IPA
/ˈkoːʃ(ə)n/
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Prudence when faced with, or when expecting to face, danger; care taken in order to avoid risk or harm.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A careful attention to the probable effects of an act, in order that failure or harm may be avoided.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Security; guaranty; bail.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

One who draws attention or causes astonishment by their behaviour.

Countable; Dated; Uncountable

noun

A formal warning given as an alternative to prosecution in minor cases.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A yellow card.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To warn; to alert, advise that caution is warranted.

Transitive verb

verb

To read someone their formal legal rights as part of a lawful arrest.

British usage; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Recorded since 1297 as Middle English caucioun (“bail, guarantee, pledge”), from Old French caution (“security, surety”), itself from Latin cautiō, from cautus, past participle of caveō, cavēre (“be on one's guard”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: caucioun, caution, cautiō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkoːʃ(ə)n/
  • British English: /ˈkɔːʃ(ə)n/

Usage

Inflected Forms

cautions (plural) cautions (present, singular) cautioning (participle, present) cautioned (participle, past) cautioned (past)

Derived Forms

cautionary cautious hypercaution incaution precaution cautioner overcaution

Phrases

abundance of caution cast caution to the wind caution fatigue caution money caution to snakes competition caution err on the side of caution interview under caution

Frequently Paired Words

caveat cautious cautiously heads up timid timidity timidly

Synonyms

caution cautiousness caginess care carefulness circumspection heed heedfulness prudence reckfulness wariness

Antonyms

incaution

Rhymes With

hadhramautian

Questions

How do you pronounce caution?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkoːʃ(ə)n/.
What does caution mean?
Prudence when faced with, or when expecting to face, danger; care taken in order to avoid risk or harm.
Where does caution come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce caution

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “caution”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkoːʃ(ə)n/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “caution”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “caution” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.