4 syllables: ab, dom, i, nal. Stress on dom.
ab-DAH-muh-nuhl
/æˈbdɑmənəl/
abdominal is pronounced ab-DAH-muh-nuhl (/æˈbdɑmənəl/). It has four syllables (ab-dom-i-nal), with the stress on "dom". Abdominal describes anything relating to the abdomen, the part of the torso between the chest and the pelvis. It often refers to muscles in that area, the abdominal cavity, or procedures involving the belly region. The term is common in medical, fitness, and anatomical contexts and is typically used in formal or technical discourse.
Abdominal describes anything relating to the abdomen, the part of the torso between the chest and the pelvis. It often refers to muscles in that area, the abdominal cavity, or procedures involving the belly region. The term is common in medical, fitness, and anatomical contexts and is typically used in formal or technical discourse.
"The patient underwent abdominal surgery to repair the hernia."
"Core exercises target the abdominal muscles for better stability."
"He felt a sharp pain in his abdominal region after the fall."
Break it as ab_DO-mi-nal with primary stress on the second syllable: /ˈæb.dəˌmɒl/ (US) or /ˈæb.dəˌmənl/ (UK). In careful speech you’ll hear three syllables: AB-DO-MI-nal, with the middle /də/ reduced and the final /məl/ often lightly pronounced.
Common errors: stressing the wrong syllable (a-BD-om-i-nal) and over-pronouncing the middle vowel as /o/ or /ɒ/. Correct by placing primary stress on the second syllable, reducing the /də/ to a schwa, and050- making the final /nəl/ or /ml/ clear but not overly emphasized.
US tends to /ˈæb.dəˌmɒl/ with rhoticity and a more rounded final syllable; UK often /ˈæb.dəˌmɔːl/ with a longer last vowel; AU may merge vowels slightly and reduce the middle /də/ more, giving /ˈæb.dəˌmɔːl/. The main differences are vowel quality in the final syllable and the degree of vowel reduction in the middle.
It blends a multi-syllable rhythm with a reduced middle syllable and a final consonant cluster. The challenge comes from maintaining primary stress on syllable 2 while not exaggerating the /də/ and ensuring the final /l/ remains light. Practicing the three-syllable cadence and listening for the faint schwa helps avoid overemphasis.
Remember the root relates to the abdomen, so the second syllable carries the beat: /ˈæb.dəˌmɒl/. Focus on a light /də/ as a quick, unstressed sound and finish with a soft /l/ after the /m/.
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Abdominal comes from the Late Latin abdominalis, meaning ‘of the abdomen,’ from abdomen ‘belly’ with -alis meaning ‘pertaining to.’ The Latin abdomen itself traces to the adverbial phrase ab- + rompere? No—etymology: Latin abs, abdomen.
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Help others use "abdominal" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "abdominal" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "abdominal" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "abdominal"
-tal sounds
-al? sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
