Paediatric is an adjective relating to the medical care and treatment of children. In British English it often refers to the field of pediatrics, encompassing clinical practice, research, and education about childhood health. The term presents as paediatric within many English-speaking regions and is commonly paired with nouns like practice, medicine, and ward.
"The paediatric ward was full of infants and toddlers."
"She pursued a career in paediatric medicine after completing her general residency."
"The hospital offers paediatric surgery and paediatric neurology services."
"Policy changes impact paediatric care and family-centred approaches."
The word Paediatric comes from the French pediatrique, from Greek pais (child) + iatreia (medical treatment, healing). In English, it entered medical usage during the 19th century as a specialized branch of medicine focused on the health and diseases of children. The spelling paediatric reflects British conventions, with the -ei- sequence and the -ic suffix. The American form is pediatric, dropping the second vowel and adjusting spelling to align with US simplifications. First known uses appear in medical texts and dictionaries in the late 1800s as pediatrics and paediatrics arose from broader pediatric medicine, gradually distinguishing the child-specific practice from adult medicine. Over time, the word has become a standard term in hospitals, clinics, and academic curricula worldwide, with regional spelling preferences influencing its written form but not its core meaning.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Paediatric" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Paediatric" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Paediatric"
-fic sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/. The stress is on the third syllable in many accents: pa-e-DI-atric, with the first two syllables flowing as /ˌpeɪ.di/ and the suffix /-æ.trɪk/. In slow speech you may hear a slight secondary stress on pa- as a lead-in. For audio reference, consult medical pronunciation resources or Forvo entries with paediatric and pediatric pronunciations.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (e.g., paedi-ATR-ic instead of paed-ia-TR- ic), merging syllables (paed- i- + atric), and pronouncing the -ic as /-ɪk/ without clarity. Correction: keep the -æ- sound in the third syllable and articulate the final -trɪk clearly, with a light release on -tr-. Practice the tri-syllable rhythm: /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/, tapping the beat between syllables.
US: /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/ with non-rhotic tendencies similar to UK in many contexts; rhythm emphasizes di- as a secondary beat. UK: /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/ exactly; often with a crisper /æ/ and floating /r/ in some dialects. AU: /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/ with vowel quality close to US but sometimes a slightly shorter /i/ and flatter final syllable, while maintaining non-rhoticity. Across all, the stress on the penultimate or ante-penultimate syllable remains consistent, but vowel qualities and rhoticity vary slightly.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the stable yet subtle vowel /æ/ in the third syllable, plus the final unstressed -trɪk that can blur with adjacent vowels. The sequence /ˌpeɪ.diˈæ.trɪk/ requires precise placement of stress and fast but clear articulation of /æ/ and /trɪk/. Speakers often reduce the middle vowel or blur the /tr/ cluster. Focus on separating syllables and keeping a sharp -trɪk for clear clinical communication.
The 'ae' digraph in paediatric signals the /eɪ/ vowel in both paed- and di- segments, and the final -tric portion invites a crisp /trɪk/ with a light alveolar stop release. The key feature is maintaining the /æ/ vowel quality in the stressed third syllable and avoiding a trailing glottal stop that could blur the -trɪk. Keep hands relaxed and use precise tongue-tip contact for /t/ and /r/ in sequence.
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